Marcos Bagdatis topped Olivier Rochus 6-1 7-5 for the IF Stockholm title. The Cypriot has struggled for the last couple of years. Unable to advance past the second round this year, he went back to the challenger circuit and managed to win three titles. The world no. 66 was able to take advantage of the opportunities presented this week to win his first title of the year and third-career title.

Championship
Singles Final
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) def. Olivier Rochus (BEL) 6-1 7-5

Doubles Final
1 B. Soares (BRA)/ K. Ullyett (ZIM) def. S. Aspelin (SWE)/P. Hanley (AUS) 6-4 7-6(4)

Saturday’s Results
Singles Semifinals
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) def. 1 Robin Soderling (SWE) w/o
Olivier Rochus (BEL) def. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 7-6(4) 4-6 6-3

Doubles Semifinal
1 B. Soares (BRA)/ K. Ullyett (ZIM) def. 4 J. Coetzee (RSA)/S. Huss (AUS) 6-4 7-5

(Image: Soren Andersson/AFP/Getty Images)

Friday’s Results
Singles Quarterfinals
1 Robin Soderling (SWE) def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 7-6(4) 6-4
Olivier Rochus (BEL) def. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 6-3 2-6 6-1
Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) def. WC Joachim Johansson (SWE) 7-6(4) 6-3
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) def. Q Arnaud Clement (FRA) 6-4 6-4

Doubles Semifinal
2 S. Aspelin (SWE)/P. Hanley (AUS) def. A. Beck (GER)/C. Kas (GER) 6-1 6-2

Saturday’s Matches
Singles Semifinals
1 Robin Soderling (SWE) vs. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
Olivier Rochus (BEL) vs. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)

Doubles Semifinal
1 B. Soares (BRA)/ K. Ullyett (ZIM) vs. 4 J. Coetzee (RSA)/S. Huss (AUS)

Saturday’s Order of Play

Thursday’s Results
Singles Second Round
1 Robin Soderling (SWE) def. A. Seppi (ITA) 6-1 6-3
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) def. 2 Tommy Haas (GER) w/o (flu)
Olivier Rochus (BEL) def. 8 Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 4-6 6-4 6-1
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) def. Robert Kendrick (USA) 6-2 6-2
Q Arnaud Clement (FRA) def. Q Michael Berrer (GER) 3-6 7-6(7) 6-1

Doubles Quarterfinals
1 B. Soares (BRA)/ K. Ullyett (ZIM) def. F. Lopez (ESP)/M. Lopez (ESP) 6-2 6-1
2 S. Aspelin (SWE)/P. Hanley (AUS) def. B. Becker (GER)/D. Skoch (CZE) 6-4 6-3
A. Beck (GER)/C. Kas (GER) def. 3 J. Kerr (AUS)/T. Parrott (USA) 6-4 6-2
4 J. Coetzee (RSA)/S. Huss (AUS) def. A. Clement (FRA)/R. Lindstedt (SWE) 7-6(3) 3-6 10-7

Friday’s Order of Play

Wednesday's Results
Singles Second Round
WC Joachim Johansson (SWE) def. 4 J. Monaco (ARG) 6-4 6-4
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) def. Simon Greul (GER) 6-3 7-5
Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) def. Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 7-5 3-6 6-3

Singles First Round
1 Robin Soderling (SWE) def. LL Giovanni Lapentti (ECU) 6-3 6-0
2 Tommy Haas (GER) def. Florent Serra (FRA) 6-3 6-4
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) def. 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 6-4 6-2
8 Feliciano Lopez (ESP) def. Ernest Gulbis (LAT) 6-2 6-4

Doubles First Round
2 S. Aspelin (SWE)/P. Hanley (AUS) def. S. Greul (GER)/A. Seppi (ITA) 6-4 6-1
A. Beck (GER)/C. Kas (GER) def. R. Kendrick (USA)/L. Mayer (ARG) 6-4 1-6 10-8
A. Clement (FRA)/R. Lindstedt (SWE) def. J. Brunstrom (SWE)/J. Rojer (AHO) 6-4 6-4

Thursday’s Order of Play

Juan Carlos Ferrero gives the gas face in his 6-4 6-2 loss to Marcos Baghdatis.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Tuesday’s Results
Singles First Round
Q Arnaud Clement (FRA) def. 5 Andreas Beck (GER) 6-4 6-2
Q Michael Berrer (GER) def. Q Henri Kontinen (FIN) 7-5 7-6(7)
Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) def. Q Frederick Nielsen (DEN) 7-6(6) 6-3
Olivier Rochus (BEL) def. WC Anreas Vinciguerra (SWE) 6-3 6-2
Robert Kendrick (USA) def. Oscar Hernandez (ESP) 6-3 6-4
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) def. WC Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 6-0 6-2
Andreas Seppi (ITA) def. Victor Crivoi (ROU) 6-4 6-1

Doubles First Round
1 B. Soares (BRA)/K. Ullyett (ZIM) def. WC P. Brydolf (SWE)/A. Siljestrom (SWE) 7-6(1) 6-3
3 J. Kerr (AUS)/T. Parrott (USA) def. M. Melo (BRA)/A. Sa (BRA) 6-2 6-1
B. Becker (GER)/D. Skoch (CZE) def. L. Arnold Ker (ARG)/J. Monaco (ARG) 6-0 7-6(3)
F. Lopez (ESP)/M. Lopez (ESP) def. G. Garcia-Lopez (ESP)/P. Luczak (AUS) 7-5 6-3

Wednesday’s Order of Play

The 18-year-old up-and-comer from Bulgaria is hailed as the second coming of Federer. He even employs Federer’s old coach, Peter Lundgren who thinks Dimitrov is better than Federer when he was that age. Last year, the Bulgarian won the Wimbledon and US Open junior titles. This year, he is trying to transfer to the professional tour this year. As in any transition to the pros, there are a lot of losses.

So far, he has made it to the quarterfinals on the challenger circuit in Cremona, Nottingham, and Segovia. On the pro circuit, he made it to the second round in Queen’s Club and Rotterdam where he upset Tomas Berdych. Yesterday, he was 4-5 on the pro circuit.

Today, he met Jarkko Nieminen in Stockholm. The Fin returned to the tour after being sidelined with injury, so it would have been a good opportunity for the Bulgarian to upset the veteran. Nieminen instead spanked the Bulgarian teen 6-0 6-2 after just 50 minutes of work. The loss brings Dimitrov’s year-to-date record to 4-6, as the season comes to a close. It will be interesting to see Dimitrov's progress next year.

(Images: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)

Monday’s Results
Singles First Round
4 Juan Monaco (ARG) def. Jan Hernych (CZE) 6-2 5-7 7-5
Simon Greul (GER) def. 6 Benjamin Becker (GER) 2-6 6-3 7-5
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) def. Alberto Martin (ESP) 6-3 6-2
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) def. 7 Albert Montanes (ESP) 6-4 6-3
WC Joachim Johansson (SWE) def. Peter Luczak (AUS) 7-5 6-2

Doubles First Round
4 J. Coetzee (RSA)/S. Huss (AUS) def. WC H. Kontinen (FIN)/J. Nieminen (FIN) 2-6 6-3 10-6

Tuesday’s Order of Play

Nicolas Kiefer returns to the tour after being out with an injury. The current world no. 104 had to qualify for the Kremlin Cup this weekend. He gained entry into the tournament today by beating Russian Dmitri Sitak 6-1 6-4 for one of the four qualifying births.

Kiefer draws a good opponent for his comeback in Spaniard Marcel Granollers for the first round. The two players have never met in ATP or grand slam competition. The other qualifiers are as follows:

. . . And The Kremlin Cup Qualifiers Are . . .
Nicolas Kiefer (GER), Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR), Mikhail Kukushkin (RUS), Ilya Marchenko (UKR)

. . . And The Stockholm Qualifiers Are . . .
Michael Berrer (GER), Arnaud Clement (FRA), Henri Kontinen (FIN), Frederick Nielsen (DEN)

(Image: AP)

Swedish authorities have detained two tennis players by allegedly soliciting prostitutes:

Two tennis players planned to warm up for the Swedish Open by having sex with prostitutes, police claim.

The names of the players have not been released, but we are given clues to whom it might be. Both are tennis players, but one is actually playing in the tournament. They are also foreigners, so that rules out any of the Swedes.

I am dying to know who it is. And NO, it is not Safin. Luckily for him, he is playing in Moscow. We shall find out soon enough.

City: Stockholm, Sweden
Surface: Indoor Hard
Championship Points: 250
2008 Singles Champion: David Nalbandian
2008 Doubles Champions: Jonas Bjorkman and Kevin Ullyett

Defending champion, David Nalbandian is still off the tour and recovering from surgery, so he will not defend his title this year. Robin Soderling, Tommy Haas, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Juan Monaco, Andreas Beck, Benjamin Becker, Albert Montanes and Feliciano Lopez are the top seeds at this tournament.

The top-seed Robin Soderling will try for his first title in Stockholm. The hometown favorite is enjoying his most successful year and is probably the favorite for the title. None of the top tier players are competing, so all of his threats will not be around to keep the title away from him.

The title is not a foregone conclusion for the Swede. Tommy Haas could easily stand in his way. The German, who had a good summer this year, returns from the tour after battling injury at the end of the summer. If he is good form, it could spell trouble for Soderling.

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Thomaz Bellucci, Ernest Gulbis and Grigor Dimitrov round out the draw in what should be a good week.

Tournament Draw
Singles / Doubles

Monday’s Order of Play

(Image: If Stockholm Open)