Yevgeny Kafelnikov squeezed through three tiebreaks for a win over Frenchman Julien Boutter 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (8/6) and a place in the second round of the one-million-dollar Mercedes Cup Monday in Stuttgart.
Kafelnikov, holder of 20 titles and a 1996 finalist, rolled out of Wimbledon during the first week after losing with a painful rib injury. He had taken two weeks off to rest and is playing his first event since then.
The hard-working Russian took a break at his home in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
The pause refreshed the 26-year-old, as he seemed to have recovered all of his fighting powers - but not without a battle against the Frenchman, who reached the third round at Monte Carlo.
Kafelnikov is known for barely ever stopping on the year-long tennis grind. But he has promised to start taking life a bit easier despite a schedule of singles and doubles, which is the most hectic for a top player in the sport.
But he also keeps going in the belief that those who don't win big events don't stay at the summit.
For that reason, he's not sure that this year's new Champions points race on the ATP Tour is the right way to calculate standings.
"The competition is stronger than ever now," he said. "But without playing well at the majors, you cannot be on top of the standings. It's as simple as that."
Moroccans suffered contrasting fates, with fourth seed Younes El Aynaoui beating German Christian Vinck 6-1, 7-6 (10/8), while Australian Andrew Ilie rallied from 3-5 down in the final-set tiebreaker to oust Hicham Arazi 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).
German Daniel Elsner, a three-time junior Grand Slam winner now playing only at the national league level, knocked out veteran Spaniard Francisco Clavet 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
He will await the winner between Phau and Norman, but is not making any bets on the outcome.
"Of course, Magnus is the absolute favorite, and I have nothing to lose. I respect him, but I'm not sure he will win so easily."
The German played for nearly two hours before earning his three-set victory. He won the first and led 3-0 in the second before his form dropped, necessitating a fight-back – (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
