JARKKO Nieminen hopes to maintain his good track record of qualifying for at least one final on the ATP Tour, which he has achieved for the last eight years, this season.
With the season ending in November, Nieminen is running out of time but the Finn is optimistic he can achieve his 14th tour final on his debut in the Malaysian Open at Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Nieminen brushed aside Austrian Philipp Oswald 6-1, 6-2 in his opening match to set up a second round clash against Argentina’s third seed Leonardo Mayer, who received a first round bye, tomorrow.
Also in the second round are American Rajeev Ram, Spaniard seventh seed Pablo Andujar and Frenchman Pierre Hugues Herbert.
“It is my 14th year on the tour and I’ve made the final almost every year since I turned professional but I’ve haven’t achieved it so far this season,” said Nieminen, who has won two tour titles in Auckland (2006) and Sydney (2012).
“I usually reach my peak during this time of the season. I have neither played bad matches nor scored big wins this season so hopefully my wait will end this weekend.”
World No 150 Rajeev finally won a first round match for the first time in his fourth appearance in Kuala Lumpur by overcoming US Open boys’ singles and doubles champion Omar Jasika of Australia 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
The American faces World No 6 and top seed Kei Nishikori of Japan in the second round today. Rajeev, who had defeated Nishikori in Newport two years ago, hopes to give the US Open runner-up a tough time.
“Hopefully, it will be a good match. I played him in Newport and actually won that match but I had lost to him twice in the Challengers. Nishikori had an awesome outing in New York and I believe he will be out to maintain his form here,” said Rajeev.
The 30-year-old Rajeev has had little success in singles but is an accomplished doubles player with seven titles to his name.
In other first round matches, Herbert, the World No 126, caused an upset by ousting Australia’s World No 65 Bernard Tomic 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7) while German Philipp Petzschner edged Britain’s James Ward 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5).
RESULTS — SINGLES, 1ST RD: Rajeev Ram (US) bt Omar Jasika (Aus) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, Go Soeda (Jpn) bt Kento Takeychi (Jpn) 6-2, 6-1, Jarko Nieminen (Fin) bt Philipp Oswald (Aut) 6-1, 6-2, Philipp Petzschner (Ger) bt James Ward (Eng) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), Pablo Andujar (Spa) bt Gregoire Burquier (Fra) 6-2, 6-4, Pierre-Hughes Herbert (Fra) bt Bernard Tomic (Aus) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7), Marinko Matosevic (Aus) bt Nick Kyrgios (Aus) 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7-3).
Doubles, 1ST RD: Jurgen Melzer (Aut)-Philipp Petzschner (Ger) bt Pablo Cuevas (Uru)-Santiago Gonzalez (Mex) 6-2, 7-5.
TODAY — From 1pm onwards: Singles, 1ST RD: Malek Jaziri (Tun) v Michal Przysiezny (Pol), Benjamin Becker (Ger) v Joao Sousa (Por).
Singles, 2ND RD: Rajeev Ram (US) v Kei Nishikori (Jap), Filip Krajinovic (Srb) vs Julien Benneteau (Fra), Go Soeda (Jpn) v Marinko Matosevic (Aus) or Nick Kyrgios (Aus).
Doubles, 1ST RD: Eric Butorac (US)-Raven Klaasen (RSA) v Andre Begemann (Ger)-Julian Knowle (Aut), Frank Moser (Ger)-Alexander Satschko (Ger) v Dominic Inglot (Eng)-Florin Mergea (Rom), Marcin Matkowski (Pol)-Leander Paes (Ind) v Marinko Matosevic (Aus)-Bernard Tomic (Aus).