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6e Trophee Jean-Luc Lagardere
City: Paris, France
Dates: September 24-27, 2009
Venue: Lagardere Paris Racing Club
Director: Guy Forget
Surface: Clay
Website: www.tropheejeanluclagardere.com/index.swf



Thursday, 24th September 2009 - Starting at 12.30pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Stefan Edberg vs. Arnaud Boetsch
Michael Chang vs. Guy Forget
Cedric Pioline vs. Thomas Muster

Friday, 25th September 2009 - Starting at 12.30pm
Yevgeny Kafelnikov vs. Thomas Muster
Michael Chang vs. Stefan Edberg
Arnaud Boetsch vs. Guy Forget
Thomas Enqvist vs. Cedric Pioline

Saturday, 26th September 2009 - Starting at 12.30pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Thomas Muster
Stefan Edberg vs. Guy Forget
Arnaud Boetsch vs. Michael Chang
Cedric Pioline vs. Yevgeny Kafelnikov

Sunday, 27th September 2009 - Starting at 2.00pm
3rd/4th place play-off
The Final - not before 3:30 pm

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Results from Paris

Thursday, 24th September 2009
Thomas Enqvist d. Yevgeny Kafelnikov 64 76
Stefan Edberg d. Arnaud Boetsch 64 63
Michael Chang d. Guy Forget 61 61
Cedric Pioline d. Thomas Muster 64 62

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Chang and Edberg In Form Ahead Of Paris Showdown

Defending Champion Stefan Edberg and former French Open winner Michael Chang both opened their accounts in style ahead of their long-awaited Paris rematch at the 2009 Jean-Luc Lagardere Trophy. The pair will clash tomorrow, twenty years after their epic 1989 Roland Garros final, and both were in superb form today. Chang needed less than an hour to breeze past Tournament Director Guy Forget 6-1, 6-1, while Edberg, who beat Bruguera in last year’s final, defeated Frenchman Arnaud Boetsch 6-4, 6-3.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow and it’s going to be a good match for both of us,” said Chang. “I’ve known Stefan for so long and he’s such a great champion. The guy is in great shape and he’s defending champion here so it’s not going to be an easy thing to do but I was feeling pretty comfortable out there today so hopefully I’ll feel the same tomorrow.”

Edberg admitted that a victory against Chang, 20 years after the American shattered his French Open dreams, would taste particularly sweet. “It would be nice to get a bit of revenge for 1989 if I beat him tomorrow,” he said. “Hopefully it will be a good, close match. It will definitely be tough, that’s for sure. I’ve played Michael many times over the years so I know it’s always going to be a challenge to play him.”

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Friday, 25th September 2009 -

Yevgeny Kafelnikov vs. Thomas Muster 75 26 10-7
Michael Chang d Stefan Edberg 46 61 10-2
Guy Forget d Arnaud Boetsch 57 61 10-7
Thomas Enqvist d Cedric Pioline 76(6) 64

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STANDINGS - after Friday's play

GROUP A
Matches won/lost (sets)
Michael Chang ..................2 / 0 ......4 / 1
Stefan Edberg ..................1 / 1.......3 / 2
Guy Forget ........................1 / 1 .....2 / 3
Arnaud Boetsch.................0 / 2 ......1 / 4

GROUP B
Matches won/lost (sets)
Thomas Enqvist ................2 / 0 .....4 / 0
Cedric Pioline ....................1 / 1 .....2 / 2
Yevgeny Kafelnikov ...........1 / 1 .....2 / 3
Thomas Muster .................0 / 2 .....1 / 4

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Chang Downs Edberg In Epic Paris Rematch

History repeated itself in Paris on Friday as Michael Chang went the distance to defeat old adversary Stefan Edberg 20 years on from the American's momentous five-set victory over the Swede in the 1989 French Open final.

Chang won 4-6, 6-1 10-2 (Champions' Tie-Break). The first set was a nervy affair, with both players exchanging service breaks early on. Edberg’s glorious backhand and volleying finesse told at the end of the set, and the Swede seized the crucial break to take it 6-4. The momentum shifted dramatically at the beginning of the second set. Chang used his heavy topspin to great effect, twice breaking the Edberg serve to lead 4-0. The American served out the set with ease to set up a deciding Champions’ Tie Break. Edberg was unable to recover his form, and Chang eventually clinched victory in audacious fashion with a lucky net-cord that only added to Edberg’s misery.

“It was a tough match, and of course I’m happy to come through it as the winner,” said Chang. “In the first set he was playing very well and I couldn’t get a rhythm going. Then I got a couple of breaks in the second set and he lost a bit of momentum and really wasn’t able to get it back. So I’m really pleased to be able to come through a tough match like this.”

For Edberg, who won the ATP Champions Tour title in Paris last year, it was a disappointment, particularly after such a great start.

"In the first set I felt good but then suddenly in the second set I lost momentum totally," he said. "I just didn’t have the rhythm and got myself into trouble. In the Champions’ Tie Break he played a little bit too well and I didn’t quite find the rhythm that I had in the beginning. That sometimes happens in tennis, matches can turn very quickly.”

It was an enthralling match that lived up to its headline billing on day two of the Jean-Luc Lagardere Trophy. “Stefan’s not a very easy player to play against and we always have close matches like we did at Roland Garros in 1989,” said Chang. “To have the opportunity to play against such a great champion as Stefan again after all these years is really a treat, and winning feels great.”

It was a measure of Chang's excellence that Edberg felt he had played well, even in defeat. “Even though I lost I felt like I was playing a lot better today than I was yesterday,” said Edberg, who had beaten Arnaud Boetsch on day one. “There was some really good tennis out there."

Chang now tops Group A, with Edberg forced down into second position with only one round-robin match left to play.

In the day's other matches, Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov notched up his first victory of the tournament by beating Thomas Muster 7-5, 2-6, 10-7 (Champions’ Tie Break), and Thomas Enqvist defeated C. Pioline 7-6(6), 6-4 in the last match of the day to keep his place at the top of Group B.

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Results -- Tuesday, 11th of August - Algarve

Nuno Marques d Marcelo Rios 61 62
Fernando Meligeni d Thomas Muster 64 46 10-3
Greg Rusedski d Marc Goellner 63 76(4)
Stefan Edberg d Henri Leconte 62 67(5) 10-3

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Wednesday, 12th - August

Fernando Meligeni d Henri Leconte 62 75
Marc Goellner d Marcelo Rios 62 76(6)
Greg Rusedski d Nuno Marques 76(9) 63
Stefan Edberg d Thomas Muster 63 62

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Group Standings at end of Wednesday's Play, from Algarve

Vale do Lobo Group
................................W / L
Fernando Meligeni .......2 / 0
Stefan Edberg ............2 / 0
Thomas Muster............0 / 2
Henri Leconte .............0 / 2

Caixa Geral de Depósitos Group
.................................W / L
Greg Rusedski..............2 / 0
Marc Goellner ..............1 / 1
Nuno Marques .............1 / 1
Marcelo Rios ................0 / 2

I will be gone the next three days; the source document is at
http://www.grandchampions.org/ing_pr...esults_if.html

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Follow the latest up-to-date scores and info from the Champions Tour on http://twitter.com/ChampionsTennis

Meligeni: 'Edberg Could Beat Top 50 Players'
Fernando Meligeni will meet Stefan Edberg on Thursday for the right to meet Greg Rusedski in the final of the Vale Do Lobo Grand Champions CGD, and he is under no illusions about how difficult the task will be. The Brazilian saw off Henri Leconte 6-2, 7-5 and afterwards told ATPChampionsTour.com that he believes the 43-year-old Edberg could still beat players currently ranked inside the World’s Top 50. Rusedski earned his final place by beating Nuno Marques 7-6(9), 6-3. “I think, for sure, Stefan could beat a Top 50 player,” said Meligeni.

“He is in incredible shape and he ‘flies’ in the court. It looks too easy for him. When you attack him he slices the ball and keeps it safe. If you don’t, he hits the backhand and closes the net. He is unbelievable. It’s a pleasure to watch him. The key is to make good returns against him, otherwise it is too easy for him. If I can make returns against him I can enjoy the match, otherwise it is going to be tough.”

Leconte, who won a set against Edberg yesterday, believes that Meligeni has a chance. “I think he has the game to hurt Stefan,” said Leconte. “If he plays like he did today against me, he has a chance. Fernando can make the rallies last longer than I can and that will give him a better opportunity.”