Tennis : Curren and Jarryd Advance to Today’s Final at Toronto

Third-seeded Kevin Curren of South Africa defeated second-seeded Eliot Teltscher, 6-3, 6-3, and top-seeded Anders Jarryd of Sweden outlasted Wojtek Fibak of Poland, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, Saturday to reach the final of the $200,000 Molson Light Challenge tennis tournament.

The two will play for the $25,000 first-place prize today.

Fibak said Jarryd’s conditioning was the difference in their match.

“His game is to move around and be in shape and mine is to look for an opening and take advantage,” said Fibak, who at 32 is nine years older than Jarryd. “I should have been much more patient and precise.”

Fibak, who had been playing singles and doubles for the last three days, was physically tired at the end. He dropped three game points in the fourth game of the second set and threw away his serve with a double fault to fall behind 3-1. After Jarryd extended his lead to 4-1, Fibak fought back to 4-4, but then committed two forehand errors and lost his serve and the set.

In the third set, Jarryd opened up a 5-1 lead, but Fibak, ranked 92nd internationally, continued his tenacious play and closed the gap to 5-3. In the ninth game, though, Fibak appeared exhausted, and Jarryd closed out the two-hour match.

Jarryd, ranked No. 7 in the world, has split his matches against Curren and said he hopes to be returning serve well against the 6-foot-1, 170-pound serve-and-volleyer in the final.

Curren, No. 14 in the world, blasted 18 aces and suffered only one double fault against Teltscher, No. 12 in the world.

Although Curren lost his serve only once in the 75-minute match, he wasn’t pleased with his play.

“I served well, but the rest of my game was awfully tentative,” Curren said. “I played about 60% of what I’m capable and I’m sure he’s played better.”

Teltscher had problems beating Curren to the net and when he did his shots were off the mark.