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Serbian player rides high in China
Aleksandar Vlaski is destined to have a Chinese connection. The 22-year-old tennis player from Serbia and Montenegro won his second ITF satellite event in China last Friday after beating Chinese Sun Peng in the 2004 Yongfeng ITF Satellite Tournament at the Beijing Li Si Tennis Club. Sun, seeded first, ahead of Vlaski, won the other Beijing leg of the Yongfeng series. Vlaski won the first leg of the two-leg event in Tianjin, with Sun winning the second one. Two titles in a month-long tournament are the reward for Vlaski, in just the second month of professional tennis career. "It is especially important for me after a long tournament," he said. "It is even better that I have won at the end of the tournament in such a beautiful country. "I am really the lucky since there were so many good players such as Sun in the tournament." Vlaski had won four satellite and challenge tournament titles before coming to China for the first time. He will play next in Uzbekistan before returning to the United States where he will study at college for a year. "But I am not sure if I will finish my studies at all," said Vlaski who was smiling after his victory. The six-foot-two player, with a great serve and forehand, won the first leg in Tianjin in temperatures reaching 37 degrees centigrade. "But my health failed me in the second leg in Tianjin as I had cramps and was stopped in the second round," he said. Vlaski said the humid and rainy weather also affected him in the first leg in Beijing, though he liked the city very much. Vlaski seemed to have fallen in love with China, especially Beijing. "I love the Chinese food, especially the sweet food and the meat," he said, adding that his US girlfriend's grandparents are Chinese. Vlaski attributed much of his success on court to his father, who is "my coach, mentor and parent. "He is one of the main reasons for my success," he said, adding that his mother and sister still live in Serbia and Montenegro. Speaking of the Chinese players, Vlaski said there are many good ones, singling out Sun as the best he has played so far. "They are both physically and mentally strong. And Sun is a great player," said Vlaski whose world ranking will rise from current around 600th to about 400th. "He (Vlaski) has great a serve and forehand," Sun said of his opponent. "Though his backhand is comparatively weak, his speed makes up for this." Vlaski gave praised the Chinese organizers, saying they are capable of hosting bigger events. The next big event in Beijing will be the China Open, featuring over 10 of the world's top 20 players. But Vlaski said he is coming to play in the China Open qualifying rounds, saying that it is not wise for him to travel a long way to China and only play just one tournament. "But my first trip to China certainly won't be the last," he said. |
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