Chilean Fernando Gonzalez was too powerful for unseeded Belgian Olivier Rochus in the singles final of the Heineken Open tennis tournament in Auckland today.
Gonzalez beat Rochus, 23, 6-4 6-2 with the minimum of fuss in just 72 minutes.
It was his fifth career ATP singles title, with his previous
four coming on clay.
With the Australian Open starting in Melbourne on Monday, his performance on the rebound ace surface in Auckland came as a big confidence booster for Gonzalez.
Gonzalez struck the ball as hard as possible again today, a determination he showed throughout the tournament.
"Yes, it's my style and it's the way I enjoy (this game). Some weeks I play bad, some weeks I play good. This was a great week," Gonzalez said.
Throughout the first set Gonzalez held serve easily while Rochus had to battle.
Gonzalez, 24, had a number of break points in the first set but made the vital break at 5-4. Not surprisingly, he won the set by hitting a sizzling backhand winner down the line.
To the delight of his fans, Gonzalez then broke Rochus to go up 3-1 in the second set and closed it out on his fourth match point by hitting a blistering forehand winner off Rochus' serve.
Despite today's defeat Rochus has made a great start to the year. He reached the semifinals in Adelaide last week.
He acknowledged Gonzalez had played outstandingly well today.
"I think today he was just too good, it's not that I played bad," Rochus said.
"It was a little bit windy today, his ball is so heavy so it is very tough for me to get into the court and play aggressive ... he was just too good."
Rochus was always going to be up against it in the final.
Throughout the tournament his best shot had been his backhand down the line, but instead of going for a winner down the line Rochus rolled his backhand crosscourt in an attempt to keep the ball away from Gonzalez's lethal forehand.
Today, Gonzalez also possessed a lethal backhand.
Both players now head to Melbourne for the Australian Open.
- NZPA
