mHenri Leconte ensured qualification for the BlackRock Masters Tennis event at the Royal Albert Hall in London next month despite going down in the final of the Panasonic Champions Cup in Liege, Belgium.
The Frenchman lost to the man with the massive, windmill forehand â Magnus Gustafsson â 6-4, 6-4 in the final.
Leconte will be joined in London by fellow qualifiers Thomas Muster and Cedric Pioline in a 12-man field, which already features runaway rankings leader Sergi Bruguera and wild card Bjorn Borg.
He was no match for Gustafsson though, the Swede taking the first set with a single break of serve and then racing to a 4-0 lead in the second. Gustafsson held two breakpoints to go 5-0 up but Leconte held serve and got himself back into the match by winning three successive game to trail 5-4. The Swede held firm though, serving out for the title in one hour, 15 minutes, on his second match point.
âIt feels extremely good to win my first title on the BlackRock Tour of Champions,â said Gustafsson.
âIâm very, very happy. I knew if we played long rallies I would have a chance and it worked out very well. At the end Henri started to play so well and I said to myself âWhat is going onâ? Actually I got a little nervous because I really wanted to win.
By reaching the final Leconte jumped to second position in the South African Airways 2007 Tour of Champions Rankings.
âI did my best and gave everything I had but I lost 6-4, 6-4,â said Leconte.
âI am still very pleased with my week. Iâm very happy about my three wins in the group stage, which is good for me going forward to the next events. Iâm in Sao Paulo next and then at the BlackRock Masters Tennis in London. Itâs great to qualify for London - itâs massive. The venue, everything is great. I hope to play as well as possible.â
