Enqvist's Unbeaten Run Is Over

Thomas Enqvist finally lost his 100% record on the ATP Champions Tour after running into an inspired Goran Ivanisevic, who was good to his word in the Barcelona final.

On Saturday, the 2001 Wimbledon champion had predicted that he would be the man to end the Swede's 17-match winning streak, and in a 6-4, 6-4 final victory he backed up his brave words.

“Thomas had to lose one day and it’s good that he lost against me,” said Ivanisevic, afterwards. "It’s great to be the first guy to beat ‘Unbeaten Thomas’!"

Enqvist, who had won all four of the events he had played since joining the ATP Champions Tour in 2009, did everything he could to defend his impressive record, but it was all to no avail. Ivanisevic moved with ease from the back of the court, striking the ball beautifully and showing aggression at all the right moments. Not even the slow Barcelona clay could dampen the impact of his famously devastating serve.

Ivanisevic was particularly pleased to be lifting the Barcelona Open title having so narrowly lost out to Stefan Edberg in the final of the Zurich Open last month.

“It feels good to win the title here after my disappointment in Zurich,” he said. “I was actually surprised to win this tournament because I haven’t played on clay for a long time. But I really felt good on the court today and when that’s the case I can beat anybody.”

Enqvist, the 1999 Australian Open finalist, paid tribute to his conquerer.

“I take my hat off to Goran and congratulate him, he played a great match,” he said. “I’m always disappointed to lose but I did really enjoy myself on the court and that’s the most important thing. I was playing well but Goran was just too good.”

Enqvist was watched from the stands throughout the final by current Swedish Number One Robin Soderling, who is in Barcelona for the ATP World Tour event taking place at the Real Club de Tennis this week. Enqvist, who is currently the Captain of the Swedish Davis Cup squad, was thrilled to have Soderling cheering him on in the match.

“It was really nice to have Robin watching me,” he said. “I know him well from the Davis Cup and usually it’s the other way around and it’s me watching him play so I hope he had fun today.”

Ivanisevic now tops the South African Airways rankings, with Enqvist just behind after four events in 2010. Wayne Ferreira now takes up third position after finishing in fourth place in Barcelona. The South African was beaten 6-0, 6-3 by the serve-and-volleying Spaniard Joan Balcells in the third place play-off match.

The ATP Champions Tour will now move on to Sao Paulo, Brazil, 13-16 May. The season began in February in Delray Beach, where Pat Rafter beat John McEnroe in the final. At the second event in Zurich in March, Stefan Edberg overcame Goran Ivanisevic in three sets. The most recent event saw Thomas Enqvist beat Wayne Ferreira in the final in Bogotá, having swept through the tournament without the loss of a set. After Sao Paulo, the tour will also call in at Graz (Austria), Algarve (Portugal), Paris (France) and London (UK).