[Tournament website]
[Order of play]
[Main draw]
[Doubles draw]
Dates : September 10th-16th
Place : Beijing, China
15.09 – Fernando is in the final of Beijing. At the beginning of the week, nobody expected such a performance due to his lack of results in the last few weeks. Fernando def. Ljubicic in three sets 2/6 6/3 6/4. Big congratulations to Fernando, he reacted as a champion this week. Very good for the Davis Cup tie vs Israel starting next week. He’ll face in the final Tommy Robredo. VAMOS Fernando, you can do it !!!
Gonzalez: “I was disappointed with the US Open and the Masters Series this summer. I didn’t play well but now I am very happy to get to the final here. I wasn’t playing really good tennis coming here but I was playing better and better.”
(on Tennis Masters Cup chances): “I haven’t seen exactly the points and the players ahead of me. I know the most improtant thing is to play good tennis and win. If I don’t win I won’t get to the Masters so I have to play my best.”
[video to watch]
[From the tournament website]
Chilean second seed Fernando Gonzalez continued his revival of fortunes when he came from a set down to beat Ivan Ljubicic 2-6 6-3 6-4 and reach the final of the China Open on Saturday.
The 27-year-old world number seven prevailed in a little under two hours, despite racking up 23 unforced errors, and will face either Spanish third seed Tommy Robredo or German wildcard Nicolas Kiefer in Sunday’s final.
Gonzalez, a finalist at the Australian Open and Rome Masters this year, will be playing for his first title of the season after coming to Beijing on the back of a four-match losing streak in the U.S. hardcourt season.
”I’ve been winning here but I think I can play much better,” Gonzalez said. “I’m really happy to be winning as that will help me to get back to my best.”
Ljubicic, who needed a third-set tiebreak to down defending champion Marcos Baghdatis late on Friday, was the livelier player in the opening set and secured a break for 4-2 with a sublime backhand crosscourt winner.
The 28-year-old sealed the set with another break after 25 minutes and quickly took a 2-0 lead in the second when Gonzalez, not for the only time in the contest, came to the net only to miscue his shot.
“He’s tough to play especially when he’s serving well,” Gonzalez said of the world number 12.
”I had to be more patient and wait a few more balls for the right opportunity.”
Gonzalez has had to dig deep all week to battle through to the last four and he found his range sufficiently to break back immediately.
Ljubicic continued to pressure the world number seven’s serve but Gonzalez began to make passing shots count and he grabbed another break to send the match into a decider.
It was the Croatian who made the first move in a cagey third set with a break for 4-3 when Gonzalez once more showed his ineptitude at the net, but the Chilean again rallied to return the favour on the next service game.
Two games later a tired-looking Ljubicic hit the net cord with what looked like a simple forehand to cede the tie and a place in the final to Gonzalez.
“I was very tired,” Ljubicic said.
“I didn’t have enough time to recover. At 6-2 2-0 I was fine but then I lost energy completely and couldn’t play my game.”
[Fernando's press conference - From the official website]
Gonzalez After Match Press Conference
R: Congratulations. You lost the 1st set very quickly. How did you try to do differently in the next two sets?
G: Yes. I was missing many points. Then I was more patient to find right opportunities.
R: Please comment on your opponent’s performance.
G: He is a great player. He’s been among the top players for years. He has really huge serve. It was really hard moment when he was serving.
R: Who do you prefer to meet, Robredo or Kieffer?
G:They are both good players. It’s going to be tough tomorrow like today.
R:We spoke for a week about your previous four tournaments since Wimbledom which you didn’t win. Can you tell us do you think you are back to the kind of forming at the beginning of this season?
G: I’ve been winning the match. I think I can play much better. I’m really happy to keep winning. In the last four tournaments I didn’t play well.
R: Besides Grand Slams and Master Series, you only played four ATP tournaments this year. Why do you choose such a limited schedule?
G: This year I don’t play 25 tournaments as usual. I only play 18-20. I’ve been playing too many years and I think it’s necessary to give your body a rest. It’s important to keep healthy. I’m ranking 11 now and I think the most important thing is to try to win. If I don’t win I can’t play the Master Series.
[Fernando at the China Wall - From Lun.cl]
[Photo Gallery updated :: 1859 Pictures]
14.09 – Second-seeded Fernando González eventually booked his place in the China Open semifinals after three rain interruptions on Friday. González, who is battling to qualify for Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai in November, beat No. 6 seed Hyung-Taik Lee 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4 in two hours and 24 minutes.
The match started at shortly after 12:30pm local time and was suspended due to rain on three occasions with González leading at 3-0, 4-2 and 6-5 in the second set. The 27-year-old wrapped up his second career win over Lee at 5:57pm local time.
Lee drops to 4-24 against Top 10 players in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, while World No. 7 González improves to 27-17 this year and is No. 11 in the Race to Shanghai with 311 points.
González will hope to reach his third ATP-level final of the season (also the Australian Open and ATP Masters Series Rome) in Saturday’s semifinals against Croatian No. 4 seed Ivan Ljubicic – also a contender for one of five remaining spots at Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai.
[Post match interview - from the tournament website]
- Gonzalez After Match Press Conference -
R: Please comment on today’s match.
G:It was really tough. We stopped four times during the match. I just went back to the locker room and then came back. You didn’t know what would happen and when you would go again.
R: Before the rain, you were leading 5:0 in the first set and then it seemed something went wrong. Lee won three games in a row. Please talk about it.
G: He wasn’t playing well at the beginning and then he went better and better. My second serve wasn’t good when it came to the set point.
R: How much money did the racket you broke cost?
G: I don’t know.
R: Is it the common activity you will do when you are in a bad mood?
G: In the last few weeks I often do this. Sometimes when it’s getting tough, you just can’t hold it.
R: After you crashed the racket, how did you deal with your bad mood?
G: It’s always gone.
R: What did you do in the locker room when the match was suspended?
G: I just surfed on the Internet.
R: Who do you prefer to play against, Ljubicic or Baghdatis？
G: They are both good players. I hope now they are playing longer so that they will feel tired tomorrow.
R: When you were serving, you were choosy of the ball. Do you do this often?
G: Yes, I pick the one I like. The ball is bigger and heavier.
R: In the first year of China Open, Safin won the single’s championship and then his performance went down. Last year Baghdatis won the single’s championship and it was his first champion title. Many players see China Open as a place of luck. How do you think of it?
G:Ithink I have the chance of winning. I will continue winning the game. Beijing is a nice place and I like it here. I bought mascots and souvenirs to bring me good luck.
R: There were many Chilean fans on the stand cheering for you. Please talk something about that.
G: It’s exciting to find your countrymen supporting you when you are on the other side of the world. They gave me big support.
[Video to watch]
[Photo Gallery updated ::1825 pictures]
13.09 – Pictures of the China Wall
As he said after his victory over Capdeville, Fernando visited the China wall, here are some pics 
[Photo Gallery updated :: 1821 Pictures]
12.09 – Fernando defeated easily Paul Capdeville in straights sets : 6.1 6.2. Fernando was apparently in a great form against his compatriot, striking 5 aces and winning 74 % of service points. The match lasted 52 mins. Fernando will face in the next round, the player from Corea, Lee. Both players faced once, and Fernando won their only meeting, in straights sets, it was in 2004, in Athens, on hard (Olympics).
After the match :
“With Paul, we know eachothers much better, so that played a lot in my favor”.
“Luckyly, a break occured in the first game and I knew that it would be a difficult match, because Paul is playing well nevertheless I felt far better and I believe that I knew to take advantage of all my opportunities”
After the victory over Capdeville, El bombardero will visit Beijing, where “tomorrow, I’ll get up early and will make a visit of the China wall”
[Photo Gallery updated ::1813 Pictures]
11.09 - Pictures from the players’ party I’d like to be in China lol
More in the photo Gallery section …
[Photo Gallery updated :: 1810 Pictures]
11.09 – [3] E Butorac (USA) / R Hutchins (GBR) d A Garcia (CHI) / F Gonzalez (CHI) 46 64 10-4 (Match TB) 
Order of play for wednesday :
González vs Capdeville : Not before 7 pm (China Time)
10.09 -Fernando won his first match, it wasn’t easy, but he won, it’s the most important. He defeated Peya in three sets 6-3 3-6 7-5. Next match versus Paul Capdeville, another chilean. It will be a real test for Feña, Capdeville is very motivated at the moment, made a great Us Open losing against Federer, and he’ll be part of the chilean team for the DC tie against Israël. The match will be played on wednesday.
Race update : Fernando is now number 11 – The end of the season will be very stressy for Fernando & his fans
ATP Entry system : he’s still number 7
[Photo Gallery updated = 1800 pictures]
9.09 - Order of play for tomorrow
Monday: Center Court
Not before 7:00 PM
Alexander PEYA (AUT) v. Fernando GONZALEZ (CHI)
VAMOS !!!
08.09 – The main draw is now available, Fernando is the seed number 2 and will face in the first round, Alexander Peya. Three chileans in this tournament and all of them in the same part
Fernando will also play the doubles with Adrian Garcia. They’ll face in the first round, the pair Butorac/Hutchins
Buena suerte Chile & Fernando 
Fernando Gonzalez emerged from his summer slump and reinvigorated his push for a place at Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai after winning his eighth ATP title at the China Open.The Chilean dropped serve just once while breaking Tommy Robredo five times during a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 victory over the Spaniard.
Fernando González es uno de los protagonistas de la edición de septiembre de la revista “Maxim en Español”, que circula por toda latinoamérica y que tiene más de un millón de lectores en todo el continente.
González confiesa que Boris Becker fue su ídolo de la niñez: “No tengo el mismo juego que él, pero siempre lo admiré mucho. Es un tipo muy carismático y muy entretenido de mirar. Eso es súper importante. Y también me gustaban mucho Pete Sampras y Andre Agassi“.
