Kafelnikov keeps upMercedes chase

Kafelnikov keeps upMercedes chase
AGENCIES

STUTTGART, JULY 18: Yevgeny Kafelnikov squeezed through three tie-breaks for a win over Frenchman Julien Boutter 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (8/6) and a place in the second round of the $ one-million Mercedes Cup on Monday.

Kafelnikov, holder of 20 titles and a 1996 finalist here, rolled out of Wimbledon during the first week after losing with a painful rib injury. He had taken two weeks off to rest and is playing his first event since then.The hard-working Russian took a break at his home in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.

The pause refreshed the 26-year-old as he seemed to have recovered all of his fighting powers but not without a battle against the Frenchman, who reached the third round at Monte Carlo.

Kafelnikov is known for barely ever stopping on the year-long tennis grind. But he has promised to start taking life a bit easier despite a schedule of singles and doubles which is the most hectic for a top player in the sport.But he also keeps going in the belief that those who don't win big events don't stay at the summit.

For that reason, he's not sure that this year's new champions points race on the ATP Tour is the right way to calculate standings.