HEAD Pros Finish a Successful Season at Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai

HEAD player Mark Knowles and partner Daniel Nestor won the Tennis Masters Cup doubles competition on Sunday in Shanghai during their last competition together as partners. The Masters Cup champions defeated fellow HEAD players Julian Knowle and Simon Aspelin 6-2, 6-3 in the final round.

"We're a great team," said Knowles, who will begin 2008 season with a new partner, Mahesh Bhupathi of India. "Really it always makes it even more special to put it together in a final. We played probably one of our best matches of the week. Just a great way to end the year."

Knowles, who plays with the HEAD Prestige, and Nestor advanced to the Tennis Masters Cup final after beating Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett in the Shanghai semi finals 6-4, 6-7(8), 10-5.

Meanwhile, Knowle and Aspelin, who both play with the HEAD Liquidmetal Prestige Mid, advanced to the final with a 6-4, 6-4 win over duo Martin Damm and Leander Paes.

In the singles competition, 21 year old HEAD player Richard Gasquet was defeated by World No. 2 Rafael Nadal in three very tough sets 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. In the second Round Robin match, he won against World No. 3 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-2 with his HEAD MicroGel Extreme Pro.

Gasquet missed out on advancing to the semi finals due to a 6-1, 6-1 loss to underdog David Ferrer, who went on to play eventual winner Roger Federer in the finals.