Stenson expects tight match against Johnson

Marana, Arizona - Sweden's Henrik Stenson, refreshed after a two-week break, expects a demanding encounter with American Zach Johnson in Wednesday's opening round at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Johnson reached the semifinals at La Costa last year before losing to PGA Tour veteran Davis Love III and went on to beat US Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman in the playoff for third place.

"Zach is a good player, a fighter who never gives up, so that is going to be a tough match," Stenson told reporters during practice at Dove Mountain's Gallery Golf Club on Tuesday.

"But it gives me a chance for payback for the fourball match on the Saturday at the K Club where he beat me and Padraig (Harrington)."

Johnson and Scott Verplank beat Stenson and Harrington 2 and 1 in the second morning of fourballs at last year's Ryder Cup in Ireland.

Stenson, however, has sweeter memories of that week in Ireland as he holed the winning putt for Europe in his singles match against Vaughn Taylor.

The Europeans retained the Ryder Cup by a record-equalling 18½ points to 9½, claiming the trophy for a third successive time.

Stenson, who beat Britain's Paul Casey in the opening round of last year's Accenture Match Play Championship, is in confident mood in the Arizona desert after winning his fifth European Tour title in his last start.

Two weeks ago, he held off Tiger Woods and Ernie Els to clinch the Dubai Desert Classic by a shot with a closing four-under-par 68.

"I have not played since but it feels all right," the 30-year-old from Gothenburg said. "I haven't touched the clubs since that win."

Stenson, who played amateur golf in Arizona with the Swedish national team in 1997, has a clear-cut approach for this week's match-play format.

"I try to play the course as well as I can and see where that takes you," said the Swede, who marked his debut at the 2005 Seve Trophy by finishing as joint leading points scorer with four out of five.

"It always has a tendency to be pretty tight and comes down to a couple of holes. Take it as it comes but the most important thing is to focus on your own game and not what your opponent does."