Coria Masters Hamburg
TENNIS MASTERS HAMBURG, MAY 18, 2003
Coria Masters Hamburg
Argentine claims his first Tennis Masters Series shield in straight sets
against countryman Calleri, while Knowles and Nestor capture their second
Hamburg doubles title.
Guillermo Coria captured his first Tennis Masters Series shield after
defeating fellow Argentine Agustin Calleri 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in Hamburg.
Coria, the No. 12 seed who also reached the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo final
last month (l. to Ferrero), became the second Argentine player to win the
title in Hamburg after Guillermo Vilas - the man after whom Coria was named -
captured the crown in 1978.
The 21-year-old from Rufino moved up to fifth place in the ATP Champions Race
2003 and now has a 27-9 record during the year so far. The Tennis Masters
Hamburg shield is Coria's second career ATP title following his victory on
clay at Vina del Mar in 2001.
En route to the final, Coria defeated Vincent Spadea, Jarkko Nieminen,
Mikhail Youzhny and Mark Philippoussis without dropping a set, before
overcoming fellow countryman Gaston Gaudio in an all-Argentine semifinal
line-up.
It was the first time in Tennis Masters Series history (since 1990) that all
four semifinalists were from the same country, as Calleri over David
Nalbandian in straight sets.
Calleri, a winner in Acapulco and a finalist last month in Estoril, advanced
to his first Tennis Masters Series final with earlier victories against Hyung-
Taik Lee, Andy Roddick, Mariano Zabaleta and South African Wayne Ferreira,
who stunned former champion Gustavo Kuerten in the third round.
Calleri and Gaudio lead the ATP circuit in clay court match wins for the year
(24), while Calleri also moves up to seventh position in the ATP Champions
Race 2003.
Earlier in the tournament, Fernando Gonzalez upset top seed Lleyton Hewitt in
the third round, while Mark Philippoussis defeated defending champion Roger
Federer, the No. 3 seed, at the same stage.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID:
Coria: "Everything has happened so quickly this week. When I served out the
match point, so many thoughts came to my mind. I would just like to share this
moment with all the people that are important to me, my coach [Alberto
Mancini], my physical trainer [Jorge Trevisan], my family, my girlfriend and
my girlfriend's family.
XD 很可愛耶
"It's unbelievable, it feels like a dream. I don't want to wake up from this
dream.
XD
"Losing the Monte-Carlo final was a very important experience. I was not
prepared mentally for that final, I was much calmer this time. I had lost a
few finals after winning my first title [at 2001 Vina del Mar] so I wanted to
win very badly."
On becoming the second Argentine winner in Hamburg after Guillermo Vilas in
1978: "It's very nice to follow in his footsteps in this tournament and be
the second Argentine to win here. All of us, we're still very far from his
achievements. I will be happy if I achieve half of what he did.
"I told myself that I could not be as tense as yesterday [against Gaudio] or
I would have suffered from the cramps again. I just played point by point and
did not think about anything else. When I was 5-4 and 0-30 on my serve in the
third I just wanted to finish then and not complicate the match.
"It's very important for tennis in Argentina of course. The economic situation
is bad in Argentina, so maybe the junior players don't get a chance to travel
and fulfil their talent. They don't have the opportunity. So maybe if we keep
winning we keep the door open for them to continue their career.
"My confidence is very high right now, and in Paris I hope I will be fighting
in the later stages of the tournament. I just hope I get there and play at the
same level I have been playing the last few weeks."
Calleri: "I'm happy with the week in Hamburg, I got to the final of a Tennis
Masters Series, I wish it could happen every week!
XD
"I tried to play my best tennis today but I wasn't sharp enough. I was too
erratic...I knew that I had to put pressure on his forehand, because his
backhand is much stronger. But he basically didn't make any unforced errors.
So, I had this tactics, but I was a little bit erratic and I just couldn't do
it. That was the key of the match. I couldn't apply my tactics.
"I was a little bit tired and also I have a little bit of a cold. And also
maybe the nerves and the pressure of a final played their part. But, I'm happy
that now I have two days off. And I'm going to Paris tomorrow and I will start
practising for Roland Garros on Wednesday.
"It's the most important week not only for tennis, but for everything for me.
I mean, I got to the final, I lost it. I had my tactics that I had discussed
with my coach, but Guillermo just played too well today. He didn't make any
unforced errors. That's tennis: Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."
On his phone conversation with the elected Argentinean vice-president on
Saturday: "[He called me and said] it was important that we were doing so
well in one of the sports. Because of all the things that happen in Argentina
lately, of course, the bad economic situation and also the flood in Sante Fe
which cause a lot of deaths. So, it was important that we had some success so
we could help the people forget the bad moments."
--
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