PARIS -- He may be named for Spain's King, Juan Carlos de Borbon. Or not.

	Juan Carlos Ferrero is hoping to become one of five men to make it to five consecutive French Open semifinals.

However, Juan Carlos Ferrero, a visitor to the French Open semifinals in each and every one of his four appearances here, may well be a future king at Roland Garros.

The No. 3 seed was positively regal in Wednesday's 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in three hours and 32 minutes.

"Was so emotional, you know, the match," Ferrero said. "Was pretty long. I was not playing so good. But I fight, I fight a lot, until the end of the match."

The 45th and final game was the match in exquisite microcosm. Serving big, Ferrero ran out to a 40-love lead and held three match points. Gonzalez erased the first with a sweet drop shot, the second with a big forehand, the third with a fearless backhand, cross-court winner.

Another big serve from Ferrero (and a backhand return that sailed long) gave him a fourth match point. This, Gonzalez snatched with a monstrous backhand service return of a pretty stout serve. A too-ambitious forehand gave Ferrero his fifth match point. A forehand winner by Gonzalez brought it back to deuce. A savage overhead left Ferrero pumping both fists and looking at his sixth match point.

After missing his first serve, Ferrero slashed an enormous kick serve and Gonzalez blooped a backhand return that sailed long and Ferrero was back in the semis again.

"It's pretty difficult to play against him because he hit the ball so hard, and I can't control the ball," Ferrero said. "He never leaves you time to breathe, so it did make me nervous throughout the match."

In a bit of quirky symmetry, the meeting was a rematch of the 1998 boys final here. Gonzalez beat Ferrero in three sets that day and handled him in both of their professional meetings, including a straight-sets job in last year's U.S. Open.

This time out, Gonzalez was a study in psychology, displaying a different persona in each set. Ferrero controlled the first, winning six of the seven games. But then Gonzalez, who managed only three winners in the first frame, stroked 16 and won the second as handily. Ferrero came back to win another six of seven and it looked like Gonzalez was on his way out of the tournament.

But with Ferrero serving to get to 6-all, Gonzalez broke him, hitting two massive backhand winners.

During the lengthy changeover, the trainer adjusted the tape covering the blisters on the right foot of Gonzalez, who also complained of intestinal distress.

The ultimate set was psychotic in its own way; the two players broke each other three times in a row and Ferrero emerged with a 5-4 lead before his wild service game ensued.

Ferrero's narrow margin could be traced to his advantage in the service area: he had 13 aces, compared to only five for Gonzalez and four double-faults to Gonzalez' 15.

Only four men have reached the semifinals in four consecutive French Opens: Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl and Jim Courier. Only Wilander managed that in his first four visits. But while that talented quartet won a collective 14 Roland Garros titles, Ferrero, at 23, has yet to score his first.

He lost in the semifinals in 2000 and 2001 to eventual champion Gustavo Kuerten and to Albert Costa in last year's final. This year he again has an opportunity to progress to the ultimate line in the draw.

As destiny would have it, Ferrero will face Costa again -- this time in the semifinals.

Last year a tender ankle limited Ferrero's mobility. This year, he said, the ankle's fine.

"I'm going to be very good from my ankle," he said. "I think I'm going to fight a lot.

"This will be a difficult match. I think (Costa) has found his confidence again, playing here. He is, of course, capable of winning. But physically, I'm not sure he will be that fresh because after playing so many sets nobody can be fresh."

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.