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Men's Tennis
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Women's Tennis
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| Sunday, June 3 |
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| Kuerten let first two sets slip away to qualifer ESPN.com news services | |||
PARIS -- Defending champion Gustavo Kuerten surged back from
the brink of defeat Sunday to beat U.S. qualifier Michael Russell
in five sets and reach the French Open quarterfinals.
The top-seeded Brazilian saved match point in the third set
before turning the match around and eliminating his 122nd-ranked
opponent 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-1.
After his fourth-round win, the two-time French Open champion
carved a heart in the red clay with his racket, kneeled inside it
and blew kisses to the crowd.
"A big part of my way back was the crowd support," Kuerten
said after winning in 3 hours, 25 minutes.
Russell stunned the 1997 and 2000 Roland Garros champion in the
opening two sets, easily retrieving Kuerten's searing
groundstrokes. Russell, 23, became the first qualifier to ever push a top seed to five
sets in Open Era Grand Slam play. In fact the last time a top seed lost a set to a qualifier was at the 1994 U.S. Open when Roger Smith took a set off Pete Sampras in the third round.
Kuerten was down 5-2 in the third set but held serve
with an ace.
He wasted two break points in the next game, then set up match
point for his opponent by sending his forehand lob wide.
Kuerten saved the point with a forehand after one of the match's
many long rallies, then closed the game with a forehand smash.
He went on to force a tiebreaker, winning the third and fourth
sets and delighting fans who punctuated the match with cries of
"Gu-ga! Gu-ga!"
Russell continued to chase Kuerten's groundstrokes, but the
Brazilian closed the match with yet another forehand smash.
"It's disappointing. Only one point away," Russell said. "But
he came up big. That's why he's the No. 1 in the world."
Russell, from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., has won only five
of his 17 matches on the ATP Tour and has never won a title. He
came within a point of losing his first qualifying match at this
year's French Open.
Kuerten will meet 1996 champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the
quarterfinals. The seventh-seeded Russian beat Spain's Tommy
Robredo 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. Kafelnikov has twice reached the
quarters since taking the title. Both times he lost to Kuerten.
No. 4 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero cruised into the quarterfinals with a smooth 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Thomas Enqvist. Ferrero will play either No. 6 seed Lleyton Hewitt or Guillermo Canas.
Hewitt of
Australia battled back from the brink to claim a 3-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3
4-2 lead over Canas on Sunday before the
marathon French Open quarterfinal was stopped because of poor
light.
The match will resume on Monday.
Earlier two matches that were suspended Saturday night were completed.
Roger Federer of Switzerland defeated David Sanchez, 6-4, 6-3,
1-6, 6-3. In the fourth round, Federer will play Wayne Arthurs, who defeated Nicolas Coutelot, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4). Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories | |
ALSO SEE Kirkpatrick: Going ga-ga over Russell Washington: Some guy could reach first final Hingis, Capriati continue march toward showdown Agassi pleased to finish match in time for dinner Agassi moves on to 4th round; Safin eliminated Roddick's French Open campaign ends in agony AUDIO/VIDEO   According to 1999 champion Andre Agassi, you need a little bit of luck in order to win the French Open.wav: 212 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | |
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