ATP BUENOS AIRES 2004
Buenos Aires
FEBRUARY 18, 2004
Coria Continues to Roll
Wednesday at the ATP Buenos Aires, wild card Juan Monaco advanced to the
quarterfinals with a win over compatriot and No. 8 seed Juan Ignacio Chela
7-6(4), 6-3. This is the first time the promising teenager finds himself
among the last eight in an ATP event.
Another teenager, Richard Gasquet upset No. 5 seed and local favorite Agustin
Calleri 7-5, 6-2. After an intense first-set battle, the young Frenchman
never relaxed and kept his remarkable level until the end, breaking Calleri's
serve twice to close the match in two sets.
In the quarterfinals, Gasquet faces third seed Nicolas Massu, who overcame
Italian No. 1 and clay court specialist Filippo Volandri, 6-2, 6-4. Massu
feels very comfortable here in Buenos Aires, as he won his first career
tournament here in 2002, defeating Calleri in the final.
In the last match, top seed Guillermo Coria advanced to the quarters by
defeating compatriot Franco Squillari, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. This is the first
set Coria loses on clay since losing to Martin Verkerk in the semifinals
of Roland Garros last year. He has yet to lose a singles match on this
surface since then. Coria will now face on Friday rising player and doubles
teammate, Juan Monaco, in another all-Argentine clash.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Massu: “ Today it wasn't easy to play, it was windy, specially on center
court, the ball was moving a lot. Here, the most important is winning and
I am happy I won. Second most important after winning, is to get more and
more confident match after match. Each match you win makes you feel better
and better.”
“Everybody wants to win at home, but all tournaments are different. I think
the taste from winning at home is different because you never feel as good as
at home. I like Buenos Aires. I won my first tournament here, I spend a lot
of time here and I think it is where I feel the most comfortable after Chile”
“About the doping, everybody is a little scared. We are top-level athletes
who are too much on the court playing long matches. We need vitamins to
recover and be able to keep on this rhythm for the good of the tennis.
Everything you can buy at a pharmacy, even if it is natural can be
contaminated. It is obvious, that we are scared. I am scared of even
ingesting vitamin C.”
Gasquet: “ This is a great win for me. I came here I had no confidence, I
hadn't play like this in a long time. Everything was great tonight, the
court, the public, the opponent. I respect Calleri a lot, he is a great
player who hits the ball hard.”
“I am more interested in playing good tennis than in the victory. It is
great to be here. The level of players is so high. It is great for me to
be practicing with such players and be playing against them in tournaments.
I can only benefit from this experience.”
Coria: “ I was a little tense at the beginning, it took me some time to find
my rhythm. I think I won the first set because Squillari missed opportunities.
It was a difficult match for me and I am happy I made it to the next round.”
“Against Juan Monaco, it won't be easy, he is playing great, in a couple of
days gain a lot of confidence. It will be tough.”
http://www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/2004/buenosaires_wednesday.asp
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