Ferrero: Great (Spanish) expectation
By Frederic Traini (in Barcelona) Saturday, June 7, 2003
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While the Netherlands will come to a standstill tomorrow afternoon to
follow the fortunes of new conquering hero Martin Verkerk, the people of
Spain are slightly more blase when it comes to winning the men's singles
crown in Paris. Witness two-time French Open champion Sergi Bruguera, who
won't even be watching the final as he tries to drum up support in the race
for the FC Barcelona presidency.
We joined Bruguera by telephone this afternoon, Saturday, to inquire how
he views the game tomorrow: "Juan Carlos should win but if Verkerk can settle
down and the pressure doesn't get to him it could be interesting. But the
truth is that I haven't watched or played a single tennis match for months. I
haven't even watched a single match at Roland-Garros.
"It makes my heart sink when I see all those games that I'd still like to
be involved in. But the real reason I don't watch tennis is that I'm busy
working for Jordi Majo to become the Barcelona president. Tennis is my job.
To relax I prefer to play football. Today my life revolves around football."
Bruguera's indifference reflects the mood in the country where all eyes
are still on the end of the football season and where the 'Selecion' is in
European qualifying action this week.
Ferrero's final berth earned just three small lines at the foot of the
front page of leading daily paper, El Pais. Less glamorous than Carlos Moya
but also less charismatic than elder statesman Bruguera and Corretja,
'Juanca' will have to win a long overdue victory on the Paris clay if he
wants to increase his popularity in the eyes of his countrymen…Then come
Monday morning his smiling face will be toasted up and down the land!
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