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Moya to meet 'mystery man' Verkerk
By Nyree Epplett
Sunday, June 1, 2003
Looking more and more like a serious contender for the 2003 men's singles
crown, 1998 champion Carlos Moya executed a blistering straight set win
over Czeck Jiri Novak to advance to the quarter final where he will meet
the tournament's 'mystery man' Martin Verkerk.
The resounding 7-5 6-3 6-2 victory in one hour, 43 minutes stamped the
former world No1 as a real chance in the bottom half of the draw, where
the highest remaining seed is another former champion, Andre Agassi (No2).
Even more ominously, the only other time the Spaniard has reached the quarter
final here was five years ago, when he went on to win the title.
More than anything though, the relative ease of his triumph on Suzanne Lenglen
Court helped the Spaniard to recharge batteries that had been flattened in his
draining five-set tussle against Juan Ignacio Chela in the third round.
Against Novak, who had beaten the No4 seeded Moya in four of their seven
previous encounters, the Spaniard played resounding clay court tennis,
using his lethal inside-out forehand to destabilize the lethargic Czech.
His scorching first serve was at its stunning best (he slammed down 12
aces and won 38 of 47 points when his first serve landed in) and he
regularly stepped inside the baseline to blast away winners with ease
(he hit 50 winners to Novak's 21).
The Majorca-born Moya captured the first in 45 minutes, running around
Novak's serve to thread a trademark forehand winner past his frazzled opponent.
Then in the second set he broke the big Czech's spirit, when he stole
his serve in the fourth game, and again in the eighth. He sealed the
set on serve (and to love), pummeling a service winner, forehand winner,
an ace and then stepping inside the service line to push a forehand winner
into the open court for the set.
He closed out the third set and the match with an ace, making him the second most victorious player on clay this season (27 wins, six losses), behind Argentine Gaston Gaudio, who lost to three-time champ Gustavo Kuerten today.
'Is been a very strange match," said the former world No1. "I think I played
a solid game, but not perfect. Still, I think he didn't play well at all. My
serve was very good and my forehand...I played much better than the other day,
more solid but, still, I think I didn't play my best match."
And while Moya admits that his best is yet to come, he nevertheless remains
weary of his quarter final opponent, the little known Verkerk, who with
nothing to lose, is likely to come out firing on Tuesday.
"He's a mystery for me, to be honest I didn't see him playing many times…
Before this tournament I heard about him and I seen him but I didn't see
him playing.
"He must be playing really well, he beat good guys and it's gonna be a
very complicate player to beat. But I'm playing solid. I feel well. I
been through very difficult situation this week and I still alive."
Moya will seek the advice of compatriot and defending champion Albert
Costa, who knows Verkerk's game well, but will also be hoping to draw
on the mental advantage that comes with already having won the singles
title here.
"You can not expect to have an easy match in a quarter; he has nothing to
lose…The pressure is for me, but I like that kind of pressure, the pressure
of the favorite.
"The fact that you are psychologically fit is something that keeps you in the
game."
The big-serving Verkerk upset No11 seed Rainer Schuettler 6-3 6-3 7-5 to
become the first Dutchman since Richard Krajicek in 1996 to reach the
Roland-Garros quarter finals. When he closed the match with an ace he
fell to the ground in ecstasy.
But the 24-year-old from Leiderdorp scoffs when asked if he is expected
to be the next Richard Krajicek. "They cannot expect that, because I am
far from Krajicek. He's a Wimbledon champion. He has more capabilities
than I have in tennis. But I also have to say that I have some strengths
too. But what he achieved and what he's done, it would really surprise
me if I can do the same. But never say never…"
Rightly so. 46-ranked Verkerk, who had not won a singles match at a
Grand Slam prior to this tournament, has now won 10 of his last 12
matches, and believes he has a good chance at going further in the
tournament.
"When you're in the quarter finals, everybody can win the tournament.
But I have to be realistic that there are some guys in the quarter
finals that I always thought 'Okay, they are the big guys, they are
the good guys, and I am a little bit below that.' But now you have
to be realistic enough that you beat good guys. So I'm ready to
beat some good players. But it's too far for me to say that I can
win this Grand Slam."
Today the 1.91m giant could do now wrong against Schuettler, the 2002
Australian Open finalist.
Playing in just his third Grand Slam (and his first Roland-Garros) the
24-year-old overwhelmed his German opponent with a vicious, near-perfect
serve - an astounding 22 aces and an average service speed of 195km/h is
testament to that. Against Moya, Verkerk will aim to play his No1 weapon -
his backhand-down-the-line - to precision on the red dirt and admits he will
"have nothing to lose again."
"You have to also, be again, realistic enough to say 'Carlos Moya is Carlos
Moya.' You have seen it all for him – a quarter final, a Grand Slam. It is
not as special as it is for me."
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