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Superb Spaniard Corretja looking strong at Roland Garros
Posted: Friday June 02, 2000 01:02 PM
PARIS (Reuters) -- Alex Corretja reminded Richard Krajicek of Spain's clay-court tradition Friday, hitting back to beat the former Wimbledon champion 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, to reach the fourth round of the French Open. Clay and a seeded Spaniard are usually a lethal combination at Roland Garros but Krajicek, more at home on the All-England club's green grass than the Parisian red clay, has until now proved strangely immune to the deadly mix. In five previous run-ins with the clay court-loving Spaniards at Roland Garros, the hard-serving Dutchman had walked away a winner. "You play under pressure against him because of his big serve," explained 10th seed Corretja, a winner in Indian Wells earlier this year. "But I believe I just played great today. "I returned perfectly, I played some really good passing shots and lobs. I was really mixing it up, cross-court, down the line, I think my level was pretty high." Playing on a sun-baked Court One, also known as the Bull Ring, Corretja was greeted by shouts of "Ole." The support failed to inspire the Spaniard as Krajicek, looking fully recoved from the knee surgery that sidelined him for nearly three months following the Austalian Open, took the opening set after recording the only break at 3-2. But the first really hot day of the fortnight soon helped expose the Dutchman's lack of fitness. Corretja, displaying close to the same form he showed in 1998 when he reached the final, siezed control of the match when he broke to go up 4-2 in the second, then ripped through the next five games to take the set and a 3-0 lead in the third. With Krajicek coming to the net at every opportunity in a desperate attempt to keep the points short, Correjta's clay court prowess was on full display, countering the attack with pinpoint lobs and blistering passing shots. "I felt uncomfortable playing from the back today," said Krajicek, playing in just his fifth event of the season following the arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. "I knew I couldn't keep the pressure on him if I stayed back. "I wanted to keep the points short and try and throw off his rhythm." Corretja, who once over-ruled a line call in his favor at the French Open and went on to lose the match, remains the top Spanish hope in what has been an unusually brutal Grand Slam for the Spaniards. Only six of their 15 men got past the first round.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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