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Unhappy ending Norman's Grand Slam hopes dashed
Posted: Sunday June 11, 2000 03:27 PM
PARIS (AP) -- After starting the French Open final by playing what he called "ugly tennis," Magnus Norman walked away from his loss Sunday to Gustavo Kuerten with a deep feeling of disappointment. Coming into the match, Norman had hoped to join fellow Swedes Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg by winning a Grand Slam tournament. Norman said after the match that he didn't feel nervous while playing his first French Open final, but he looked it. Foot faults, a change of shirt from a crisp baggy white one to a shorter black one, and a slammed-down racket all indicated just how edgy Norman was before he began to find his game in the third set. "I didn't feel good out there," Norman said. "I don't know why. As I said, I was not nervous. Things just didn't go my way." Norman worked hard to control his frustration. He hurled down his racket on occasion, breaking one toward theend of the match, and kicked a few tennis balls. At times, his behavior drew boos and whistles. For most of the match, the 16,000 fans in the stands at center court weren't on Norman's side, which he said surprised him. A few Norman supporters carried little Swedish flags, but vocal encouragement was far stronger for Kuerten. "I'm from Europe. He's from South America," Norman said. "We're playing in Europe. I think there were not a lot of people on my side. So, of course, I'm a little disappointed about that." One fan kept her eyes peeled on Norman for most of the match. Dressed in a dark windbreaker, Martina Hingis, whom he has described as a "very good friend," smiled -- even on his worst points.
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