Corretja takes aim at No. 1
First-round win at Sydney Invitational a good start
Posted: Monday January 11, 1999 10:07 PM
| |
Hendrik Dreekmann (above) battled Alex Corretja but lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 AP |
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- World No. 3 Alex Corretja conquered his
usual early-season snooze Monday to make a winning start to the new
year before showing improved commitment with a half-hour run in
sapping heat.
Corretja, one of several players with a chance of reaching
the No. 1 spot at next week's Australian Open, beat German qualifier
Hendrik Dreekmann 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in their first round match at the
Sydney International at White City.
Corretja had the best year of his career in 1998, but it started
with a first round-loss to Dreekmann at this tournament.
After taking almost two hours to prevail in temperatures pushing
into the high 30s (90s F), Corretja was ordered to run around a
nearby park by his fitness trainer Salva Sosa.
Corretja admitted that in previous years he has shown as much
power off the grid as a Volkswagen Beetle.
"This time I feel better and mentally I'm more confident,"
Corretja said. "This time I going to try and put the turbo on
earlier."
Corretja has never been past the third round in three attempts
at the Australian Open, but a victory this time could get him into
the top spot with Pete Sampras missing through injury.
He says he has prepared better for the start of the season, but
it was important to get into the right rhythm.
"That's why I went running after the match," Corretja said.
"I have to try to practice hard, try to be honest. Sometimes you
think you are No. 3 in the world and you don't have to fight
anymore."
Dreekmann looked capable of another upset when he claimed the
opening set but from there Corretja knuckled down and found his
range.
He got a break in the fourth game of the second set and broke to
love in the fifth game of the decider. Dreekmann folded to love
again in the ninth when he handed Corretja the match with a weak
backhand low into the net.
After his poor start to 1998, Corretja won five titles and
reached the French Open final where he lost to compatriot Carlos
Moya. He also won the biggest of his 12 career titles when he
claimed the end of season ATP World Championship in Hannover,
avenging his French Open loss to Moya.
Corretja joins Marcelo Rios and Pat Rafter with a realistic
chance of reaching the summit this month. Moya and Andre Agassi are
also in the frame.
"I don't think about it," Corretja said of the top spot. "I
just try to play my best -- it would be unbelievable for me to reach
the No. 1 but I'll have to go step by step and day by day."
Corretja will meet Marc Rosset in the second round after the
Swiss player cruised to a 6-4, 6-0 win over Czech Bohdan Ulihrach.
Jan-Michael Gambill, of Spokane, Washington, swept past
Australian Sandon Stolle in the third set to win their clash 7-6
(9-7), 2-6, 6-1, setting up a second round match against Albert
Costa of Spain. Costa beat Paul Haarhuis of the Netherlands 6-2,
6-4.
Former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek got an easy passage
through to round two. The sixth-seeded Dutchman led Jerome Golmard
6-4, 4-0 when the Frenchman withdrew suffering an ankle injury.
Dominique Van Roost, the women's eighth seed, had an even easier
time of her match against Irina Spirlea, leading 6-1 when the
Romanian withdrew because of illness.
Amanda Coetzer, of South Africa, overwhelmed Croatian youngster
Mirjana Lucic 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 while No. 7 seed Patty Schnyder of
Switzerland beat Sandrine Testud of France 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
The tournament features eight of the top 16 men and 17 of the
leading 20 women.
Among those in action on center court Tuesday are U.S. Open
champion Pat Rafter, Anna Kournikova and Steffi Graf.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
