Impatient Coria wants to test himself against Nadal
Luke Tang 25 May 2005 22:35:28
Coria emphasized that he is in very good physical condition now and even better than last year.
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PARIS (AP) - Beaten twice on clay this season by Rafael Nadal, Guillermo Coria is eager for a rematch.
Coria moved one round closer to it by beating Denmark's Kenneth Carlsen 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in his opening match at the French Open on Tuesday.
"I think really he is the rival I need to defeat," said No. 8-seeded Coria.
Nadal defeated Coria in finals at Monte Carlo and Rome, with the latter decided in a fifth-set tiebreaker. If they meet in Paris, it will be in the final.
"I would really like to be able to play against him once more," Coria said. "He knows that he's going to fight hard if he wants to beat me."
Nadal was seeded fourth at Roland Garros, but the Spaniard was the title favorite after winning five claycourt titles, and his last 18 matches.
Coria has eight career titles, but his most recent was at Monte Carlo in April 2004.
Coria has lost five straight finals, including at the French Open last year against Argentine countryman Gaston Gaudio. Coria squandered a two-set lead and two match points, losing 8-6 in the final set.
Following arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in August, Coria believes he could make another serious challenge at Roland Garros.
"I'm really hungry for victory, ready to fight," Coria said. "I hope I'll win match after match. I feel very, very fit. Last year, I had three torn muscles."
Coria felt a slight twinge in his shoulder this month at Hamburg, where he lost to Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, but said the problem had cleared.
"In Hamburg, I was feeling that the arm was very heavy. Now I'm feeling 100 percent fit."
He next meets qualifier Novak Djokovic of Serbia-Montenegro, who beat American Robby Ginepri.
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