www射-国产免费一级-欧美福利-亚洲成人福利-成人一区在线观看-亚州成人

  Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

Argentina's Mariano Puerta loses French Final but wins fans
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-06-06 09:48

Rafael Nadal is a Spanish sensation and teen idol, winning raves from royalty and comparisons to such past Grand Slam champions as Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg.


Argentina's Mariano Puerta reaches for the ball as he plays Spain's Rafael Nadal during their final match of the French Open tennis tournament, at the Roland Garros stadium, Sunday June 5, 2005 in Paris. [AP]

On Sunday, journeyman Mariano Puerta was almost as good.

The unseeded Argentine, less than a year removed from a drug suspension that dropped his ranking to 440th, lost to Nadal 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 in the French Open final. But Puerta made the most of his biggest moment on a Grand Slam stage, playing with a verve and resilience to rival Nadal's.

By the fourth set, Roland Garros fans were chanting "Puer-ta!, Puer-ta!."

"I had goose bumps when I heard people yelling my name," he said. "For the crowd, I would have liked to go into a fifth set."

Puerta held three set points serving at 5-4 in the fourth set, but Nadal rallied with a series of spectacular winners and closed out the victory for his first Grand Slam title. That earned the Mallorcan a handshake and praise from the king of Spain.

"Unfortunately, Nadal didn't let me play the fifth set," Puerta said. "I could still be playing now, in fact. But it was a beautiful match all the same."

That it was, with plenty of clay-court improvisation and improbable saves by both players. Puerta held his own against a youngster touted as the game's next great player.

"He was hitting me where it hurt," Nadal said. "He made me move a lot and run a lot. I think this is the match where I ran the most in the whole tournament."

Puerta did plenty of running throughout the fortnight. Each of his final three matches went 3 1/2 hours, but despite a sore thigh that required treatment during the first set, he showed no sign of fading at the end.

Despite the disappointment of defeat, the 26-year-old Puerta drew consolation from a Grand Slam showing that was by far the best of his career. He had never advanced beyond the third round in 15 previous major events.

The Argentine choked back tears during the trophy ceremony.

"I don't want to be bitter," he said later. "I enjoyed myself a lot playing this final. I gave my best, all I had on each point, and I lost against the best player in the world on clay. Therefore, I have to be objective. I must be happy."

Four of the top 11 players in the men's rankings are from Argentina, including Gaston Gaudio, the 2004 French Open champion, and Guillermo Coria, last year's runner-up. But it was their compatriot Puerta who survived to the final day.

"I'm very pleased," Puerta said. "Well, not as much as I could be. I'm very proud, though."

The Grand Slam event was the first for Puerta since he served a nine-month suspension that began in October 2003 after testing positive for clenbuterol, a drug whose effects resemble those of anabolic steroids by promoting muscle growth. An investigative panel determined that a doctor prescribed the banned drug to Puerta to treat an acute asthma attack.

He came into the French ranked 37th and will climb to about 12th, a career best, when the new ATP Tour rankings are released Monday.

"I believe that in a certain way I was resuscitated," Puerta said. "Now I'm going to be able to face excellent players. I will walk onto the court with a different state of mind."



Heat VS Pistons
David Beckham contributes to youth soccer
Brizil thrash Paraguay 4-1
 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

China's stock markets slumping to 8-year lows

 

   
 

Beijing Olympic volunteers get call-up

 

   
 

Chemical weapons disposal complex planned

 

   
 

China-US talks fail to resolve disputes

 

   
 

Iraq says Saddam will face just 12 charges

 

   
 

Disease threatens as more floods loom large

 

   
  Argentina's Mariano Puerta loses French Final but wins fans
   
  Teenager Rafael Nadal wins French Open
   
  Brazil thrash Paraguay in warning to arch rivals Argentina
   
  Manchester United sign Dutch keeper Van der Sar
   
  Former League chief slams Chelsea
   
  Cole: I feel Arsenal career is over
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 午夜在线播放免费人成无 | 在线播放第一页 | 在线视频一区二区三区三区不卡 | 性欧美另类老妇高清 | 亚洲成人高清在线 | 国产精品短视频免费观看 | 无遮挡一级毛片私人影院 | 久草在线首页 | 国产精彩视频在线观看 | 日本特级黄毛片毛片视频 | 综合久久久久久 | 亚洲精品第五页中文字幕 | 扒开双腿猛进入爽爽在线观看 | 免费国产99久久久香蕉 | 成年人午夜影院 | 免费高清毛片在线播放视频 | 永久免费91桃色福利 | 国产步兵社区视频在线观看 | 美女张开腿给男人捅 | 久久久久无码国产精品一区 | aaaaaa级特色特黄的毛片 | 欧美大胆一级视频 | 久久精品最新免费国产成人 | 欧美国产伦久久久久 | 午夜综合| 欧美xo影院 | 欧美亚洲视频一区 | 全部免费的毛片视频观看 | 色一级片 | 国产精品午夜国产小视频 | 亚洲精品人成网在线播放影院 | 国产一级特黄a大片99 | 国产一级毛片亚洲久留木玲 | 在线观看免费黄色网址 | 久久日本精品一区二区免费 | 在线观看精品国产 | 精品视频一二三区 | 国产成人精品男人的天堂538 | 欧洲97色综合成人网 | 亚洲第一区视频在线观看 | 亚洲欧美极品 |