King of Clay reigns supreme

Paris, June 12: Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil beat Swede Magnus Norman in one of the most dramatic finals in living memory here Sunday to capture his second French Open men’s singles crown in four years. Fifth-seeded Kuerten, who previously won here in 1997, again had Roland Garros rocking to a Samba beat as he won 6-2, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (8/6). The hearts of his suporters were in their mouths throughout a 95-minute fourth set as their hero was unable to translate his dominance into victory. The South American finally won on his 11th match point after 3hr 44min of a nerve-jangling finale. He climbed into the crowd to greet his friend and family at the end, his emotions a mixture of joy and relief.

Third-seeded Norman played a major role in his own demise as his nerves crumbled in the first two sets of his first Grand Slam final and he made a stream of unforced errors, serving up eight double faults. “He played a great match,” said the Scandinavian, generous in defeat. Kuerten, who had come into the match with back problems after surviving two five-set marathons in the last two rounds, had forecast that his experience of the big occasion would give him the edge and he was proved right.