TENNIS/French Open Men's Singles: Yesterday, as four players fought their corner for two places in the French Open men's semi-finals here, few thought the first name into the semi-finals would be Mariano Puerta.
The five-set match involving specialist clay court players Puerta and Guillermo Canas lasted for three hours 35 minutes and it was Puerta who came through strongest in the final 59-minute fifth set.
Surprising because the Argentinian managed to get a possible two-year suspension beaten down to nine months for failing a doping test for the class one drug clenbuterol during the Bell South tournament in Vina del Mar, Chile.
From October 3rd, 2003, until last July Puerta sat on the sidelines claiming innocent reasons for the steroid in his body.
In only his third tour level event since coming back to tennis in July of last year, Puerta has now climbed from a ranking of 440 in the world on August 2nd, 2004, to stand at 37 on the ladder at the beginning of the French Open.
Having beaten his fellow Argentinian Canas 6-3, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, he now also plays for a chance to meet either Roger Federer or Raphael Nadal in Sunday's French Open final. It has been quite a breathtaking turnaround for the 26-year-old.
A former runner-up in the junior event here, Puerta has never been to a Grand Slam semi- final before and if his name is unfamiliar, it is because he rarely plays on any surface other than clay. Typically the two players fought from the back court, only occasionally mixing it up with heavy slices and drop shots.
Puerta, although taking the first set, trailed 2-1 in the third before tuning it around in a high-grunting and heavy-thumping fourth and fifth sets.
"No I don't really feel bitter. I almost forgot it. I don't really remember the bad things I went through. It's something I've overcome. I don't look back to that time," said Puerta of his suspension.
"When I think back about the time I was not playing it was a bit difficult. It was a hard time to go through. It's very strange not to be allowed to play tennis. I had to work very hard to come back.
"My way of playing tennis requires consuming a lot of energy. It is not enough to get 30 or 40 points through my serve.
"I have to manage to return against my opponents so I really had to work on my comeback. In addition when you go through a rough period I'm sure it makes you stronger and it is harder for people to sink you."
Puerto now faces Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the semi-finals. The 23-year-old 12th seed came through a tough five set marathon against Spain's Tommy Robredo 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to make it for the first time in his career beyond the last eight of a Grand Slam.
From the winner's point of view, he has little idea of how he has this season started becoming a regular fixture in the last quarter of Grand Slams. But he has applied some Russian logic to his current good fortune and the hope of getting even beyond the semi-final.
"I cannot tell you. I am now here in the semi-final. For me I am really happy. I'm in the semi-final. I wake up tomorrow everything is perfect," said Davydenko.
"Nadal also started to play well. He's kept winning everything. Federer the same. He beats everybody. But new guys come and try to win. You cannot beat everybody, every tournament every week.
"Last year I finished at 28. Now already I've reached the top 10. That's good. My coach always tells me to think of the future. You've got to work for the next tournament, the next year."
Davydenko was born in Severodonezk, now part of the Ukraine, but moved to Germany at the age of 15 to live with his brother and wife. He subsequently received Russian citizenship when he was 18. Along with world number one Federer, he is the only other player in the draw to have made it to the quarter-final stages of both the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
MEN'S SINGLES: Quarter-finals: Mariano Puerta (Arg) bt (9) Guillermo Canas (Arg) 6-2 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-4; (12) Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) bt (15) Tommy Robredo (Spa) 3-6 6-1 6-2 4-6 6-4.
WOMEN'S DOUBLES: Quarter-finals: (2) Cara Black (Zim) and Liezel Huber (Rsa) bt Ting Li (Chn) and Tian Tian Sun (Chn) 6-3 6-4, (8) Corina Morariu (US) and Patty Schnyder (Swi) bt (3) Lisa Raymond (US) and Rennae Stubbs (Aus) 6-4 6-3.
MIXED DOUBLES: Quarter-Finals: Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) and Fabrice Santoro (Fra) bt (5) Liezel Huber (Rsa) and Kevin Ullyett (Zim) 6-2 4-6 6-1, (6) Martina Navratilova (USA) and Leander Paes (Ind) bt Corina Morariu (USA) and Jared Palmer (USA) 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-3.
