Gaston Gaudio completed one of the most dramatic comebacks in tennis history to beat the world's best claycourter Guillermo Coria on Sunday and win the French Open crown.
The rank outsider came from two sets down and saved two match points to defy his fellow Argentine and win his first grand slam 0-6 3-6 6-4 6-1 8-6.
PHOTO: AFP
"It's everything, you know?" Gaudio said. "I touched heaven."
PHOTO: AP
Overwhelmed, Gaudio screamed, hurled his racket high into the stands and ran round the entire stadium, slapping hands with fans.
Coria, who had suffered cramps in the latter stages, smashed his racket to pieces and slumped into his chair, tears also burning his eyes.
Having been banned for seven months in 2001 for failing a drugs test, Coria had desperately wanted to win his first grand slam to help bury those painful memories.
"After what happened to me because of doping, I was dreaming of being in this situation," the 22-year-old said, his shoulders shaking, tears rolling down his cheeks.
"I would like to have a revenge against those who gave me these contaminated vitamins ... to see that my body let me down and my nerves let me down.
"I remember what people did to me at that time. It's maybe the reason why I was a bit nervous. I really wanted to win this tournament, to try to forget everything I have deep inside."
However, it was to be a remarkable victory for Gaudio against a player who had won 48 of his last 50 matches on clay. One hour into the first all-Argentine final of a grand slam, Gaudio had been two sets down and facing an embarrassingly one-sided defeat.
Two-and-a-half hours later he pummelled a backhand crosscourt on match point to seal a victory most had thought impossible.
"I don't know what to say, it is too much ... this is like a movie for me," Gaudio said, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Thanks to all of you, the crowd. Thanks to you I managed to fight more and come back."
Gaudio became the second Argentine to win at Roland Garros, 27 years after Guillermo Vilas.
Vilas, after whom Coria had been named, was also the last Argentine man to win a singles grand-slam title, at the Australian Open in 1979.
Sunday's incredible win was one which nobody would begrudge the 25-year-old Gaudio and one which was achieved in the most bizarre circumstances.
For the first two sets Gaudio could not live with his third-seeded compatriot.
It took him 36 minutes of play to finally get on the scoreboard.
"I want to quit ... I can't believe I am playing like this," a dejected Gaudio said on court.
Not long after that he was two sets down.
Only five players in the Open's 79-year history had come from two sets down to claim victory in the final.
Those five, Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver and France's Marcel Bernard are among the greatest names in men's tennis.
Gaudio is ranked 44th in the world and had amassed just two titles in a six-year career. Heroics like this were not expected of him.
But somehow he managed to up his game in the third set, sufficient to take it and stay alive.
Early in the fourth set, Coria began cramping. He had both legs massaged and for half-an-hour could barely move.
Plopping in serves which would be pulverized in the girls juniors and pushing groundstrokes way beyond the baseline, Coria fell apart.
Gaudio raced through it 6-1.
As hampered as Coria was physically, Gaudio was paralyzed by nerves. He allowed Coria to break him in the first and third games as Coria eased 4-2 ahead in the decider.
Gaudio broke back for 4-4 but then neither man could hold.
Gaudio saved two match points when Coria was serving at 6-5 ahead and eventually levelled 6-6 as his supporters roared him on.
By this stage neither player could keep the ball in court, but finally Gaudio managed to hold serve to lead 7-6.
Coria could barely hit the ball. After three hours and 31 minutes of draining action, Gaudio earned his first match point and converted it, smashing a crosscourt backhand beyond Coria.
He threw his racket high into the stands before climbing into the players' box to embrace his coach and friends as the tears flowed.
Coria was left to pack away his smashed racket and contemplate a lost opportunity.
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