Tue, Apr 19, 2005 page19

• Nadal hopes for string of clay-court championships

  • AP
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  Rafael Nadal has won three clay-court titles this year, and the 18-year-old Spaniard is hoping to add a few more before he makes his debut at the French Open next month.

  Nadal, who beat defending champion Guillermo Coria 6-3, 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 Sunday to win the Monte Carlo Masters, is expected to play at Barcelona, Rome and Hamburg before going to Roland Garros at the end of May.

  "If I play like this, I can have some good results, but I am not the favorite," Nadal said. "My objective is to improve my serve, my volley and my slice. ... If I improve these shots I can win some more matches."

  

  Rafael Nadal of Spain lies on the clay after defeating defending champion Guillermo Coria of Argentina after the Monte Carlo Masters final in Monte Carlo, Monaco on Sunday. Nadal won 6-3, 6-1, 0-6, 7-5. Nadal beat also last year's French Open finalists in Monaco.

  PHOTO: AP

  In Monaco, Nadal beat both of last year's French Open finalists and promising French teenager Richard Gasquet in three straight days.

  "I feel that I improved all the time," Nadal said. "I was not missing a lot of shots and making very few unforced errors, which is very important on clay."

  Coria, the 2004 French Open runner-up, said Nadal is "the best player on clay at the moment."

  "It was a very hard final," Coria added. "I didn't know where to put the ball. He was very strong physically."

  Nadal won clay-court titles earlier this year at Costa do Sauipe and Acapulco.

  On Friday, he beat French Open champion Gaston Gaudio 6-3, 6-0 in the quarterfinals. Gasquet, who upset top-ranked Roger Federer, followed on Saturday.

  Nadal, who has missed previous French Opens because of injury, became the first teenager in more than a decade to win at Monte Carlo.

  Earlier this month, he narrowly lost to Federer at Key Biscayne. On Sunday, it looked like he might wobble again as Coria staged an impressive comeback.

  "I was a little bit scared because it was like Miami," said Nadal, who blew a two-set lead against Federer. "And I was too tired for a fifth set. I knew after losing to Federer that I had to win here."

  Coria complained that the overcast conditions made the balls "very heavy" and stopped him from playing his normal game.

  The Argentine established a 3-1 lead, but Nadal won the next seven games to move a set and 2-0 up.

  Neither player served well in the match, which lasted 3 hours, 8 minutes. Nadal had his serve broken five times, compared to seven for Coria. Coria also had 73 unforced errors.

  Coria was appearing in his third consecutive Monte Carlo final. He lost to Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2003 and dominated Rainer Schuettler last year.

  After Nadal won 11-of-12 games and produced a love service game to clinch the second set, Coria sat crouched forward in his chair and shook his head while waiting to start the third set. He responded well, however, winning it in 32 minutes.
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