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Defending champ ousted from French Open
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-05-28 09:24
Juan Carlos Ferrero failed to live up to his nickname Thursday.
Spanish Juan Carlos
Ferrero hits a forehand back to Russian Igor Andreev on the second round
of the French Open. [AFP] | Numbed by painkillers
for sore ribs and overcome by leg cramps, the man known as "the Mosquito" for
his boundless energy moved in slow-motion, failing to get shots he normally
would reach.
As a result, the defending French Open champion lost in the second round to
Igor Andreev 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.
"I couldn't play my best tennis today," said Ferrero, who had never lost
before the semifinals in four previous appearances at the French Open.
Ferrero nearly withdrew because of bruised ribs before the tournament and
played only after receiving painkiller injections. On Thursday, the ribs felt
fine but his left leg began cramping midway through the match.
"It's pretty difficult to stay in the match with two injuries," he said.
While Ferrero lost, top-ranked Roger Federer and three-time champion Gustavo
Kuerten advanced. They'll meet Saturday in the third round.
"It's a great match for the tournament and for us," said Federer, the
reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open (news - web sites) champion, who seeks
his first French Open title. "If I can get through him ... it's a huge step."
Federer improved to 34-3 this year by beating Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 6-4, 7-6
(6).
Kuerten, a former world No. 1, won his French Open titles in 2001, 2000 and
1997. Since hip surgery in February 2002, the Brazilian hasn't advanced past the
fourth round at any Grand Slam event.
"I thought maybe I'd be out early in the tournament," the 28th-seeded Kuerten
said after sweeping Gilles Elseneer 6-2, 6-0, 6-3.
During the match, Kuerten said he felt pain from his hip in spite of
medication.
"I'm trying to take the pain away, but it's not easy," he said, adding that
his match against Federer promised to be "a great, great challenge."
For Ferrero, the pain was too much to overcome.
"It's pretty difficult to defend a title when you're not 100 percent," said
the Spaniard, whose departure matched the earliest by a defending men's champion
at Roland Garros.
It became worse in the third set. Ferrero stopped chasing down balls and sent
basic baseline returns into the net, cocking his head back and roaring in anger
when he flubbed an easy forehand.
"In the third set, when I started feeling really in pain, there wasn't too
much I could do about my tennis."
Andreev, a Russian ranked 77th, was playing at Roland Garros for the first
time. He closed out the victory with an ace, then collapsed to the clay.
"It's like all the dreams become true," he said. "Center court, the guy who
won last year, and he was No. 1 in the world — and I could beat him. It's
unbelievable."
Andreev faces Frenchman Julien Benneteau in the third round.
No. 12-seeded Lleyton Hewitt eliminated Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. The
Australian, a two-time Grand Slam champion, has never advanced beyond the
quarterfinals at Roland Garros.
"I don't think with my style of game I can totally be counted out," Hewitt
said.
He'll next play No. 19 Martin Verkerk, the runner-up last year. Verkerk hit
17 aces and won when Victor Hanescu retired with cramps trailing 4-6, 6-3, 3-6,
6-0, 3-0.
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