MONTE CARLO, Monaco – Gustavo Kuerten says his contact lenses
went on strike and he finished his third-round match without
them, but he kept his eye firmly on the ball on
Thursday to reach the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals.
|  | | Swiss player Roger Federer reacts after winning his match against France's Arnaud Di Pasquale in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Thursday. Federer defeated Di Pasquale 6-1, 6-2. |
The Brazilian has been wearing contact lenses for eight
months to correct short-sightedness in both eyes, but he
discarded them to beat Germany's Tommy Haas 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 at the
$2.95 million tournament.
"At one point in the first set I couldn't see too much and I
got pretty worried," he said after his match.
"I went to the bathroom to try and clean them, put them on
again, but nothing helped. Maybe it wasn't happy with me, it was
on strike, didn't want to work.
"I was worrying about this and finding it hard to
concentrate.
"So at the end of the first set I just took them out and
tried to get used to playing without them."
In fact, if anything, the Brazilian's game improved from
then on.
"For me, it was like starting my game again. I had to
rebuild my game plan and my shots.
Tim Henman's sparkling
clay-court form continued as the Briton stormed into
the quarterfinals.
The eighth seed produced a sublime performance on his least
favorite surface to shock accomplished baseliner Albert Costa
2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1.
Henman was joined in the last eight by 15th seed Roger
Federer.
The Swiss wasted no time dispatching France's Arnaud Di
Pasquale 6-1, 6-2 in scorching heat on Centre Court.
Henman turned the form book on its head to outclass clay
court specialist Costa, surprising even himself.
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't surprised," he said
afterwards.
"But I know what I am doing. I'm playing my own game and I'm
making it very tough for players to beat me."
Henman will next meet either defending champion Cedric
Pioline or Morocco's Hicham Arazi who clash later on Thursday.
The Briton pulled out all the stops to beat Costa, coming
back from a set and a mini break down in the tiebreak.
He showed great composure and exquisite shot selection to
break the Spaniard's spirit and score a famous victory on his
eighth match point.
"I've adapted very well. Yes, I'm very pleased," said
Henman.
Federer had an easier ride of it, needing just 61 minutes to
dismantle Olympic bronze medalist Di Pasquale.
Di Pasquale, who beat the Swiss player in Sydney in the
Olympic bronze medal match last year, confronted his friend when
the pair reached the third round on Wednesday, saying: "I'm
ready for you."
The reality, however, was very different.
Federer played with poise, power and control throughout
while the temperamental Di Pasquale, conqueror of top seed Marat
Safin in the first round, never got his game together.
Federer next meets either French ninth seed Sebastien
Grosjean or Swede Magnus Gustafsson in the last eight.
"I can only be happy with my game. I didn't make too many
mistakes," Federer said afterward.
"Maybe Arnaud was not at his best but I am very happy to
beat players (on clay) I would normally beat on another surface.
"I didn't know what to expect coming here as I am not very
at ease on clay. But I had a good draw and this is a great week
to play with the sun and the sea glistening in the distance."
Federer was followed on court by second seed Gustavo
Kuerten, the French Open champion taking on Germany's Tommy
Haas.
Russian qualifier Mikhail Youzhny's run came to an abrupt
end when he was beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Alberto Martin.
Youzhny, 18, the youngest player in the draw, impressed
against Nicolas Kiefer and Jonas Bjorkman in the opening rounds,
but he met his match in the Spanish clay court specialist.
Spain's Galo Blanco could not follow up Wednesday's triumph
over seventh seed Juan Carlos Ferrero with another victory.
The qualifier was swept aside by Argentina's Guillermo Coria
7-5, 6-1. Coria, conqueror of 12th seed Franco Squillari in the
previous round, next meets Martin. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |
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