Nadal through, Coria out
ByReuters
Published 21/04/2005 at 08:54 GMT
Rafael Nadal produced a dazzling performance to storm into the Barcelona quarter-finals with a 6-1 6-2 victory over Dominik Hrbaty on Thursday. The 18-year-old, the youngest player in 15 years to win a Masters event last week in Monte Carlo, now meets Agu
Fourth seed Coria crashed out after losing a nail-biting three-setter to Calleri. The Argentine clay-court king served for the match at 5-4 in the third but let his compatriot off the hook before tumbling out 6-4 6-7 7-6.
Calleri, who earned two tough victories over French teenager Gael Monfils and fellow countryman Juan Ignacio Chela in the previous rounds, had to fight tooth and nail to book his place in the quarter-finals in a match that lasted two hours 45 minutes.
The 28-year-old took the first set thanks to a second break in the seventh game and played some compact tennis to keep the pressure on his younger opponent.
The two claycourt specialists struggled on their own serve in the second set, exchanging eight breaks in the first nine games on the way to the tiebreak, which Coria won after Calleri missed his chance with a volley error at the net.
Coria, who lost to Rafael Nadal in last week's Masters Series final in Monte Carlo, appeared to gain the upper hand in the third set as he worked Calleri around the court and broke him for a 4-2 lead.
But the hard-hitting Calleri refused to fold and broke back when Coria was serving for the match in the 10th game, before forcing a final tiebreak. He won through when his returns of serve forced Coria into two backhand errors.
NADAL THROUGH
Third seed Carlos Moya of Spain also tumbled out in the third round, losing 6-4 6-4 to big-serving Max Mirnyi.
The former French Open champion never found his rhythm against the towering 27-year-old from Belarus, and although he saved four match points he eventually wilted under the pressure.
Nadal turned in another irresistible display to record his first victory in four attempts against Hrbaty.
Aggressively competing for every point, the Spaniard gave his opponent little chance as he reeled off a string of precise two-handed backhands and spectacular running passes on his way to an emphatic victory.
"It wasn't as easy as the scoreline suggests," Nadal told reporters. "It was a tough game. I seem to be making few mistakes which is good, but I certainly don't feel unbeatable at the moment."
FERRERO REVIVAL CONTINUES
Former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero continued his revival with a comfortable 6-1 6-2 win over fellow Spaniard Alberto Martin, who knocked out defending champion Tommy Robredo on Wednesday.
Ferrero, a semi-finalist in last week's Monte Carlo Masters, gave no quarter as he ripped through the first set in under half an hour.
Although he wobbled a little on his own serve in the second set, a combination of precision ground strokes and delicate drop shots earned him three breaks as he ran out an easy winner over his Barcelona-born opponent.
The 25-year-old faces an intriguing quarter-final against number two seed Gaston Gaudio or in-form Spaniard David Ferrer.
Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic sneaked a 6-7 7-6 7-6 win over fifth-seeded Argentine Guillermo Canas in a fiercely contested encounter on court one.
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