At the French Open, No Need to Cry for Argentina

Posted on June 1, 2004

Argentina is threatening to turn the French Open at Roland Garros into their own personal playground. For the first time in history, the South American country has placed four of its players into the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament. Monday in Paris, Davide Nalbandian and Gaston Gaudio each posted wins to join countrymen Guillermo Coria and Juan Ignacio Chela in the final eight.

After years of strong results in the smaller events, Argentina is finally breaking through and seemingly on the verge of their first Slam crown since their hero Guillermo Vilas won the US Open in 1979.

Nalbandian, 22, needed four sets to defeat fan favorite Marat Safin to advance to his first Roland Garros quarterfinal.

"It's great," said Nalbandian of his country’s success this week.

Nalbandian has uncharacteristically earned his most success on the faster surfaces like Wimbledon, where he improbably reached the finals in 2002.

"I think it’s really surprising for everyone," Nalbandian said. "I think it does demonstrate that Argentina has very good players."

Gaudio earned his spot in his first career Grand Slam quarterfinal Monday after easily eliminating Safin's countrymen Igor Andreev.

"I never thought this could happen," said Gaudio, a 25-year-old from Buenos Aires. "To be four Argentines in the quarterfinals is pretty good. Maybe we can reach the semifinals, I don't know. We shall see, I hope so."

What's intriguing is that having an all-Argentine semifinal is not out of the question.

All four players will be evenly-matched or favored in their respective quarterfinal matchups.

Coria has beaten Carlos Moya in their last three meetings and Chela will be the favorite against serve-and-volley specialist Tim Henman. On Wednesday, Nalbandian will have his hands full in what looks to be an even match-up against three-time Roland Garros champion Gustavo Kuerten, while Gaudio and his opponent Lleyton Hewitt, who never been past the quarters in France, have similar games.

And don’t forget Paola Suarez, a journeywoman player on the WTA Tour, who stands just one win away from her first Grand Slam semifinal. Suarez takes on 17-year-old star Maria Sharapova on Tuesday.

So is Argentina, a country rife with political turmoil and economic uncertainty, ready to take over tennis?

"I hope," says Nalbandian. "I hope to meet all Argentineans in the semifinals."