Normal service at French Open - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Normal service at French Open

By Allan Kelly 29/05/2004 05:32:37 AM Comments (0)

After a week of upsets the French Open returned to type on Friday with the kings of clay reasserting their supremacy at Roland Garros.

The two top players in the month-long build-up to the second Grand Slam of the year - Argentina's Guillermo Coria and Spain's Carlos Moya - both demolished their third round opponents in straight sets.

Monte-Carlo Open winner Coria swept past young Croatian Mario Ancic 6-3 6-1 6-2, while Rome Masters champion Moya outclassed Dutchman Ramon Sluiter 6-0 6-3 6-4.

The 22-year-old Coria, the number three seed, showed no signs of the abdominal strain that hampered him earlier in the season as he took total control of his tie against Ancic.

Fifth-seeded Moya was just as dominant against Sluiter racing into a 6-0 3-0 lead before allowing his opponent a first game which brought a sympathetic cheer from a subdued centre-court crowd.

"I am playing with a lot more consistency than last year, but I've got tough opponents to come," said the 1998 champion.

Moya has the tougher assignment in the next round going up against countryman Tommy Robredo who scored a surprisingly easy 6-2 6-0 6-2 win over the 11th seeded Nicolas Massu of Chile.

Coria takes on France's Nicolas Escude who came into the tournament with an abysmal record on clay this year, but who has strung three good performances together edging past Russia's Mikhail Youzhny in four sets in the third round.

Should they both win their fourth round ties, Coria and Moya will face-off in a quarter-final that should decide one of this year's finalists with world No.1 Roger Federer favoured to come through in the other half of the draw.

Federer takes on triple French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil on Saturday in the match of the day as he bids to reach the last 16 for only the second time in his career.

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