Gaston Gaudio was crowned French Open champion in bizarre circumstances on Sunday with a sensational five-set victory over fellow Argentine Guillermo Coria.
The unseeded Gaudio won 0-6 3-6 6-4 6-1 8-6, but not before he saved two match points and watched his opponent virtually walk through the fourth set due to a cramping problem which he later blamed on nervousness.
The hot favourite Coria had appeared to be easing to victory when he stormed into a two-set lead, playing Gaudio off the Philippe Chatrier Court in Paris.
But after Gaudio gained a foothold in the match by grabbing a tight third set, Coria required treatment and looked set to quit at 1-1 in the fourth.
However, he bravely battled on, going through the motions until the final set began.
The third seed then lifted his game and despite being severely hampered by the problem - especially on his serve - he amazingly moved ahead 4-2 in the decider.
The tension was incredible when Gaudio levelled but, just like Coria, he could not hold his serve.
Coria somehow moved to match point twice at 6-5, but on both occasions sent shots wide.
Two games later Gaudio pounced, clinching his first Grand Slam title when he sent a backhand past his weakened opponent.
In doing so, Gaudio - who had beaten Lleyton Hewitt and David Nalbandian on his way to the final - became only the fourth unseeded winner of the title and the fourth player to win it having survived a match point.
Afterwards Gaudio told a thrilled crowd: "I have prepared that speech so many times and now I don't know what to say.
"Since I was a kid it was like a dream for me and now, when I am here, it is
too much for me.
"I would like to thank the crowd who supported me so much. In the first two
sets I was so scared but because of the crowd I began to fight a bit more and
came back."
A disappointed but gracious Coria said: "I want to congratulate Gaston, it
was a terrific fightback from him and he has also come back from a lot of
problems.
"During the match you saved two match points and you deserve this victory. You are a great player.
"As far as I am concerned I will be back next year to take my revenge."
"I had dreamt of the trophy all my life, but my body did not hold and neither
did my nerves," said Coria, who then broke into tears while mentioning the
doping affair during his after-match press conference.
"I wanted to win that tournament to forget all the things I have kept inside
me for three years.
Gaudio had been utterly outclassed in the early stages, producing far too many unforced errors to live with Coria whose game looked in tip-top shape.
He raced to the first set in just 25 minutes and when he led 5-1 in the second, the record books were being scoured to find the heaviest-ever final defeat.
However, Gaudio cut out the errors in the third set and managed to get into some long rallies with his compatriot, often coming out on top.
And when he broke for a 5-4 lead, he served out to grab his lifeline.
The drama began at 1-1 in the fourth, although it came as quite a surprise, with Coria having not looked hampered by any problem before he called for the trainer because of leg cramps.
He later revealed he was "cramping all over" due to nerves.
Coria received massages on both legs but still looked ill at ease.
What happened next was quite sensational as Coria came out and played points virtually at a standstill.
His serve was like something you would see in a local park and Gaudio simply had to get the ball back in court to win the points.
There didn't seem much point in Coria continuing, but as Gaudio levelled the match up, the injured man decided to give it one last effort.
And it was quite an effort. He immediately broke serve and although it was retrieved, Coria repeated the trick and soon led 4-2.
From that point both players could hardly hold serve, which bordered on the criminal from Gaudio's perspective as Coria was restricted in his movement - his trademark speed sapped from his legs.
Coria served for the match once and was broken to love but amazingly got another chance as he got stuck into some lengthy rallies which belonged back in the third set.
He moved to match point on two occasions but on the first sent a backhand wide and the second a forehand was pushed beyond the tramlines - both missed by inches.
And Gaudio made the most of his lives to clinch a bizarre victory in three hours and 31 minutes, becoming the first Argentine since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to lift the famous trophy.
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