Monday, Apr 22, 2002
Monday, Apr 22, 2002 |
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Tennis
Former French Open champion Moya, 25, won 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in 2 hours 11 minutes before an almost deserted Centre Court crowd, only diehards braving the late evening cold after four hours were earlier lost to a rainstorm. Henman, who on Friday outlasted Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson to reach his first ever clay semifinal, was bidding to become the first Briton to make the trophy match here since Welshman Mike Davies lost to Spaniard Andres Gimeno in 1960. The last actual British champion at the Monte Carlo Country Club, which backs onto the Mediterranean shore in a sumptuous setting, was Bunny Austin in 1934. Having earlier seen off three South American clay specialists, Henman finally ran into a brick wall against Moya in a match played under floodlights. Moya, who lifted the 1998 title here before going on to win Roland Garros, will now take on second seed Ferrero, who shrugged off a pair of two-hour rain breaks to post a 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 win over French seventh seed Sebastien Grosjean. Henman, aiming to end a 25-year British drought regarding appearances in finals on red European clay after Buster Mottram's 1977 run at Murcia, Spain, said afterwards he could have done no more.``I feel I can take a lot of confidence from this. I can go away knowing I've given my all in every match. I've got all the tools to do some damage on this surface,'' he insisted.The 27-year-old opened by taking Moya's serve to 15 but on his next service game he drove rashly long as Moya broke back for 2-2. That set the pattern as the Briton lost ground every time he managed to get his nose in front as the pair traded further breaks before Moya wrapped up the set when Henman lunged to net a low forehand volley to drop serve for the third time. There seemed no way back for Henman as Moya moved out to 3-1 with a break in the fourth game but the Briton broke back twice — only to drop his service again as Moya, suddenly finding all the angles again, levelled for 5-5. Henman finally forced Moya wide to break and take the set on his third opportunity as the Spaniard plopped a forehand low into the net. The wind between his sails, Henman broke in the opening game of the decider with a rasping volley up at the net. But Moya, who knocked out world number one and top seed Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in the opening round, fought back with a break and followed up with three games all won to love to move 4-1 clear as he picked off 14 points in a row. Henman's spirit was broken and he netted forlornly as Moya won on his second match point. ``He gave me problems with his attacking game, but I got through in the end,'' Moya admitted. ``The final will also be very tough. I hope to get revenge for last year when he (Ferrero) beat me in the Barcelona final,'' added the Mallorcan, who is 1-4 in previous meetings with his compatriot. Moya, now 13-1 on clay this year, has at least done Henman one favour here as his quarterfinal win over Marat Safin moved the Briton clear of the Russian into second place in the ATP Champions Race. — AFP
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