TMS Hamburg 2003 |
Moya's monster must meet his mentor
Richard Jago in Hamburg
Wednesday May 14, 2024
The Guardian
Carlos Moya, the former world No1, risks being beaten by the youngster he has helped to groom when he meets Rafael Nadal at the Hamburg Masters today.
Nadal may be only 16, but he is unlikely to harbour any fears about beating his mentor and fellow Majorcan because he is quite accustomed to the ambience of big-time success. Nadal's uncle Miguel Angel, also known as the Beast of Barcelona, is a former captain of the Spanish national football team. In any case the young Nadal has turned over one well-known name already.
Last month he defeated Albert Costa, the French Open champion, who often found it impossible to get the ball away from Nadal's octopus reach, and Moya knew that he risked a similarly unpleasant fate from the moment he had struggled to a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 first-round win over the Australian qualifier Scott Draper in the Masters Series yesterday.
"It will be a special day for both of us," Moya said. "I have watched him progress since he was very young and we have been on court together a lot in the last few years. Although he is 16 he is still able to play great tennis."
By contrast Moya is probably not quite at his best. Although the second seed is the highest-ranked clay-court expert in this tournament and more than good enough to win it, he does not feel as comfortable in the heavier atmosphere of the Rothenbaum stadium as at the Real Club in Barcelona where he captured the title last month.
"It happens every year," Moya said. "I am confident in Barcelona and Monte Carlo, but in Rome and Hamburg I don't get to play my best. I just hope to win a few more matches and get my rhythm back."
This may just be a smoke screen designed to reduce the pressure of expectation. Hamburg conditions suit big, strong men and Moya is certainly one of the strongest. Moreover he is probably a better player now than when he headed the rankings four years ago and as a tip to win the French Open, which begins in 12 days' time, Moya is as good as any.
Yet upsets abound here. Two seeds, Jiri Novak and Alex Corretja, both clay-court experts, lost yesterday, and another, Fernando Gonzalez, had to make an improbable recovery. The hit-or-bust Chilean got back from 1-5 down in the final set against Olivier Mutis, and also saved a match point against the Frenchman before surviving 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. Mutis entered the draw as a lucky loser and left it as an unlucky one.
The in-form Roger Federer, who has won the Munich title and finished runner-up in the Rome Masters over the past two weeks, enjoyed a comfortable victory over the Belarussian Max Mirnyi, winning 6-3, 6-3, and will play Sargis Sargsian next.
Tim Henman, who yesterday won a doubles match with the former world No1 Gustavo Kuerten, discovered he will face S�bastien Grosjean in the second round today.
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