ARG players: Gaudio,Acasuso,Nalbandian,Coria, etc

[Annie]

OMG HE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D Welcome bak muchacho ;D ;D ;D

[lau]

LOL Muchacho? Who taught you that? ;D ;D


I just wanted to post a pic of Guido Pella, the 16 years old left handed junior that went to Linz with the DC team. He played the qualy of the Copa Telmex, and won the first match.., I think... He didn´t make it to the main draw. But a good experience for him He´ll do better in the years to come

In the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club

[Annie]

Guillermo (Canas) Muchacho you're on fire!!!! Beat Nalbandian today in Buenos Aires 6/4 6/4

[Annie]

From atptennis.com ;D

First Time ATP Winner Spotlight: Juan Monaco

Buenos Aires resident Juan Monaco won his first ATP title with a 6-1, 6-2 whipping of Italy’s Alessio di Mauro in the final Sunday (report).

ATPtennis.com caught up with the 22-year-old at his next ATP stop in Acapulco, Mexico.

How does it feel to win your first ATP title in your home country and joining the list of former Argentine winners such as Vilas, Clerc, Jaite, Coria and Gaudio?

It's a dream come true. Having Guillermo Vilas and Gabriela Sabatini watching the final, I could have never thought of a best scenario. I don't have to put pressure on myself, but this has to be a turning point in my career. Hopefully, it will give me a lot of confidence.

You defeated defending champion Carlos Moya, the No. 5 seed, and No. 4 Nicolas Almagro, along the way, are those some of your best wins in your career?

Of course, I rate my win over Moya as one of the best so far. I remember coming to the tournament when I was a little kid and pestering him for an autograph. I think it was in 1995. I still keep that small piece of paper. Even though he's not ranked in the top ten, he's one of the best players in the world.

This is the second straight week an Argentine player has captured an ATP title, what do you think about the state of Argentine tennis?

I think it's impossible to repeat what we did in 2005, when Nalbandian, Canas, Coria, Gaudio and Puerta were ranked in the top 15. When Canas coming back and Del Potro growing fast, I think it's being shown we are one of the best countries in the sport. I hope we can translate that to our first Davis Cup title this year.

You lost your first ATP final in Casablanca in 2005 and did you do anything different to prepare yourself going into this final?

I was thinking over that final the night before facing Di Mauro. When I played Mariano Puerta in Morocco, I was too nervous and the anxiety dominated me. This time, I talked to my coach, Francisco Mastelli, and we concluded I had to enjoy being there, playing a final at home, as it could be a day I would remember for the rest of my life. And it was, finally.

Do you have any ranking goals or other personal goals in 2007?

I decided not to think about the rankings. When the final was over, somebody told me that I would reach the top 50, but a couple of hours later I found out she had been wrong. Of course, I didn't know how many points I had gained. The only goal is to keep working hard and get better on hard courts.

What do you consider the best part (strength) of your game?

I think it's the mental attitude, the aggressiveness I'm showing on court. I don't have a lethal weapon, though I'm always trying to dictate the points. This year, I managed to build an identity on court that I didn't have years ago. I could put everything together this week in Buenos Aires.

Clay is your best surface, what are the things you have to do to improve on our surfaces?

I have to work on everything, mostly my serve and return. I remember one of my first ATP tournaments, in Miami, when I defeated Joachim Johansson and Gustavo Kuerten, and lost a close match with Paradorn Srichaphan. I think I've got the game to play well on hard courts. It's only a matter of experience.

Growing up did you look up to any player(s) and who were your favorite ones?

I always watched Sampras and Agassi's matches, they were a lot of fun. I tried to imitate their strokes when I was a kid. But I've always followed Mariano Zabaleta's steps. He's more than a close friend, like a brother to me. I'm always asking him for advice. This week in Buenos Aires, I phoned him to Acapulco and talked every night. My win is also his.

If you weren't playing pro tennis what would be the thing you would like to be doing? And why?

I really haven't thought about that. I'm a big soccer fan, maybe I would have tried to become a soccer player. And play in Estudiantes, of course.

Who helped you get your start in tennis and when you were younger did you ever think about winning an ATP title one day in your home country?

I started playing in Independiente in Tandil, a small city in the south of Buenos Aires. I have to thank Marcelo Gomez, he's one of the best junior coaches in the world. All the players from Tandil, Zabaleta, Del Potro, Junqueira and I started with him. I really appreciate what he did.

[SAFINNO1]

I think Nalbandian is a better tennis player than singer LOL

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r4_D0jtqms

Have no idea what he saying but he is shocking

[sabz]

oh dear god, that was..........umm.......well lets say thank god he is good at tennis lol
thanks for the link ily

[Annie]

Oh boy LMFAO!!!! ;D

[lau]

Vamos Willy!

BTW, there are news about his doping suspention. I´ll look for an article and post it. I´ll just say it´s looking good for him. He made an appeal to the swiss justice, where the CAS is, and the supreme court uphold it.

safinno1 said:

I think Nalbandian is a better tennis player than singer LOL

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r4_D0jtqms

Have no idea what he saying but he is shocking

LOL That´s a classic one.

[lau]

here´s the article
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21471499-23216,00.html

Court upholds Canas appeal

From correspondents in Geneva, Switzerland
March 29, 2007

Source: AFP

THE Swiss supreme court has overturned an arbitration ruling that confirmed the doping ban of Argentine tennis player Guillermo Canas last year, the Court of Arbitration of Sport said tonight.

The ruling last week, which has not yet been published, followed an appeal by Canas against the CAS decision on his ATP suspension in 2005 on a doping charge.

"The Swiss Federal Tribunal has upheld the appeal and has decided to annul the award by CAS," Matthieu Reeb, secretary general of the Swiss-based sports arbitration court, said.

Reeb said CAS could not decide what steps had to be taken until it received the full judgement.

But the fresh ruling was likely to lead to a re-examination of the Canas case by world sport's top court, even if the final sanction might not necessarily be changed, he said.

A panel of CAS arbitrators cut Canas's ban to 15 months in May 2006, after the Argentine appealed against his two-year ATP suspension on a doping offence.

Canas, now ranked No.55 by the ATP, has made a stunning start to the season after his return to competitive tennis last September.

He beat world No.1 Roger Federer for the second time in three weeks in Miami yesterday.

The ATP banned Canas after he was found to have taken the prohibited diuretic hydrochlorothiazide at Acapulco, Mexico, in February 2005, when he was beaten by Rafael Nadal of Spain in the quarter-finals.

CAS then partly overturned and reduced the sanction imposed by tennis authorities, ruling that Canas was not entirely to blame for a positive dope test because medication had wrongly been given to him.

The Swiss Federal Tribunal, which is legally empowered as the final appeals body for CAS, was likely to have upheld Canas's claim that part of his challenge to the ATP's decision was not fully examined, Reeb said.

"It does not mean that the sanction will be cancelled, but CAS has to review the missing elements," he said.

The Argentinian was ranked No.10 in the world before being banned.

[Annie]

Good good and very very well done for Miami ;D ;D ;D

[hellanvodka]

MONTE CARLO, Monaco -- Ninth-seeded David Nalbandian rallied to beat Italian qualifier Federico Luzzi of Italy 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 Monday in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

The Argentine dropped the opening four games of the match against the 133rd-ranked Luzzi.


"Earlier this month, I was playing the Davis Cup quarterfinals against Sweden on a very, very fast court," Nalbandian said. "I had to adapt to clay, which explains my slow start."

[Annie]

Chucho lost to Igor Andreev in straight sets 4/6 1/6, Gaston Gaudio beat Mitya Tursunov 5/7 6/2 6/2, Chela is through ;D

[davis]

Clay court specialist Gaston Gaudio lost to Soderling 60 61 in just 42 minutes today I wonder if he'll ever regain the form that helped him win RG?

[Annie]

I don't mean to sound very pessimistic here but I am starting to have serious doubts he ever will

[lau]

There are strong rumors he´s retiring. He came back to Buenos Aires after this defeat and aparently he won´t play the European clay season... No comments.