Mariano Puerta advanced to a grand-slam semifinal for the first time in his nine-year career on Wednesday by beating fellow Argentine Guillermo Canas 6-2, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the French Open.
Unseeded Puerta is playing in his first major event since being suspended for nine months beginning in October 2003 after testing positive for clenbuterol, a drug whose effects resemble those of anabolic steroids by promoting muscle growth.
An investigative panel determined that a doctor prescribed the drug to Puerta to treat an acute asthma attack.
The left-hander from Buenos Aires won a 14-shot baseline duel on match point when Canas hit a forehand into the net, ending the three-hour-35-minute clay-court marathon. The long rally was the last in a series, including one in the fourth set that lasted 30 shots.
Puerta has climbed to 37th in the rankings from 440th last August. On Friday, he’ll play the winner of the last quarterfinal between 12th-seeded Nikolay Davydenko and number 15 Tommy Robredo.
The other semifinal will be the much-anticipated rematch between fourth-seeded Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Roger Federer. Nadal has won 22 consecutive matches, all on clay, since blowing a two-set lead and losing to Federer in the hard-court final at Key Biscayne two months ago.
”Everybody has been looking forward a little bit to this one,” Federer said. ”It’s going to be really interesting to see.”
Federer and Nadal have both advanced to the Roland Garros semifinals for the first time, and they’ll meet on Nadal’s 19th birthday. Count the young Spaniard among those who consider Federer the favourite.
”He has been playing very well,” Nadal said. ”Obviously it’s an important match, and a wonderful match to play. I hope I’ll enjoy it.”
Three-time grand-slam champion Justine Henin-Hardenne is the heavy favourite in the women’s final four, and her opponent in the semifinals on Thursday will be seventh-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia.
The other women’s match will pit Frenchwoman Mary Pierce against another Russian, 16th-seeded Elena Likhovtseva, playing in a grand-slam semifinal for the first time in her 12-year career.
The endurance test between Puerta and the ninth-seeded Canas included one scrambling exchange that turned into a duel of drop shots, leaving the players face to face at the net when the point ended. A weary Canas leaned over the net and smiled at his compatriot.
Puerta broke in the following game to go ahead 3-2 in the final set, and from there he kept the lead. Canas hit spectacular cross-court forehand winners to save two match points, including one that lasted 20 shots, before Puerta closed out the victory.
Puerta finished with 58 winners but also 70 unforced errors.
Canas totalled 38 and 39. — Sapa-AP