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On the heels of his first of most likely many future grand slam titles, Guillermo Coria had no doubts about winning the 2004 French Open Final. His opponent? An unseeded player ranked 44th in the world named Gaston Gaudio who only got to the final by the skin of his teeth. What should have been a routine victory quickly unravelled into a nightmare for Coria, turning an otherwise unassuming match into a historic battle of epic proportions, and would go down in history as one of the most infamous upsets in tennis history.
CULT Tennis brings you player profiles and analyzes some of the best stories in the world of Tennis! Subscribe to see more content like this, and thank you for stopping by!
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Poor Coria. It's truly one of those matches where I think if I rewatch the footage enough times the outcome will change.
I have that same feeling with Wimbledon 2019
@@YeTism heart breaking
Same here 😂 I have not yet given up hope that next time I watch the 84 French final McEnroe will win!
I have a the same feeling with 1999 crevice world cup semi final, if one has had even a slight bit of interest in cricket, it's a must watch
I know that feeling 🤣🤣
Cult tennis: biggest choke, anyone? Zverev: id like to put my name down as well
randomcon123 lmfao
🤣🤣🤣
Tsitsipas bro🤣
thiem: am iam a joke to you
woswas denni Schwartzman: no Domi, you are always a friend to me
It is insane that literally one loss, ruined his entire and promising career. Wow.
well... he got to that French Open final right BEFORE the emergence of Nadal. Nadal then took the mantle of "King of Clay" and Coria didn't have the firepower to match him. Coria's dominance on clay was never gonna last anyways IMO
daniel better Yeah if he couldn’t beat 2005 Nadal, imagine playing a 2008 or 2010 Nadal. Entirely different
Piss poor management, plain and simple.
Well something that the video didn't tell is that he suffered from multiple shoulder injuries he even had surgery. That was trully the reason for his downfall.
@@garramiro but he had psicological problems too, so this final changes his career
I live in Uruguay, next to Argentina...and it was INCREDIBLE how this match shocked the entire media over here. You had something about this match everywhere. Gossip shows, talk shows, music shows anything you could think about had something about this match for at least one month. I believe that in reallty the issue with this match had more to do with the ever present "class battles" that are still prevalent to this day in South America. Coria was this guy from a wealthy family who could do no wrong while Gaudio was the local boy, who came up from nothing and was the perpetual underdog and managed to win dispite all odds. It may sound stupid, but at least in South America probably had this connotation, you have to remember that the region was coming out one of the WORST ecconomical crisis and one who is still remembered to this day.
The fact that you always forget is that Gaudio defeated Nadal three times in brick dust, which shows that he was a specialist on clay and a rival to fear... such a talent !!!!
Yes, but he was in a bad form before Roland garros, of course a grand slam champion is good tennis player
Para describir la expresión "polvo de ladrillo" nunca escribas y/ó lo traduzcas como "brick dust" es totalmente incorrecto, debes traducir " Clay Court" está dentro de la jerga de mundo del tenis y así evitas burlas ó malos comentarios. Yo se lo digo porque años atrás me sucedía y poco a poco fuí mejorando eso. Tómalo como consejo por favor! 🙏🏻👍🏻🎾
@@Thiago-vk8kx He was training at my club in Argentina on hardcourts at the beginning of 2004..prior to Australia...and he was not looking particularly promising...but clay is another matter and the backhand was sublime
His backhand was a beauty
@@cloudxdweller9189 she wasn’t talking about Coria she talked about gaudio who defeated Nadal you dumb ass
I remember watching this final live with my dad and uncle, i was 12. When I asked them who they wanted to win, they said "Gaudio, of course. Coria will win many more slams but this is Gaudio's only chance"
Gaudio looked overwhelmed by the occasion during the first two sets, a bit like Thiem in the US Open final.
reasonable analysis
@@intlvoiceofreason9239 however Thiem had been in that environment before.
@@danoliver8804 yeap, but he had never been as the favorite one.
Did anyone even watch the match?? The dude got injured so badly he could barely play . I rmbr this match cause i was supporting him and it was very sad to watcha a shit Gaudio win
Pratik Modi Coria started cramping because of nerves, that doesn’t count as being injured. He then recovered from the cramps only to choke again when having match point twice.
Man how nice was Gaudio's one handed backhand? So clean
He could take the ball so high. Is insane. Pretty elegant too
It is soooo satisfying to watch, almost Federer-like.
To this day I can't believe Coria didn't win the French. The wave and his nerves betrayed him. Also the Rome final was another blow sadly. He wasn't the king of clay any longer. Rafa would reign supreme for many years afterwards.
Coria was never the king of clay. Just one of the best among several great Spaniards and Argentines and Kuerten
Title is bulls@@@, how us he didn't choke he got cramp, and clearly didn't play or move the same before cramp. If it was not for that he would have won.
Coria to cockie own good at time he not respect other guy he choke and got what dreave me . Well done to other guy play out is skin come back was out this world well done on winning . Something rember for ever. Thanks enjoy that.
Imagine showing this comment to someone who knows nothing about tennis
I'm from Argentina, I was 12 years old and played tennis every day, and was a big fan of Coria. When he lost that final, I never played tennis again. The world didn't miss a great tennis player, but the impact was huge in many people. That final is still a question when Coria is interviewed.
Always cool to hear perspectives from around the world! Thanks for sharing!
That’s very interesting, because an Argentine still won (Gaudio). So it seems like it was all mourning for Guillermo afterwards rather than celebrating for Gaston and Argentine tennis in general?
@@Elastiboy20 No, Gaudio never had a fanbase like Coria did. He's just a guy who didn't lose that final.
It's funny because the underdog victory from Gaudio was what motivated me start to play tennis (I am also Argentinean)
@@garramiro Well, like I said, the impact was huge in many people.
Great video, but in my opinion you should have focused in two matches: Coria vs Gaudio in Hamburg 2003, when Coria won, but in the second set he was "suffering" with his body. That's the reason why Gaudio had told him about to beat him; Coria vs Nadal In Rome 2005, one of the most extraordinary matches in the history of tennis (to me is the best match in M1000 history), when we could see the two main clay star of this epoch in an excellent level. Sadly, Coria lost in 5th set tie break, and possibly this was his last match in this level. Greetings from Colombia
Thanks for watching! I definitely wanted to include more info, but the video was long enough. Agreed the Coria Nadal final was EPIC
@@CULTTENNIS thanks for this amazing content. Still missing Coria
@@brayanpardoperez9024 me too .. I am Rafa fan .. i love clay court players .. Coria was my childhood idol .. I also love Guga
So underrated , hope u keep making this amazing content
Thanks for the kind comments!
How is it a choke playing under physical duress?
@@TheKwod I'm from Argentina and I can tell you that to this day the majority of the people (including Gaudio) doesn't believe that the cramps were real, specially considering that in the 5th set he moved like he had nothing at all. Coria was always one of those players that was accused of faking injuries during difficult matches. It depends on who you choose to believe.
@@GG-dp5ie I'm not going to argue with you, if it was a mental collapse so be it.
Incredibly enough, Roland Garros 2004 ended up being the *only time* Gaudio reached the Quarterfinals or further in a Grand Slam.
Yeah he had something psychological apparently (depression or anxiety issues?), made him very inconsistent
a total fluke it was
@@AlonsoRules Its honestly a joke when Fedfans claiming Djokovic had a 'weak' era.
Just like Zverev on Sunday, played top class tennis with the opponent struggling to win games for 2 sets, gets close in the 3rd, sees the title and chokes the set. Falls away in the 4th. Serves for the match in the fifth and loses.
I thought the same! So tough for Zverev, but the better player pulled through.
@@CULTTENNIS I was getting Coria vibes even when he was bossing Thiem. He had been so average through the event that it eventually caught up with him.
I think the turnaround point was when zverev missed an easy volley on set point in the 2nd set. Thiem broke and zverev won the set eventually but the tide had changed.
I don't see the similarities aside from the set advantage. Thiem was the one who choked early in that match. He even said it himself. He was playing so "tight". His nerves got the best of him. He found his stride in the third. I give Zverev a lot of credit for hanging with him in the fifth and for battling back down a break in the fifth. Both players served for the match and failed. It was just one of those matches that wasn't pretty but an epic battle.
He was two points away from being the first German to win a GS since Steffi Graf as no German has won one GS since her Edit: Kerber I mean, she's out of the spotlight
17:05 the guy who is returning Coria's serve died two years later :( RIP FREDERICO LUZZI
When I was a kid I was a big coria fan and It gets me upset when he lose in France. Now in my 25 years old, I think that what Gaudio did on that match was amazing. He is a truly fighter and I'm glad that Gaudio be argentina's coach in Davis cup
Agreed! I can't help but feel bad for Coria, but what a comeback!
Gaudio realized he might lose the final so he went for broke, played freely and relaxed. That's when your best tennis comes along. And Coria did the opposite by tensing up.
dejate de joder man, esa final era para Coria de aca a la china
@@UselessGTAV mal pensa que coria jugando como junior sub 12 tuvo dos match points
@@UselessGTAV si, estoy de acuerdo, pero la pecheó. besos
It's a mistake to bypass Coria's shocking semifinal loss against Verkerk in 2003. He had been utterly dominant during the 2003 clay season and then flopped against a player who had no business in a Slam final. That loss must have dented his confidence going into the 2004 final.
Verkerk served insane in that tournament though
Yeah I also wondered why he didn't at least mention how after beating Agassi, he fell against an actual "nobody"
I remember that match made absolutely no sense indeed...all indicators showed Coria would have an easy job but Verkerk played out of his skin...monster serving, no pressure, going for everything...but that match didnt ruin him he had a fantastic summer afterwards
@@NavF1 It just shows how inconsistent contenders in that era. There were 11 different GS finalists.
I've just discovered your channel, I wish I did during lockdown. I'm from Argentina and your video gave me chills! I could feel like Coria was going to win. I was 13 at at time and my mind was blown when "el gato" won. Around 2 years later I watched Coria play here... many people left, it was a painful and sad spectacle, he forgot how to serve, like... forever. Thanks for covering this historic match!
"The cat" lol?
@@booradley6832 well, yes and no. While the translation is right, it shouldn't be translated because in this case is a common nickname for people called "Gastón", not because he had cat-like skills
Every time anyone mentions Coria, I think of my late mother, she absolutely loved him. And she was heartbroken at this loss.
Such insane quality content. I hope your channel explodes in popularity. I can tell making these is hard work!
40-50 hours per video, love making them though! Thank you!!
@@CULTTENNIS your voice (assuming it's yours) is also perfect for a documentary. Few creators have that. Congrats on the narratives chosen and on the editing skills to tell those stories. One documentary on the strings tech revolution allegedly brought on to the scene by Kuerten would be great!!!!
@@CULTTENNIS unbelievable job 😊👏
What a fantastic video. I have been waiting for someone to make a doco on this but I didn't expect it to come from a small creator. This was a near perfect summary of what happened on that fateful day on the terre battue of roland garros. Insane match, even better video about it by you. :)
Wow thank you!! Absolutely crazy match, tough luck for Coria. Thanks for coming by!
This doesn't seem like a huge choke if the dude had cramps and couldn't walk. That's like saying a guy who retired due to injury "choked". The only difference is Coria kept fighting, likely in serious pain. Not a huge choke. A huge, disappointing loss, but I don't agree with the label choke.
That final ended his career
massive choke. and if you arnt smart enough to bring electrolytes on court as a pro, you dont deserve it.
I agree im not convinced it was a choke, the guy had cramps but then to have two Championship points, that is tough one to take.
Agreed, look at his serve in the last two sets. Just rolling it in. You cannot classify it as a choke. He had some good performances in 05, but as soon as Nadal came along the door was closed. So he would've lost motivation. Such a shame, he could've been to more French finals for sure.
@@fernandoromeronunez2052 yes, thanks. Why did he get cramps after only 3 sets I wondered strongly
Gaston Gaudio was a fantastic player, very talented. His main problem what his mind, he couldn't keep focused on the match if things were going wrong but that date it was actually the opposite. He had a terrible start but he kept fighting and ended being a champion. The next year after that was he best year and he won a few tournaments. He ended being 5th in the world. That is not bad at all. My favourite argentine tennis player for far. He was trained by Guillermo Vilas when he was a kid. They are good friends.
My passion for tennis + your amazing documenting skills= Keeps me super entertained. Thank you for doing this!
they're just as fun to make!
Coria was the better player in this match overall. Gaudio looked finished after he dropped the second set to Coria. But he was rock solid on those big points and that's what it takes to win matches. Great job on this documentary btw!!
How was he the better player? Gaston was known for giving up even from lead. It occured to him several times. He mostly played against his own inferiority complex. It means that Coria lost to a man who was considered weaker than him as a player and also mentally. Gaudio beat Coria fair and square. He turned out to be the psychologically stronger one.
Two Argentines....what did you expect? Always drama.
That's pretty heartbreaking. I always thought the Jana Novotna melt down against Steffi Graff was the biggest tennis choke.
Then Martina showed up
Great channel and I look forward to more content! I remember watching this final in 2004 and it was one of the most stunning comebacks I had ever seen.
Watching this in Argentina was crazy, this whole era was crazy good for a country that had many top 10 and top 50 players around for so long. It really made you want to play as a kid. You could say the choke for Coria was the biggest ever because of his previous stint, but also on the big picture, he choked his career along with the match. Truly a pity.
At least you got Messi
@@S1rWakka Yeah, and at least we have Maradona. And at least we have Del Potro, and Ginobili, and Nalbandian, and Agüero, and Higuaín, and Sabattini, and Di María, and Di Stéfano... And I can go on all day. We are a country with some of the best athletes in almost all sports, something that very few, IF ANY, countries can say.
@@147pablox but no #1's in tennis 🤔
@@JmanHarbo Yes, Vilas was ;) What about your country?
@@147pablox chino rios first Latin american #1 😂
An amazing video! I've been watching your content repeatedly and am amazed at these thoroughly researched videos. Thank you for giving everyone quality content tennis videos during quarantine!!!
More dramatic than most tv shows I watch. Thank you!
Amazing quality, waiting for more of your videos 💪
This is a perfect narration!! Thanks for putting it that way on KZhead as a great video to watch by millions of tennis fans
"An unseeded player ranked 44th in the world named Gaston Gaudio who only got to the final by the skin of his teeth" WHAT? "BY THE SKIN OF HIS TEETH"??? Gaudio went to five sets in the first and the second round but since then only lost one set and defeated in straights sets Hewitt and Nalbandian, two of the best players in that era. Also he's a specialist on clay and a very talented player.
Yes, I think the 'underdog' portion of the clash is somewhat exaggerated, not by a lot, perhaps, but still. I definitely wasn't surprised by him reaching the final or anything, even if I expected Gaudio to make mince meat out of the guy (and go on to win at least 3-4 RG titles, which was considered many by then). What an epic rivalry we could have had between Coria and Nadal in the French Open by the way if not for how things unfortunately turned out..
Coria was never a match for Nadal without fire power
@@S1rWakka what? If you talk about the Rafa version of last decade, you're right. But in their first years, Coria could compete against him. He did it in Montecarlo and Rome in 2005
@@slq23 Nadal was 18 at those 2005-tournaments and had lots of room for improvement. Even then Coria admitted that Rafa was the best clay courter in the world.
@@S1rWakka I'm not discussing Rafa's greatness. He's the best ever on Clay. I'm just saying that in those years Coria could have compete against him for a couple of seasons if his mental side was right.
This was great, thanks for putting it together.
Great content! I did not watch this one live, but did see Lendl, down 2 sets to love, overcome McEnroe (who appears in the trophy presentation here). That I remember. Thank you for keeping the fascination with tennis alive for many of us with your videos!
"Que mal que la estoy pasando!!!!" Gaudio's trademark motivational shout is remenbered more in Argentina than his Rolland Garros title. 😂
You have to give it Coria as a player!! at 5'9" 150 lbs... everytime he stepped on the court his opponent was bigger then him... amazing he did so well!!!
That's not really a bad thing? Tennis is not as much of a stature sport as most others. Being taller can help with serving but even women at 5'2" can be great servers. For a speed game his build was absolutely right. Typically have a faster first three steps and less knee damage which cutting on courts all the time can really cause them.
Mate ive gotta say, you’ve got the voice for this. Keep it up! Enjoyed this so much!
Wow, that was one of the most high-quality tennis vids I've ever seen! Keep it up!
This is some of the best tennis content on youtube.. keep it up dude!
This channel is just the coolest, I'm what you'd call a casual who basically just watches the Grand slams but these videos are making me wanna look into the lorre of tennis a lot deeper
Very interesting video. Have been waiting for your upload! KEEP UP THE GOOD CONTENT PLZ
Thank you!
Man, I’ve been watching every video you have posted. What a work you ve done. Congratulations.
Great video! Truly epic match. I'm a bit disappointed though you did not elaborate on the cramps. Coria declared that he was worried all match about feeling cramps that he ended up getting them. It was all on his head.
Amazing quality! I'm binge watching all of your videos! Hoping many more will come! (Would love one about Soderling beating Nadal at the FO). Keep up the great work!
On my radar :)
I remember watching this live until 1am in the morning... surreal match. Excellent video!
Yes it was!
Man, I don't even like tennis but somehow you winded up in my suggestions and your content is genuinely interesting, entertaining, and generally well produced. I'm hooked despite my pack of knowledge and interest for the sport. Keep up the good work, man.
John McEnroe gagging the 1984 FO final to Ivan Lendl has got to be one of the biggest chokes ever.
In several interviews Gaudio talked about the huge role psychology plays in tennis
Just found your channel, great content my man!
Great channel. I really needed that kind of content for Tennis
Just found your channel. Great insight in a very well made video. I didn't know this story before.
Excellent video! You should think about making a video on Mats Wilander's epic win over Lendl at the 1988 U.S. Open where he used a new tactic, the slice BH, to great effect.
I actually watched that match live on Television that day, and after his injury I remember commentators telling that he was not playing the 4th set so that he could give himself an opportunity to stay in the match and play the 5th, if he had given his all in that 4th set and had he not won by then, chances were that he would have retired from the match, and it was exactly what happened and he became a different player in the 5th, unfortunately could not take his opportunities, and i was so sad for Coria that day, was his fan and was hoping that he would actually win one day and I was so sure he would win at least one grand slam at French. Well then the real King of Clay turned up a year later and sadly it was never meant to be. I also then moved on from Coria and became a die hard fan of Rafael Nadal, but in the initial stages i was still supporting Coria over Nadal. Looking back now, feel sad though as to how Coria's career ended. Thanks for the awesome video.
My fan journey went: Wilander - Coria - Nadal and like you dropped Coria and loved Nadal thereafter. Still can’t believe he lost that 2004 final even now and watched it live. Heartbreaking for him.
It’s amazing that when I watch modern tennis you still have commentators still briefly mention this match. I didn’t see this match and didn’t know about it until watching your video that I fully understand 🤙🏻.
Great video, excellent content. Keep up the good work, man!
this is like NFL Films, but for tennis. keep them coming homeslice!
Great videos mate, keep up the great work!
Thank you for your service Sgt. Harrington of the THOT Police
this made me feel some typa way! great video!
This channel deserves more attention. Good quality tennis documentaries.
And then the next year it became Nadal's playground and the rest was history...
True lol
No one cares
@@projectneich4415 what
@project neich 🤣 lol salty
@@tikitiki1115 how am I salty?
This just goes to show you the power of encouragement can have on a person.
Awesome video and well made. Thank you!
Love this! I hope I can see more like it!
7:38 love that music transition, AMAZING EDITING
What music is it ?
As an Argentinian child playing tennis for fun this match made me discover, in a shocking way, how unfair and frustrating this sport can be. Coria was my first tennis idol so watching him fade away from the circuit destroyed me. It’s important to remember that if Coria won RG he surely would become #1, so all the expectations would play against him. PS: Coria said in an interview that he lost the first match point by a few centimeters, the same centimeters that saved his son life in an awful accident. So he has been rewarded in a certain way.
Stunning, Uncommon & absolutely WONDERFUL JOB!!!... Big CONGRATS & The BEST to your NEXT PRESENTATIONS, PAL!!!... a Huge & Sincere HUG from ARGENTINA!!!!!...
Remember watching this match. I had an Akai TV with compromise digital quality and cable connection wasn’t that great. We used to get TV channels based on live events. For this final, it swapped with one of the channels and we were able to watch silently with all family members. It was so unbelievable that my grandmother never lost interest in the match! 😅
Great video, it's great how you can make lesser known players interesting depending on the topic. I have a suggestion though for a future video: any topic that's about marat safin! Hes my favorite player of all time honestly so I know it's a bit of a selfish ask 😂 maybe video could be about his 2005 Australian open run and title win which was one of the best runs I've seen in my life. The win against federer was one of the best matches I've seen
Safin’s AO run was amazing, definitely a great topic idea! Thank you for your continued support Sage!
Safin was hardly a lesser known player. He should have won many more titles if he had kept it all together... and better footwork.. but I loved him growing up. Not many people managed to beat Federer during the mid-2000s in the slams other than the RG
Gaston Gaudio had a fantastic backhand and was in the form of his life that year. Both players choked in the final, it was crazy to watch.
I absolutely love this channel. Plz never stop. Plz.
That's crazy, didn't know this story although I'm a big tennis fan...great video, entertaining and nice to follow!
Unreal video mate. Remember this final like yesterday. Was watching the french open yesterday and made me think of this match. Coria is underrated. For that whole clay court season up until that final of roland garos he looked untouchable on clay. i watched every clay court tournament that season.
Such an interesting time for tennis!
@@CULTTENNISAbsolutely, i think your content is so good only discovered you last week. 2 video ideas i would love from you. Would love a career rundown on one of the last great serve and volley players Tim Henman. Or how underrated Andy Murray was/is and how he became dominant in an era dominated by Federer, Nadal and Novak.
Love the channel man, great editing, commentary, and interesting content. Hope you blow up soon
Maybe one day!
What a content Editing, music, raising intence, awesome. And title is right on the point, its not that all about for this patricular match, this was choke who sealed and determined his future in tennis, just aweeome piece of work, thank you.
You got yourself a subscriber. Just happened to pop up in my recommendations. Relaxing and interesting to listen to.
Every time I rewatch this match it gives me anxiey
Great video but it might be more nerves and resulting cramping that made this loss. I would propose that the 1993 Wimbledon Final with Jana Novotna vs. Steffi Graf is a more accurate example of chokong. Watching Novotna just collapse, serving multiple times into the middle of the net, throwing away a 4-1 lead in that final set. That match was a thing to behold.
Dude love your short documentaries about tennis. I never heard of some of the things. ✌️
I still think you deserve more. Such great contents! ❤
I remember watching this match live with my cousin. We couldn't believe it.
14:58 You hear about him losing two championship points and then the commentator mentions “Federer”... *There is no escape from 40-15!!*
LMAO
not gonna lie, this is some quality stuff you produce. i love these kind of videos. how are you below 50k subs is beyond me. found myself binging your content. good stuff!
Thanks so much for your support :)
I remember this match as it was the first grandslam final i ever watched...i still to this day get sad when i think about the result. Coria was struggling with cramps and his opponent was just taking all the free points he got and was celebrating so arrogantly. It was something i wont ever forget.
10:14 The definition of an inflection point. Not only for game, set or match but tennis history 👍🏻
I watched Roland Garros religiously around those years, and while the 2004 final probably is my favourite match of all time in terms of it's overall weirdness and unexpected turn of events, I actually think his semi-final loss to Verkerk the previous year was more of an upset.
Verkerk had no business playing that final v. Ferrero. But if he got to the final, he must have deserved it.
@@eduardochernajovsky3633 As I remember it, Verkerk definitely played well up until the final. Nothing spectacular perhaps, other than his serve & (more than occational) volley style being very uncommon in the later stages of the tournament (even back then). But Tim Henman demonstrated the very next year that those players could make it on clay in Paris, even if he admittedly had to make some minor adjustments to his natural way of playing. But in general I agree, Verkerk had a decent run, but is definitely one of the "least good" players to make it to a Grand Slam final in my time of following the sport.
@@Apanblod Verkerk optimized his tools and was consistent. He ll tell his grandkids about that run.
@derek He did have some unprecedented (comparatively) success that year, including one title in Milan (I think) on carpet, leading up to his run in RG, but apart from a few decent tournaments and one more title in the subsequent season, he basically never made anything again that would hint at him being a GS finalist. Most surprising was perhaps that he was primarily a serve/volley type attacking player, and not someone you'd expect to see that far into that tournament.
Thanks!!! What a way to tell this beuty story
Someone on tennis channel needs to employ you for a series. Just discovered your videos and every one is the highest of quality and information
I was so excited about this final and Coria, I played tennis with my mate before the match and after the match. I bought the same Adidas tennis shirt he wore with the stripe down the middle and was just mesmerized by his grace and guile on a tennis court. For an Italian who played on clay from a young age, I looked up to players like Coria and Kuerten like they were gods. To say that Gaudio was an unknown and an unexpected finalist that day is an understatement. Both in terms of form, pedigree, and pure ability, it really was a David vs goliath matchup. I never thought Coria wouldn't get another shot, but then no one would've predicted that a giant like Nadal would turn up the very next year. Whilst I loved Coria, Gaudio's achievement that day was something to inspire even more kids. The talk leading up to the final was all about Coria. I still truly believe that the cramping was not physical, but mental. To put it into context, he played 20 ATP finals in his career, winning 9. After the Gaudio defeat, he played in 5 but lost 4 of them. He played two finals prior to this final and the reality is that he got outclassed by Federer in Hamburg. He did win in Monte Carlo, but that was only against Schuettler - A respectable and quality tennis player, but not one that ever truly looked like winning a slam. The more I've thought about Coria and the incident of that day, the more I think he was the victim of hype. Whilst outstanding on clay, he wasn't an all-round tennis specimen. The game was progressing and you really began needing a good service even on clay. Without a doubt, his weakest attribute.
It felt like I was watching a movie. Great story telling!
I’ve always wondered what happened to Coria. Thanks for the video!
Great vid. Solid gold 👍🏻
I am argentine and saw this in that moment was crazy, great narration that was it.
This was the very first tennis match I ever watched.
Me too!!
@@CULTTENNIS what a match to set the bar high!
These videos are phenomenal. Keep it up.
High quality content 👌 Wonderful storytelling 👌
Im italian. The commentator at 10:57 says: "extraordinary Gaudio!! He won't probably win this tournament, but he won this satisfying incredible point! Well...
If he had won that final, he would’ve ended his career with one Grand Slam. Nothing wrong with that, but he was not going to be able to deal with a Nadal growing into his body.
But probably he will continues his legacy on clay court, he had won 31 matches in a row before that final, after that he started to have psicological problems and lost his form, so if he had won that final he could be what Rafael Nadal is today
@@Thiago-vk8kx Honestly, the only other sports fans I've encoutered who are so sure about what WOULD happen in these hypothetical scenarios are Mike Tyson fans.
That's exactly why it will haunt him forever. 9 slam is probably just slightly worse than 10, but 0 is much worse than 1.
@@Thiago-vk8kx oh now come on, saying that had it not for his loss he could be what Rafa is is frankly absurd. You don’t claim a guy that never won a single RG in the height of his career could be a guy winning RGs and USO well into his 30s
@@ekim4926 he didn't won because of this defeat that impacted him a lot, this defeat change his career entirely
What a great video. I was in shock that day. What a terrible loss for him and for tennis.
Loved the vid!