Frenchman attempts to upset Spain’s applecart

His latest centre-court exploit in stamina-sapping heat had taken three hours 42 minutes — and the superb support of a partisan crowd had lifted the Paris-born Pioline when things appeared to be going against him. Now the 17th ranked Pioline bids to join the executive club of French players who have reached the final since tennis threw open the doors to professionals in 1968.

Patrick Proisy managed the feat in 1972, Yannick Noah in 1983 and Henri Lenconte in 1988. Only Noah went on to win the title.

Pioline is the“odd man out” in the last-four at this year’s championships since Corretja’s compatriots Carlos Moya and Felix Mantilla will contest the other semifinal — making a Spanish finalist inevitable. But the Frenchman is convinced he can cause a surprise.

Much, however, will depend on his fitness. So far Pioline has played three five-set marathon’s and notched up 15 hrs 18mins on court playing 22 sets and 221 games — and that’s a lot longer than any of the surviving Spaniards.Meanwhile on the other side of the draw Moya and Mantilla, no strangers to grinding it out and staying as long as it takes on the slow red clay, have been `racing’ through to their confrontation.

Pioline has won two titles — Copenhagen in 1996 and Prague in 1997 but the “runners-up” tag has stuck. In all he has lost ten of twelve finals in his career and has gone down in the two he has reached this year. at Battersea Park in London and in Monte Carlo.

Pioline, whose previous best performance at Roland Garros came two years agowhen he reached the quarter-finals, has been keeping pressure at arm’s length.

Corretja, 24, has won two of his three matches against Pioline and has a score to settle with the Frenchman who ended his run at this year’s Australian Open with a one-sided 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 victory.

The Spaniard’s best previous Grand Slam result came at the 1996 United States open where he had Pete Sampras in serious trouble before losing in five-sets in the quarters.

Corretja, who hit a purple patch before last year’s French Open, has been less impressive so far this year — although he arrived in Paris with his fifth career title after winning at Dubai — and he was slumped from his career-high ranking of fourth in the world last July to 14th. But he remains a fierce competitor — as he showed in his historic clash against Gumy.

The Spaniards, a closely-knit contingent of friends who practice regularly together, travel together and who watch each other’s matches, will be hoping for a repeat of the 1994 all-Spanish finalwhen Sergi Bruguera beat Alberto Berasategui.