Victory Fuels Ferrero Ambition

Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero became the ninth player in the Open era to win the Monte Carlo Open more than once when he retained the title yesterday with the most routine of 6-2, 6-2 victories over Guillermo Coria of Argentina. The final was delayed by an hour because of rain and reduced to the best of three sets. Given its one-sided nature it was a mercy.

Significantly, the other eight multiple Monaco title-holders, including Bjorn Borg, Ilie Nastase and Mats Wilander, all won the greatest clay court tournament of them all - the French Open. Ferrero, 23, reached the final at Roland Garros last year, losing tamely to his fellow Spaniard Albert Costa. This year he will go to Paris as the favourite and, providing he remains clear of injury and holds his nerve, he will be hard to beat.

Coria, 21, appeared to have used up too much of his energy beating another Spaniard, Carlos Moya, in Saturday's semi-final. The Argentinian, who lost to Tim Henman in the first round last year, is a slight figure by modern tennis standards, although he is tremendously quick on his feet. But the wet conditions made both the ball and the clay heavy, and Ferrero's greater weight of shot, particularly on the forehand, was decisive.

Ferrero's ambitions are three-fold: to win the French Open, to become the world No1 and also to win the US Open. "I obviously want to win Roland Garros on clay," he said. "But I'd also like to win the US Open to silence all the people who keep thinking that Spaniards can't do it."

Ferrero was marked down early in his career as a player who could be successful on a variety of surfaces because of his innate aggression. Hen man was quick to recognise Ferrero's talent after they met on indoor carpet when the Spaniard was a teenager.

Ferrero's greatest successes to date have been on clay, although he took the world No1 Lleyton Hewitt to five sets in the indoor final of last year's Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.

"When you lose big finals like these, you earn experience," he said. "You learn a lot."

He is currently No3 in the world, albeit a long way behind Hewitt and Andre Agassi, who are much better players on both hard court and grass, although Ferrero does not shy away from playing on the latter, unlike some of his countrymen.

Coria's efforts in Monte Carlo will lift him to No16 in the world, his highest ever position. He is one of several Argentinians to have climbed into the top 100 over the last couple of years, but of those both Coria and Juan Ignacio Chela have tested positive for nandrolone and served suspensions.

"It's just a coincidence," said Coria. "It was a real shock for me, but I was able to demonstrate that the vitamin pills I had been taking were contaminated, so I didn't feel guilty or anything." Even so, the shadow of the charge lingers on.