Ferrero Fire is Too Much for Verkerk

Martin Verkerk's joyful and gloriously unexpected journey to the final of the French Open here in Paris ended, as many had feared it might, with a crushing defeat at the hands of the Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, the best clay-court player in the world, yesterday afternoon.

Ferrero, last year's beaten finalist, was merciless in his dismantling of the inexperienced Dutchman's game and hopes, winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-2, the same score by which Australia's Lleyton Hewitt beat Argentina's David Nalbandian, another grand slam ingénu, in last year's Wimbledon final.

It was as if Verkerk had woken up yesterday morning, suddenly realised what he had done and become consumed with nerves.

Ferrero's victory was the fifth time in the last 11 years that a Spaniard has lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires. Ferrero, not an overtly emotional man, sank to his knees and then on to all fours after hitting his final winning forehand. He then leaped up into the players' box with the agility of a gymnast, clearly having a surfeit of energy left in his legs, and embraced family, friends and other assorted Spaniards.

Last year Ferrero, suffering from ankle problems and nerves, had been thoroughly anaemic against Albert Costa. This time he knew his moment had arrived.

Entering Roland Garros, he had lost only two of his previous 21 matches on clay this year, winning in Monte Carlo and Valencia. Since his French Open debut as a 20-year-old in 2000 he has lost only three matches at Roland Garros.

Verkerk had the support of Holland's top model Karen Mulder, although he did not see her. "Are you sure?" he said, obviously excited by the thought. "Maybe she will be in Paris tonight."

He was then asked about what he thought of his first major final. "One more time," he replied. "I was still thinking about her."

The Dutchman's engaging personality has endeared him to everyone during the last fortnight, as has his tennis. He is a late developer, having played in first grand slam championship at last year's US Open, and not having won a match at this level before arriving in Paris. It has been a remarkable story and it remains to be seen whether it was a fluke. In the process he has risen from 46th into the world's top 20.

The first game set the pattern, with Ferrero determined not to allow Verkerk to settle into any sort of serving rhythm. It lasted 10 minutes and included 14 points.

One of the huge advertising panels behind Verkerk, promoting a bank, referred to 30 years of service. The Dutchman could have been forgiven for wondering if he might need that long to beat Ferrero.

There was a moment in the early, hyper-nervous stages when Verkerk cast a baleful look at the net as if it should not be there.

Two wildly mistimed forehands further emphasised that his stomach was a swirl of butterflies of the sort encountered in tropical forests - large and very fluttery.

It may have been that Ferrero was equally nervous. If so, he did not show it.

The humidity was high but there was a glacial coolness about the Spaniard's play. He was moving superbly, working Verkerk from side to side and finishing points with a deadly certainty.

Verkerk's first serve remained erratic. Shorn of this weapon, the 24-year-old Dutchman was little more than half the player he had been in the early rounds when he had beaten two high-quality clay-court specialists in Carlos Moya, the 1998 French Open champion, and the young Argentinian Guillermo Coria, who had previously knocked out Andre Agassi.

Ferrero had initially pitched his tent about as far back in Paris as he could get in order to get a racket on Verkerk's first serve and, every time the Dutchman failed to get it in, the Spaniard's confidence was topped up like sherry in a cask. By comparison Verkerk was leaking self-belief every minute. With Verkerk already a set down, he hit an enormous forehand winner that appeared finally to release the crippling tension. Suddenly the brio returned. It was as though somebody had rushed a thousand volts through his body; his fist pumped and he began running around with the excitement of it all, breaking Ferrero to 15 for a 2-1 second-set lead.

However, it was over the next two games that Ferrero was at his most resilient and determined. He immediately broke back for 2-2 and then, after double-faulting to present Verkerk with another opening, held his serve for 3-2. It was a key moment, preventing the Dutchman building up another head of steam and allowing Ferrero to run for home with a gulf of class to spare.

In the doubles final on Saturday the American twins Mike and Bob Bryan, very much doubles specialists, won their first grand slam title together. They beat the defending champions Paul Haarhuis and Yevgeny Kafelnikov 7-6, 6-3. For Mike the victory was a second title in the championships after his win in the mixed doubles with Lisa Raymond on Friday.

The defending Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt has parted company with his coach, his fellow Australian Jason Stoltenberg, who wants to spend more time with his family. Roger Rasheed, his fitness coach, has taken over.