Kuerten relieved after marathon

Gustavo Kuerten: Relief and joy

Gustavo Kuerten expressed relief at his victory at Roland Garros after he needed 11 match points to secure his second French Open singles title.

The Brazilian claycourt specialist had generally dominated his Swedish opponent Magnus Norman and in what was the fourth and final set, seemed poised for victory on many occasions.

But the player failed to take advantage at 5-4 and 6-5, and needed four attempts in the tie-break to get the job done.

After seeing him dominate the third seed during the opening set, it hardly seemed possible that the match would be extended into a three hour 44 minute marathon.

And Kuerten's muted celebrations when a final stray Norman forehand was wide said much for the 23-year-old's sense of relief.

"It was unbelievable. Match point, match point. At 6-3 (in the tiebreak) I thought 'I can't lose any more'," Kuerten said.

"It's a really important win for me. The first time was totally new - I was coming from nowhere. I couldn't imagine coming back here.

It's a great moment. We both deserved to win

Gustavo Kuerten

"It's a great moment. We both deserved to win."

Norman's strength of will was in stark contrast to his nerves at the start of the contest, where he allowed the first two sets to get away from him without much of a fight.

But the player who has surprised most people this season was generous in defeat.

"He played a great match," said the Scandinavian.

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Kuerten now takes Norman's place at the top of the ATP rankings, although things are certain to change when the grasscourt season begins on Monday.

For Norman, all the points accumulated during the season cannot make up for the absence of a Grand Slam trophy in his cabinet.

"I am just very, very disappointed. I really came here believing I would be the champion. I mean, I was sure so it's really not much consolation to me at all.

I am just very, very disappointed. I really came here believing I would be the champion. I mean, I was sure so it's really not much consolation to me at all.

Magnus Norman

"Boris Becker spoke to me afterwards and he said that I should not be disappointed and that I had put up a great fight and that he had practically never seen a better tennis match, but it doesn't make up for the disappointment.

"I came here thinking I would leave as champion. I had three or four points to turn things around but I couldn't.

"A lot of people have come up to me and said what a great fight I made out there, you know, playing 'ugly tennis', but Guga is still the champion and he is now world number one."