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Gaston News, Information & Articles (Exhibition Matches as well)

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#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Textbook Gaudio into first semi final
By Nyree Epplett
Wednesday, June 2, 2004

Gaston Gaudio’s backhand is made of the stuff you find in textbooks. Honed on the slow clay courts of Buenos Aires, it slides off his racquet and skims down the line or rolls across court and disappears into thin air.

And on Court Suzanne Lenglen Wednesday, it laid the groundwork for the demise of former World No1 Lleyton Hewitt.

“Like Sampras served like that, I play my backhand like that,” explained the wily Argentine who routinely disposed of the Aussie 12th seed in straight sets 6-3 6-2 6-2 to move into his first ever Grand Slam semi final.

It was the unseeded Gaudio’s most stunning victory of the tournament to date. Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, simply failed to find the answers to the exceptional claycourt prowess of his opponent, and was blown away by the gloriously fluid one-handed stroke.

“His backhand is one of the best single-handed backhands out there,” lamented Hewitt. "I tried hanging in there and I tried a few different things...

"His defense was so good. He didn't give me a lot of chances to attack. He's a class player on this surface.”

Enroute to his historic victory, Gaudio reveled in the cool and blustery conditions, controlling the dual from the outset with a near flawless display of superior shotmaking. He made just 19 unforced errors to Hewitt's 43 and broke the Aussie seven times.

“I’m especially happy because I played much better than the other day. I knew if I kept focused, particularly at the key times, that I would be able to win,” said Gaudio, adding that he would have laughed off the notion of making the Roland Garros final one month ago. His previous best at a Grand Slam came two years ago here, when he reached the fourth round.

“You gonna be kidding. That’s impossible!” said Gaudio, who has been forced to revise his original goal of making it to the second week here. “And now to win the tournament like a dream, I was dreaming about it,” said the 25-year-old.

Hewitt struggled to get as much depth or bite on his shot as the Argentine, and rarely strung together enough points to bother the Gaudio from the backcourt. His flat, counter-punching style played right into the hands of the 44-ranked Argentine. He kept the Aussie scampering with his heavily angled balls, and succession of glorious drop shots. He threaded his near-perfect one-handed topspin backhand down the line and cross court over and over again to frustrate Hewitt.

Hewitt broke the steady Gaudio just twice, in the first game of the match (Gaudio broke straight back to love, 1-1) and then again in the fourth game of the third set.

At 3-3 and 40-0 on serve in the first set, the 12th seed looked like he might make a match of it. But four consecutive errors, including a sitter backhand at the net, and a shaky double fault sealed his fate, and he floated a backhand long to hand Gaudio a 4-2 lead. Hewitt missed a break point at 30-40 in the next game when the Argentine played a precise drop shot and upped the velocity on his serve and groundstrokes.

“I thought I could have been a little more nervous but in fact I was not all,” said the Argentine, who won 20 of 21 points at the net. “I’m not used to go so much to the net,” he chuckled.

Gaudio ran all over the Aussie in the second set, racing to a 5-1 lead before the Aussie had time to blink.

Hewitt staged a minor resurgence of sorts in the third, but it was too little and too late, and the Argentine broke the Aussie one more time in the seventh game (5-2). He won the contest on his next serve when a Hewitt forehand floated wide.

It is the second time in nearly as many weeks that Gaudio has beaten Hewitt, after inflicting a three-set defeat at the World Team Cup.

Gaudio was one of four Argentines to advance to the quarter finals at Roland Garros (a new Grand Slam record for the nation). He now meets the winner of the Gustavo Kuerten v David Nalbandian quarter final in a match he compares to the final of the first division Spanish soccer league.

“They’re (Nalbandian and Kuerten) the Galacticos (Real Madrid) and I’m the Valencia. They have a special talent and in the top 10.”

Source: www.rolandgarros.com
 
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#77 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

Gaudio faces Zabaleta in all-Argentine final
(Adds quotes)

BASTAD, Sweden, July 11 (Reuters) - French Open champion Gaston Gaudio gave Swedish teenager Robin Soderling a claycourt lesson on Sunday, winning 6-4 6-2 to reach the Swedish Open final.

Argentine Gaudio will face compatriot and defending champion Mariano Zabaleta, who continued his good run at the tournament with a convincing 6-1 6-4 win over Chilean sixth seed Fernando Gonzalez.

The final will be on Monday because of rain delays. Play was washed out on Saturday and the start of the semi-finals was delayed on Sunday.

The weather worked to Gaudio's advantage as it slowed down the court considerably.
Soderling, who is not a natural claycourt player, lost his patience in the second set and made too many mistakes to threaten the Argentine.

"It was easier than I had expected," said Gaudio. "I thought it was going to be a harder match, considering how well Soderling has been playing.

"I feel that I have the same confidence as during the French Open, but I was probably playing better there" the Argentine said.

"Since then almost a month passed without me touching a racket, so it was a bit slow at the beginning of this week."

Gaudio broke the Swedish wildcard in the seventh game of the first set and then held on to serve to clinch it.

The 25-year-old from Buenos Aires grabbed a double break in the next set for a 4-0 lead and held serve to clinch the match.

His opponent in the final, Zabaleta, should hold no surprises for Gaudio as the pair grew up together.

"We've known each other since we were eight or nine years old," said Gaudio. "Zabaleta comes from a smaller town and used to stay with my family when he trained in Buenos Aires."

"We often played each other as juniors and it's always tough to face a friend."
 
#78 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

Para los que hablan espanol:

LUNES 12 de julio de 2004 08:40
Duelo argentino en Suecia
Zabaleta volvió a quedarse con el torneo de Bastad
Venció a Gastón Gaudio por 6-1, 4-6 y 7-6 y retuvo el título del abierto sueco por segundo año consecutivo

Mariano Zabaleta retuvo el título en el torneo de Bastad, que reparte premios por 375.750 euros (466.000 dólares), al imponerse por 6-1, 4-6 y 7-6 (7-4) a Gastón Gaudio.
.
El tandilense ganó fácilmente el primer set, mientras que en el segundo reaccionó Gaudio, quien no jugaba desde que había ganado en Roland Garros.
.
En el tercer set no se dieron ventajas y arribaron así a una definición por tie break, en el que triunfó Zabaleta por 7-4.
.
La lluvia del sábado obligó a aplazar para ayer las semifinales, lo que provocó que la final se postergase para hoy.
.
Esta fue la segunda final entre argentinos en esta temporada y la decimo novena en el circuito profesional.
.
El tandilense, cabeza de serie número 8, le había ganado ayer en semifinales al chileno Fernando González por 6-1 y 6-4.
.
Con este triunfo de Zabaleta, el historial quedó igualado 2 a 2. El campeón de Roland Garros se impuso en Bucarest en 1999 y en Buenos Aires en 2001, mientras que el ***** había triunfado en la primera rueda del Masters Series de Hamburgo en 2000.
.
Esta final entre dos argentinos cosechó otro logro para la Legión: se sumó a la rica historia del tenis argentino el título número 154.
.
Sin descanso: ahora, Stuttgart
.
Gastón Gaudio y Mariano Zabaleta no tendrán descanso. Deberán viajar a Alemania para intervenir en el certamen de Stuttgart (750.000 dólares). Gaudio es el máximo favorito por la ausencia por lesión de Guillermo Coria, defensor del título.
.
Hoy debutarán Guillermo Cañas , ante el belga Norman Dick, Juan Pablo Guzmán, frente al checo Radek Stepanek y Franco Squillari , con el español Nicolás Almagro. El torneo también cuenta con Juan Ignacio Chela.
.
José Acasuso comenzará hoy su participación en el torneo de Amersfoort, en Holanda (375.750 euros), donde se medirá con el chileno Fernando González.
.
Fuente: atptennis.com
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/

LUNES 12 de julio de 2004
Tenis / El torneo de Bastad
Todo quedará entre amigos
Gastón Gaudio y Mariano Zabaleta mantienen una gran amistad desde que tenían ocho años y hoy definirán el certamen en Suecia; el campeón de Roland Garros dejó en el camino en las semifinales al local Robin Soderling, mientras que el tandilense venció al chileno Fernando González

BASTAD, Suecia.- Una de los primeras llamadas que recibió Gastón Gaudio tras la conquista de Roland Garros fue la de Mariano Zabaleta. Para el Rey de París, significó el saludo del amigo y compañero de generación (ambos nacieron en 1978) con el que compartió tantos viajes y sueños durante la época de juveniles. Ahora, ambos estarán frente a frente en una final de ATP. El destino los pondrá cara a cara hoy, en el partido decisivo del torneo de Bastad (375.750 euros en premios y puntos para el circuito), que le dará a la rica historia del tenis argentino el título número 154.
.
Gaudio tuvo un comienzo algo dubitativo, pero luego superó sin problemas al juvenil local Robin Soderling (19 años), por 6-4 y 6-2, en tanto que Zabaleta, ganador de este certamen el año último, se deshizo, también sin resignar un parcial, del chileno Fernando González, por 6-1 y 6-4. Será la segunda ocasión en que la final de Bastad se juegue un lunes. El único antecedente es de 1981, cuando el francés Thierry Tulasne derrotó al sueco Anders Jarryd.
.
"Creo que jugué mi mejor partido en esta semana. Me sentí realmente bien en la cancha y mi confianza está en alza. Estoy jugando casi al nivel que tuve en París, y eso que hay que recordar que antes de empezar en este torneo estuve un mes sin jugar", señaló Gaudio, que lleva acumulados 13 triunfos consecutivos.
.
Zabaleta también se mostró muy conforme con su actualidad. "Jugué muy bien, muy sólido. Estoy feliz de haber llegado a esta final aunque sea un lunes. Será algo distinto", expresó el tandilense, que ofreció en la victoria ante González un excelente nivel en el servicio.
.
Ambos se refirieron a lo extraño que será enfrentarse sabiendo que uno se quedará con el premio mayor y el otro con las manos vacías. "Jugar con Gastón es bueno y malo. Bueno, porque es mi mejor amigo y malo también por el mismo motivo, por lo que se dificulta enfrentarlo. Nos conocemos desde que teníamos 8 años. Cuando éramos chicos y yo viajaba a Buenos Aires solía quedarme a dormir en su casa, porque además jugábamos en el mismo club. Sí me pone contento saber que ambos pudimos llegar a una final de ATP", admitió Zabaleta, que llegó a la segunda final de la temporada tras haber caído en el Masters Series de Roma.
.
Gaudio también hizo memoria y habló sobre la amistad que lo une con el tandilense, y hasta se permitió una broma. "Espero que Zabaleta me permita ganar, porque él ya ganó este título el año pasado (al ecuatoriano Nicolás Lapentti). Hablando en serio, creo que va a ser un partido muy difícil porque nos conocemos muy bien, a pesar de que en el circuito no nos hemos enfrentado muchas veces", explicó Gaudio, que se impuso en dos de las tres ocasiones que se midieron en un torneo de ATP: en Bucarest 1999 y en Buenos Aires 2001. Zabaleta, 44° en la Carrera de Campeones, lo doblegó en el certamen de Hamburgo, en 2000.
.
Después del éxito en Roland Garros, Gaudio busca seguir la exitosa senda en el circuito. Para Zabaleta significa la posibilidad de volver a gritar campeón en una ciudad que le sienta bien. Pero en el medio de las especulaciones de ambos está la singular relación que los une. Se tratará de una final que quedará entre amigos. Una definición en la que, gane quien gane, los dos se retirarán con una ancha sonrisa.
.
www.atptennis.com
.
154
Serán, con el de hoy, en Bastad, los títulos cosechados por tenistas de nuestro país en torneos de la ATP. Gaudio lleva tres, mientras que Zabaleta ganó dos
.
Sin descanso: ahora, Stuttgart
.
Gastón Gaudio y Mariano Zabaleta no tendrán descanso. No bien terminen la final de Bastad deberán viajar a Alemania para intervenir en el certamen de Stuttgart (750.000 dólares). Gaudio es el máximo favorito por la ausencia por lesión de Guillermo Coria, defensor del título. Hoy debutarán Guillermo Cañas, ante el belga Norman Dick, Juan Pablo Guzmán, frente al checo Radek Stepanek y Franco Squillari, con el español Nicolás Almagro. El torneo también cuenta con Juan Ignacio Chela.
.
José Acasuso comenzará hoy su participación en el torneo de Amersfoort, en Holanda (375.750 euros), donde se medirá con el chileno Fernando González.

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/04/07/12/dd_617737.asp
LA NACION | 12.07.2004 | Página 16 | Deportes
 
#79 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

I can place it here since it's about his best friend and their matches.

www.swedishopen.org

Tiebreak Finals

Two thrilling finals were played on Monday. Both the singles and doubles finals were completed after a tiebreak in the final set.

Mariano Zabaleta defended his singles title and the new doubles champions are Jonas Björkman and Mahesh Bhupathi.

On Center Court, the first ever all-Argentinean final of Synsam Swedish Open was played. The French Open champion Gaston Gaudio faced his best friend Mariano Zabaleta. Zabaleta dominated from the start and won the first set against a slightly indolent Gaudio. In the second set, the match turned around. Gaudio, who came back after being down 0-2 in the French Open final, started to find his game and managed to take the match to a third set. Right there, the battle was intensive between two players who know each other very well. Zabaleta was always slightly ahead and got a break of serve both to 3-1 and 4-2. Gaudio got out of trouble and also saved a match point while serving at 5-6. The match was taken to a deciding tie break where Zabaleta grabbed the victory after 7-4.

- I am very happy. I beat a great player today. I was focused and concentrated in the final moments of the match and that gave me the win, Zabaleta says.

- I played really well this week. I love this tournament. I really like the people and feel good here and will definitely be back next year, the champion continued.

Zabaleta has now won three career titles and two in Båstad.

- It feels even better to win this year. Now, I can play some jokes with Gaston, Zabaleta said with a laugh.
 
#80 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

www.guardian.co.uk/sport

Zabaleta overcomes Gaudio to win Swedish Open
(Adds quotes, detail)
BASTAD, Sweden, July 12 (Reuters) - Argentine Mariano Zabaleta retained the Swedish Open title with a 6-1 4-6 7-6 victory over his compatriot and friend Gaston Gaudio in the rain-delayed final on Monday.

Second seed Gaudio won the French Open last month but Zabaleta showed he was the master on the Swedish clay as he bagged his third career title.

"This is my favourite tournament," said Zabaleta, who ended a five-year title drought last year when he won the event. "I promise to come back next year.

"I beat a great player today...I was focused and concentrated and played very well in the third set tiebreak.

"It feels even better to win this year. Now, I can play some jokes with Gaston.
"Last time we played was a long time ago but I know his game very well," added Zabaleta, who practised with Gaudio in Buenos Aires in his teens.

Zabaleta clinched the first set in just 29 minutes after Gaudio failed to hold serve once.Gaudio found his rhythm in the second and broke Zabaleta for a 5-4 lead before levelling the contest.

Zabaleta regained the momentum at the start of the deciding set to race into a 4-2 lead. But nerves crept into his game as he tried to close out the match. Zabaleta allowed the world number 11 to claw his way back into the match and also wasted a match point on Gaudio's serve in the 12th game.

With Gaudio forcing the match into a tiebreak, Zabaleta lobbed his opponent on match point to seal it 7-4.

"Congratulations Mariano, you are a worthy winner," said Gaudio.
"This has been a great week. Like I said yesterday, the weather was the only enemy here. Everything else was unbelievable and I will be back next year."
 
#81 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

French Open Champion Gaudio in Round of Sixteen after Hard-Fought Match

He wobbled - but did not fall: French Open champion Gaston Gaudio and No.2 seed at MercedesCup reached the round of sixteen at MercedesCup after a very hard match in the second round which was broken off on Wednesday evening with a score of 3:6, 6:2 from the Argentinean's point of view. On Thursday morning, the American qualifier Hugo Armando dominated at first by taking Gaudio's service at an early stage and continuing to lead until 5:4.

Then the No.11 in the world rankings countered and saved himself in the tie-break with the fourth matchpoint for a 7:5 win in a match that had lasted 2 hours and 19 minutes altogether. At almost the same time, the 2002 French Open winner, Albert Costa (ESP) decided his match against Mariano Zabaleta on the Grandstand court in his favor. The Argentinean, who won the tournament last week in Bastad, Sweden, played a well-balanced match against Costa and was only narrowly defeated 5:7, 6:7(4).

After the match, Costa was full of praise for his opponent, "He won the tournament last week and so I had expected him to play a strong game and have a lot of confidence. It was very difficult to beat him."
 
#82 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

Early in the evening, the Argentinean had to play his round of sixteen match against Tomas Berdych (CZE). And this time Gaudio quite clearly had a lot less trouble in deciding the match in his favor. After a good hour, he won his place in the quarter-finals 6:2, 6:4.
 

Attachments

#83 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

Gaudio Wrestles with Ferrer - French Open Champion in Final of MercedesCup after Hard Battle

The No. 7 of the champions race had to work very hard. French Open champion Gaston Gaudio needed two hours, 23 minutes and a total of seven matchballs in the semi-final of the MercedesCup on Saturday afternoon to defeat the Spaniard David Ferrer 6:3, 5:7, 6:4 and to get into the final. In the final, the Argentinean will now be playing against his fellow-countryman Guillermo Canas at 1 p.m. on Sunday, who he last beat in the first round at Roland Garros.

At first, Gaudio clearly dominated the semi-final and won the first set after only 39 minutes. In the second set as well, the Argentinean put on the pressure and was already leading 5:2, when at a score of 5:3 and 40:15 and his own serve he twice had the opportunity to decide the match in his own favor.

But suddenly his Spanish opponent showed his fighting qualities and won five games one after the other. At 7:5, the 22-year-old Ferrer took the second set, but then seem to go down in the decisive set. At a score of 5:1, the three years older Gaudio had some more matchballs. But Ferrer came back into the match again, managed the break and won the next two games. But the clear favorite finally managed to win the seventh matchball for a final score of 6:4.

This means that Gaston Gaudio is in the final of the MercedesCup for the second time since the year 2000. "I was almost through after two sets, but he played outstandingly well during the important points and came back in the second set," commented Gaudio about the match afterwards. "Then I was 5:1 ahead in the third match and thought, actually it is all over now.

But at 5:4, I was getting a little nervous because I thought the same thing was going to happen again." The Argentinean is really looking forward to the final match at MercedesCup. "It is really good to be able to be in the final twice in succession," said the Bastad finalist from last weekend, who also was in the final at Stuttgart Weissenhof in the year 2000.

According to Gaudio it is always a little different to play against a fellow-countryman. "There is so much emotion in the game. We are both playing very well at the moment and I hope it will also be a very good final."
 
#84 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

From the ATP site.

Unseeded Guillermo Canas wins his fourth career title by defeating No. 2 seed Gaston Gaudio 5-7, 6-2, 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 in three hours and 40 minutes in the final of the MercedesCup.

In the final Gaudio quickly took a 4-0 lead in the first set, which included seven breaks of serve, before Canas got into the match and managed to get back to 5-5 only to lose his serve again and the set 7-5. Canas rebounded straight away and won the second and third sets convincingly 6-2 and 6-0, including a streak of nine games in a row. In the fourth set Gaudio turned the match yet again winning the set 6-1. He also took a 2-0 lead in the fifth set but Canas somehow found new energy to win five straight games, including two breaks of serve. At 5-3 the 26-year-old served out the match and sealed victory on his first match point.

Having lost in the final of the MercedesCup in 2001 (l. to Gustavo Kuerten) and in 2002 (l. to Mikhail Youzhny) Canas makes it third time lucky in Stuttgart. He picks up a brand new silver Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 Kompressor in addition to 50 INDESIT ATP 2004 Race points and €104,500.

Canas defeated Dick Norman, No. 9 seed Florian Mayer, Stefan Koubek, Radek Stepanek, No. 15 seed Nikolay Davydenko and No. 2 seed Gaston Gaudio en-route to the MercedesCup title.

Gaudio was looking for his fourth ATP title in his ninth career final. He was appearing in his third straight all-Argentine final, having won the Roland Garros title crown (d. Guillermo Coria) and lost to Mariano Zabaleta in last week's tournament in Bastad. The 25-year-old reached the final of the MercedesCup in 2000, where he also lost to a countryman in Franco Squillari.

Gaudio picks up 35 INDESIT ATP 2004 Race Points and €55,000.

Gaudio: “I'm so tired. I couldn't play the way I wanted in the second and third set. I was almost prepared to quit but I tried to fight a little bit more, and I took the fourth set. I was 2-0 up in the fifth but he came back fighting so hard. Finally he took the match playing better than me.”

“I guess it was mental tiredness. I've been playing difficult matches every day. You have to be focused every day, it's really tiring. “

“Reaching the final in this tournament is unbelievable. It's the second time for me in the final and I would have preferred to win the car. I want to come next year and win. If I don't get the car I'm going to steal it!”
 
#85 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

Marc Rosset is Tall said:
Gaudio:
“Reaching the final in this tournament is unbelievable. It's the second time for me in the final and I would have preferred to win the car. I want to come next year and win. If I don't get the car I'm going to steal it!”
:lol:

Sounds like hard fought matches in this tournament. Hopefully he wins this next one.
 
#86 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

This is the latest Gaston news, this comes from a friend and to the Spanish speakers if they could translate for us.

Taken from Melu, thank you so much.

Gaston is wearing a suit and these are the links to an interview on the set of Caiga Quien Caiga, a popular humoristic show that looks at politics and entretainment with sarcasm and dark humor.

Cable/DSL users:
http://www.cqc.tv/video2004/11gaudio-bb.rm?embed=true

Modem users:
http://www.cqc.tv/video2004/11gaudio.rm?embed=true
 
#88 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

This is the translation of the video.

Interviewers (Mario Pergolini and Eduardo De La Puente) = I
Gaston Gaudio = G


I: As it is a tradition in this program, we always invite the
winners of grand slams...If the winners of gs do not come here for
us, this program is useless...
I: Yes, we could not invite Vilas cause we were not on air in the
senventies yet.
I: so you can see that we are not lying.
I: That's why we would like to welcome the RG winner in the classic
that we call...

Interview with the champion

*Gaston appears on air (watch that he hits his head) and is welcomed
by the 3 guys, who startmocking Coria alledging they have cramps.
Then they do the wave*

I: Thanks for being here live.
G: you are welcome, it's an honour. We have been working together
for a long time. (for the ones who are not in Arg, Pergolini used to
call Gaston after every match in RG cause he was his chosen player
to go far in France since everyone else thought Coria would go
further, that's why Gaston named him his manager...all joking of
course)

I: Let's remind all that when we started to work together you were
ranked 43, 80?
G: 44

I: Mario, do you have what? 10% of his prize money?
I: no, we don't have a business thing going on...
G: it's a matter of friendship

I: yes, we've been together since Hamburg
I: nice business he made ...

I: how do you feel? Are you happy, relaxed? How did you find Susana?
(a blonde diva who has a tv show here and that GG went before)
G: fine

I: is she nice?
G: yes, she's like you see her on tv.

I: thanks a lot for being here, we'll make you 5 questions only.
Don't worry cause none regaring your gf or things like that...
G: go ahead

I: you gf was before of after winning...no, it's a joke, haha
I: Can I ask sothing about you gf but in a good way?...I heard
somewhere that she didn't went to your tournaments as cabala. Whose
idea was it? Yours or hers?
G: mine
*The other guys make fun of it and Gaston laughs*
I: that's why he's the champion.
 
#89 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

Thanks for the translation and the video was funny seeing Gaston in a suit.
 
#90 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

Lets hope that he can win 1 or 2 matches at the US Open.
 
#91 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

OK, I FINALLY saw the video, had to just go to the CQC site itself and get it! I think Gaston looks lovely in a suit... wish I could see some off-court photos of him... any in S Amer mags perchance??

Georgie, if you find any mag articles/photos on El Gato, por favor, let me know!

Just watched most of the RG04 F today... I still love Gaston's emotion... brings a tear or two to my eyes...

The more I see him, the younger he looks... why is that??

He's a cutie [oh oh, don't worry, I won't forsake my sweet Rogi!]...

buenas noches, amigos!
 
#92 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

Gaston made an appearance on Mariano Zabaleta's new show on Argentine TV.

This was taken from various Argentine sources and a summary of what he said.

Mariano asked him about his hopes of becoming #1 and Gaston answered : "Honestly speaking? The one thing I can do with Federer & Rodthingy right on top is to play cards".

Another funny moment was when Mariano asked what did he wanted to do in Bs As (being with his family, going out for dinner, spending time with friends, play golf?) and GG looked at him and said: Well, Bolu... you answered everything yourself, what do you want me to say.

Mariano asked him if he played football and Gaston said that among friends once in while they did. Mariano remarked that GG was bad at it...very funny. They showed how they both played fifa video games of course!
 
#93 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

cool that Gaston and Mariano are such good friends! right now they are my fave Argies [my most fave is Vilas, por supuesto!]
 
#94 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

ThanX a lot, Fryslanboppe

Here is another fan of GG at Melumania's webboard named Valeria sharing about GG's interview. Hope everyone enjoy!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

GG gave an interview to his childhood friend Mariano Zabaleta, to inaugurate Mariano’s new program on an Argentine TV channel. They were sitting in the gardens of the Buenos Aires Tennis Club, taking a break from training.

For all who couldn’t see the interview, I can tell you that he seems in great form, relaxed, very funny and frank, laughing a lot and completely different to the serious image he gives on court. He delivered two more of his characteristic sayings:
When asked if he hoped to be No. 1, he said “Playing against Federer and Roddick? Well, we could play “truco”(a card game)!”
And asked how he got to the end of RG, he said “After two weeks, with all the stress of competing every day, my brain felt fried”.

He’s mad about soccer football, but he plays only among friends, because of the danger of injuries. So his main sport other than tennis is golf. And he, Zabaleta and friends pass the time with Play-Station football competitions.

He told about how he was informed at the last minute that all his family, girl-friend and friends, about 20 of them, were arriving in Paris for the final. He felt it would be too distracting, especially the logistics of finding them transportation and looking after them, and he had to tell them not to come.

He became serious when asked about the Davis Cup, pointing out that he had won 13 matches in a row, that he’d always accepted when called, and that when he lost two matches in Malaga (against the then No. 1 and No. 6 players) he’d been crucified.

He’s obviously putting pressure on the authorities to be called again, as he says it’s the most important challenge for a player, and that if all of them gave it priority during one year they might have a chance of winning the cup.

I wish you could have seen the interview!
 
#95 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

me too... any chance of them repeating it?? who's on next week?
 
#96 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

FryslanBoppe said:
Gaston made an appearance on Mariano Zabaleta's new show on Argentine TV.

This was taken from various Argentine sources and a summary of what he said.

Mariano asked him about his hopes of becoming #1 and Gaston answered : "Honestly speaking? The one thing I can do with Federer & Rodthingy right on top is to play cards".

Another funny moment was when Mariano asked what did he wanted to do in Bs As (being with his family, going out for dinner, spending time with friends, play golf?) and GG looked at him and said: Well, Bolu... you answered everything yourself, what do you want me to say.

Mariano asked him if he played football and Gaston said that among friends once in while they did. Mariano remarked that GG was bad at it...very funny. They showed how they both played fifa video games of course!
Hey...I wrote that. No seeing it here is surreal, lol!!! wth?
 
#97 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

rassklovn said:
This is the translation of the video.

Interviewers (Mario Pergolini and Eduardo De La Puente) = I
Gaston Gaudio = G


I: As it is a tradition in this program, we always invite the
winners of grand slams...If the winners of gs do not come here for
us, this program is useless...
I: Yes, we could not invite Vilas cause we were not on air in the
senventies yet.
I: so you can see that we are not lying.
I: That's why we would like to welcome the RG winner in the classic
that we call...

Interview with the champion

*Gaston appears on air (watch that he hits his head) and is welcomed
by the 3 guys, who startmocking Coria alledging they have cramps.
Then they do the wave*

I: Thanks for being here live.
G: you are welcome, it's an honour. We have been working together
for a long time. (for the ones who are not in Arg, Pergolini used to
call Gaston after every match in RG cause he was his chosen player
to go far in France since everyone else thought Coria would go
further, that's why Gaston named him his manager...all joking of
course)

I: Let's remind all that when we started to work together you were
ranked 43, 80?
G: 44

I: Mario, do you have what? 10% of his prize money?
I: no, we don't have a business thing going on...
G: it's a matter of friendship

I: yes, we've been together since Hamburg
I: nice business he made ...

I: how do you feel? Are you happy, relaxed? How did you find Susana?
(a blonde diva who has a tv show here and that GG went before)
G: fine

I: is she nice?
G: yes, she's like you see her on tv.

I: thanks a lot for being here, we'll make you 5 questions only.
Don't worry cause none regaring your gf or things like that...
G: go ahead

I: you gf was before of after winning...no, it's a joke, haha
I: Can I ask sothing about you gf but in a good way?...I heard
somewhere that she didn't went to your tournaments as cabala. Whose
idea was it? Yours or hers?
G: mine
*The other guys make fun of it and Gaston laughs*
I: that's why he's the champion.
And I wrote that too... :rolleyes:
 
#98 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

Mariano has a show? Wow, that is so cool. I wished it aired on Fox Sports, that way I'd be able to catch it... any chance of a website or anything? It would be nice if they posted a video there like they did with the "Caiga Quien Caiga" appearence. ;)
 
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#99 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

Adri , your avatar is nice :yeah:
 
#100 ·
Re: Gaston News & Articles

French Tennis Magazine (October 2004) has a big interview with Gaston. :)
I am far from fluent in French but most of the questions seems to be about
the Final and then about familiar stuff like the difficult times he has had.
Looks like not much of "news" in there.

But perhaps this is rather new to us:
Q. Pour conlure, on vous sait plutot introverti.
Y a-t-il une activite qui vous permettre de vraiment vous relacher?
A. Le golf. C'est une vraie passion. J'ai un handicap de 13-14.
Sur un parcours, j'oublie tout.

Wonder if "handicap 13-14" means he is good at golf. :confused:
 
#101 · (Edited)
Re: Gaston News & Articles

Also, love Gaston's comment on a photo (Gaston raising the Cup
between Vilas and McEnroe who are clapping Gaston):

"C'est la plus belle photo du monde. Quand je serai vieux,
quand je regarderai cette photo de moi entre Vilas et McEnroe,
je suis sur que j'aurai toujours des frissons."

(It means something like: This is the most beautiful photo in the world.
When I'm old and watch this photo of me between Vilas and McEnroe,
I will always have the shivers. :dance: )


Btw, didn't know that the Roland Garros 2004 Official Book is already out:
http://www.loustal.nl/ACTUEEL.HTM
 
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