jtipson
05-19-2004, 10:23 AM
From eurosport.com
Coria to play at Queen's
World number three Guillermo Coria will abandon his beloved clay courts to play on Queen's Club's slick grass to get in shape at Wimbledon. The Argentine, a favourite for next week's French Open, has accepted a wildcard into the championships for the first time, said tournament spokesman David Law.
The traditional Wimbledon warm-up event takes place in London from June 7 to 13.
Coria will be hoping to reproduce his fantastic clay-court form on grass and show he can win on all surfaces.
Widely regarded as the hot favourite to win the French Open, the 22-year-old won 31 consecutive matches on clay before losing in the Hamburg final last Sunday.
He has also shown plenty of ability on other surfaces, reaching the final on Miami's hard courts earlier this year, and the U.S. Open quarterfinals in 2003.
Coria has not been beyond the first round at Wimbledon in two previous attempts, but this year will mark the first time he has chosen to play an event on grass in the run-up to the tournament.
Coria will be joined in the Queen's draw by U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, former Wimbledon champions Goran Ivanisevic and Lleyton Hewitt and Britain's Tim Henman.
Tournament director Ian Wight has four further wild cards to award before the event gets under way.
Coria to play at Queen's
World number three Guillermo Coria will abandon his beloved clay courts to play on Queen's Club's slick grass to get in shape at Wimbledon. The Argentine, a favourite for next week's French Open, has accepted a wildcard into the championships for the first time, said tournament spokesman David Law.
The traditional Wimbledon warm-up event takes place in London from June 7 to 13.
Coria will be hoping to reproduce his fantastic clay-court form on grass and show he can win on all surfaces.
Widely regarded as the hot favourite to win the French Open, the 22-year-old won 31 consecutive matches on clay before losing in the Hamburg final last Sunday.
He has also shown plenty of ability on other surfaces, reaching the final on Miami's hard courts earlier this year, and the U.S. Open quarterfinals in 2003.
Coria has not been beyond the first round at Wimbledon in two previous attempts, but this year will mark the first time he has chosen to play an event on grass in the run-up to the tournament.
Coria will be joined in the Queen's draw by U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, former Wimbledon champions Goran Ivanisevic and Lleyton Hewitt and Britain's Tim Henman.
Tournament director Ian Wight has four further wild cards to award before the event gets under way.