2 Responses to rg03ferrero_costa.

1. Voo de Mar says:

   October 23, 2025 at 4:06 pm

   Points won by each set: | 37-33, 41-35, 38-33 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   24 % Ferrero – 24 of 99
   22 % Costa – 27 of 118

   Two Spaniards with Prince racquets, both wearing predominantly white attires (Costa with black shoes), and a repeat of the 2002 final. ☆ Costa [9] made it to the semi-finals with a superhuman effort, hence his quick three-set loss couldn’t surprise, especially that Ferrero [3] was projected as a multiple French Open champion (at the time no-one had any idea how chicken-pox would derail his career, and how unbelievable would Nadal be on clay – as a novice he skipped the 2003-04 editions due to injuries). As expected, Ferrero [3] raced to a 5:1* (deuce) lead, but the defending champion had inexhaustible strength and made the match competitive for two and three-quarter hours nearly winning the 2nd set (led 5:3 in games and 5:3 in the tie-break which he lost 5/7). The only break of the 3rd set occurred at 3-all – Ferrero needed three deuces to break his five years older compatriot. Throughout the last set, Costa made impression he believed he’d be the first man in history to win four Slam matches in the same event coming back from two-set-to-love deficit. Ferrero finished the match with his trademark shot – inside-out forehand and celebrated on his knees (photo) – probably he knew in that moment it was his time to finally conquer Paris because in the final waited Verkerk – a totally unexpected finalist.

   Serve & volley: Ferrero 1/1, Costa 3/5

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   October 23, 2025 at 4:22 pm

   ☆ Costa‘s epic route to the semifinals (3 hours 42 minutes on average!):

   1 Roitman 6-7(3), 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2… 3 hours 38 minutes
   2 Stepanek 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4… 3 hours 38 minutes
   3 N.Lapentti 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4… 4 hours 39 minutes
   4 Clement 6-2, 7-5, 7-5… 3 hours 7 minutes
   Q Robredo 2-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2… 3 hours 29 minutes

   Costa trailed *1:4 in 3rd set vs “lucky loser” Roitman and was serving to stay in the match at 4:5…
   – saved BP trailing 1:3 in 3rd vs Lapentti
   – trailed *3:4 (deuce) in 3rd set vs Robredo, also 0:2* in 4th set

   28-year-old Costa reached his physical limits with that semifinal,
   afterwards he was struggling for two years to achieve satisfactory results (Rome ’04 semifinal was his best),
   and decided to retire in 2006… the last match of his career he played against Ferrero, losing 1-6, 7-5, 5-7 in Barcelona’s third round
   

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