Tennis: Corretja calm leaves Moya out of pocket

DREAMS AND schemes pervaded the ATP Tour Championship, which was won dramatically by Alex Corretja, of Spain, yesterday. There was, for instance, the notion that Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski would compete in a year-end finale in the London Millennium Dome.

That seed was sown by the promoter Ion Tiriac, who said he had floated the idea with Bernie Ecclestone, who is keen to extend his Formula One influence to tennis. "I spoke to Mr Ecclestone two days ago and told him if he makes a bid and can find the hall, I will stage the event for him," Tiriac said.

Perhaps. But a humble building in Spain commanded more attention yesterday after Corretja recovered from two sets down and 1-3 in the fifth set to overcome his compatriot, Carlos Moya, 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-5, after four hours.

Centro Alto Rendimiento (CAR), in San Cugat del Valles, close to Barcelona, houses the only permanent indoor tennis court in Spain. It is also marked out for basketball, volleyball and handball, and the walls have bars for gymnastics.

It was there that Corretja, Moya, and the legion of other Spanish players who have made their presence felt, learned to adapt their expertise on slow clay courts and medium-paced outdoor hard courts to the faster indoor courts that were alien to them.

Corretja and Moya spent more than two weeks training at the CAR Club before arriving at the Expo 2000 Tennis Dome in Hanover to shock the finest attacking players in the game. In Saturday's semi-finals, Corretja saved three match points against Pete Sampras, who was celebrating a record sixth consecutive year as the world No 1. Moya recovered from 1-3 down in the concluding set against Britain's Tim Henman.

Spain has never before had two players in the final (their only winner, Manuel Orantes, triumphed indoors in Houston in 1976). To put what Corretja and Moya accomplished last week in perspective, in June they contested the French Open final on the clay of Paris, Moya winning in straight sets.

It seemed there would be a similar outcome after the first two sets yesterday, but Corretja's heart matched his skill. He refused to buckle even when broken after creating his first match point at 5-4 in the final set. Moya showed his frustration during that game, hurling his racket into Corretja's court after narrowly missing a break point at 30-40.

Corretja stayed calm. He broke for 6-5, and then lured Moya into hitting a forehand long on the second match point. "I remembered Ivan Lendl coming back from two sets down to beat John McEnroe in the French Open final in 1984," Corretja said. "I told myself, if my idol can do it, so can I."

Whether or not Henman and Rusedski actually play at Greenwich, many hope they can prolong the success they have brought to the British game. Henman, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon and here in Hanover, ends the year ranked a career high No 7 in the world. Rusedski finishes at No 9, even though his Wimbledon campaign was wrecked by injury.

It is the first time since ATP computer rankings were introduced in 1973 that two British players have finished a year in the top 10.

In terms of the season's prize money, Henman won $1,448,77 (pounds 905,481), Rusedski $1,460,437 (pounds 912,773).

Henman was unable to capitalise on a 3-1 lead against Moya on Saturday, the Spaniard's service returns, particularly the forehand down the line, edging a stirring contest, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Any sense of anti-climax was soon replaced by the counting of blessings. Three years ago, the suggestion of a British player qualifying for an event between the world's top eight players would have been ridiculed.

Rusedski made the grade in 1997 and Henman this time. Both have also made memorable appearances as substitutes.

Set against the boom in Spain, however, Britain is a two-man show. Chris Wilkinson, the closest play to Henman and Rusedski, is ranked No 181.

To round off a memorable weekend in Hanover, there was evidence of a reconcilation between the ATP Tour and the International Tennis Federation.

The first benefit promised yesterday is the possibility of Davis Cup ties and Olympic Games participation going towards the year-long rankings, starting in 2000.