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Gonzalez sets up Federer showdown
2007-01-26
The signs look ominous for Fernando Gonzalez despite the cavalier Chilean strutting into his first grand slam final at the Australian Open on Friday with a breathtaking 6-1 6-3 6-1 demolition of Germany's Tommy Haas. After earning the chance to become the first Chilean man to win a grand slam title, it did not take long for reality to set in. His prize for such a dynamic display is a date with the all-conquering world number one Roger Federer -- a man the 10th seed has never beaten in nine attempts. But before he begins to plot a way to snap Federer's 35-match winning streak in the showpiece final on Sunday, he was basking in his moment of glory. He lit up Rod Laver Arena on Australia Day with a bewitching array of winners. As he sealed victory with fizzing backhand crosscourt passing shot winner after a 91-minute destruction, fireworks exploded over Melbourne Park to greet his moment of triumph. "Today was really good. The last three or four matches I've been playing really great tennis. I'm really enjoying it," said Gonzalez, who celebrated his win by slapping high fives with several flag-waving Chilean fans in the stands. "I'm going to play my first grand slam final, so I have to do well. Roger's number one by far but we only have to play one more match. "I've lost many times to him but I'm playing much better than the last few times." Gonzalez has taken over the baton from last year's finalist Marcos Baghdatis in capturing the public's imagination with his swashbuckling demeanor on court. CHARMED LIFE He ripped local favorite Lleyton Hewitt's dream to shreds in the third round and has not looked back since. With fifth seed James Blake and second Rafael Nadal also falling under his spell, Gonzalez has lived a charmed life over the past fortnight. On Friday, he conjured 42 sizzling winners and made Haas's life a total misery as only three unforced errors flew off his racket in the entire contest. In fact, Haas will do well not to read the statistics from the match as it could prove to be a painful experience. He did not earn a single breakpoint and instead saw winner after winner from Gonzalez flash past him. For a man who is no stranger to adversity having sat out the entire 2003 season with a shoulder surgery, the German came into the contest with high hopes of reaching his first major final. He left court a broken man, shaking his head in disbelief and desperate to escape an arena which had turned into his own personal torture chamber. For Gonzalez, things could not be better. The Chilean will, however, need to come back down to earth quickly if he is to have any chance of stopping defending champion Federer's charge toward a 10th grand slam title. While Gonzalez will nervously bide his time for the next 48 hours as he tries to weigh up his options, Cara Black and Liezel Huber will be out celebrating. The African duo scooped the women's doubles title, thwarting Taiwan's Chuang Chia-jung and Chan Yung-jan's historic bid to win their country's first grand slam title. Zimbabwean Black and South African Huber ended the Taiwanese wildcards' title hopes with a 6-4 6-7 6-1 victory. "We've been through a lot together and it's great to have you back on board," Black told her partner during the presentation ceremony. Chuang and Chan already created history when they become their country's first grand slam finalists after they had dispatched reigning champions Yan Zi and Zheng Jie of China in the semi-finals.
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