TELECOM ITALIA MASTERS
Rome, Italy
May 8, 2004
Nalbandian, Moya to Clash in Rome Final
© Getty Images
Fifth seed David Nalbandian and sixth seed Carlos Moya will meet in a
blockbuster final of the Telecom Italia Masters in Rome on Sunday after
different semifinal victories Saturday.
Moya denied an all-Argentina final when on Saturday he clipped Mariano
Zabaleta 6-3, 6-4, which followed his crushing quarterfinal victory over
Andrei Pavel, in which Moya conceded just three games.
Moya advances to his fifth different ATP Masters Series final (Indian Wells,
Miami, Monte Carlo and Cincinnati) and this year alone he has reached five
ATP finals on five continents.
Nalbandian rallied from a set down to defeat 2002 Roland Garros champion
Albert Costa 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4. He is chasing his first ATP title since Basel
in 2002. Since returning from a six-week injury lay-off last month,
Nalbandian has reached quarterfinals in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and now the
Rome final.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Nalbandian: “It wasn’t an easy week with the rain and everything. I played
two matches one day, which is quite tiring. Tomorrow it is going to be
another difficult match, but you have to be 100% because it is a Masters
Series final and you don’t play one every day.”
On a very long game, when he broke at 4-all in the final set against Costa:
“Yeah, very difficult. I have a lot of chances to break it. Was very, very
tough but I tried to keep my focus on my return, on my game. But I think I
make it in the 4-all, so that’s very important.”
Moya: “Well, I knew that it was a matter of time because I like the
tournament, I feel well here, I like the courts, is a clay court tournament.
So there was no reason that I didn’t do well the past years. So I knew that
this year or the next one or maybe two years I was gonna play well, so looks
like this year.”
“I came here very confident, and I won the first two matches and I got more
confidence even, and now I’m in the final. So, I mean, it’s been a great
week so far for me. I’m in a Masters Series final. It doesn’t happen every
day, so I’ll try to enjoy tomorrow and try to win my third title as a
Masters Series.”