June 8, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1424

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PARIS, June 7: Martin Verkerk has gone where no Dutchman has gone before by reaching the French Open final and he feels ready to break the final frontier when he meets Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero on Sunday.

Only two other players from the Netherlands have reached singles finals in grand slam tournaments. Tom Okker lost to Arthur Ashe in the 1968 US Open while Richard Krajicek went one better by capturing the Wimbledon crown in 1996.

The 24-year-old from Hilversum will start as underdog against an experienced claycourt specialist like Ferrero, but his journey to the final has been so surprising that it is impossible to tell when it will stop.

The player ranked 46th in the world had never played at Roland Garros before, but he claimed the scalps of two of the world’s claycourt specialists in Spain’s Carlos Moya and Argentina’s Guillermo Coria in the two previous rounds.

Now he is looking to pull off the biggest shock of all.

“I have one big thing with me, on a big occasion with the crowd and everything, I don’t feel any pressure or nerves or anything,” he said.

“I can beat Moya, I can beat Coria, why should I not beat Ferrero?”

He may not have any fear, but he has a lot of respect for his opponent — a player who lost in the final last year and reached the semis the previous two.

“You have to be honest, Ferrero is always doing well here,” said Verkerk, “so it will be really, really tough.

“I also said that Coria would be tough. So let’s keep it this way.”

Ferrero is sure to oblige, having gained revenge over 2002 champion Costa in Friday’s semifinal.

“He has a lot of confidence right now,” said the Spaniard. “But clay is not his surface, he’s just playing unbelievably well.

“The key will be my returns. I will see when I go on court how I can return his serve,” he said, wary of the Dutchman’s most destructive weapon.

The crowd on centre court could not have wished for a better contrast in styles.

Verkerk has a huge serve — 112 aces to his name so far — and he does not hesitate to come to the net. Ferrero, on the other hand, is happy pounding away from the baseline.

Ferrero also has experience of playing the final last year and is backed by the heritage of the Spanish in Paris.

Nine Spaniards have reached the men’s singles final in the past decade. No Dutchman ever has.

But perhaps this year’s Roland Garros will be one for firsts.

A Belgian woman won that country’s first French Open singles title on Saturday when Justine Henin-Hardenne defeated compatriot Kim Clijster.

As Verkerk aims for his own piece of history he will draw some inspiration from compatriot Krajicek, the player he cites as one of his three idols in tennis along with John McEnroe and Andre Agassi. The 1996 Wimbledon champion holds a 3-0 career record against Ferrero.—Reuters