04 June 2004	Friday	15 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

PARIS, June 3: Britain's Tim Henman will reignite one of the most intense sporting rivalries on Friday as he pits his stylish English serve-and-volley game against the baseline artillery of Argentina's Guillermo Coria for a place in the final of the French Open.

Henman, more at home on his beloved Wimbledon grass than the slow, red clay of Paris, has surprised everybody, including himself, in reaching the last four of a tournament no British man has won since Fred Perry in 1935.

He is already the first Briton to make the last four since Mike Sangster in 1963 while Bunny Austin was the last of his countrymen to reach the final in 1937. But he faces an enormous task if he is to defeat the third-seeded Coria, who has won 47 of his last 49 matches on clay, and prevent an all-Argentinian final on Sunday.

The south American nation is already guaranteed one representative in the final with eighth-seeded David Nalbandian up against unseeded countryman Gaston Gaudio in the other semi-final.

Guillermo Vilas was Argentina's last winner here in 1977 and also the last finalist when he was beaten by Sweden's Mats Wilander in 1982. "I have got to play to my strengths," said the 29-year-old Henman, the ninth seed who has been a semi-finalist at Wimbledon four times but until this French Open had never made it as far as the last eight of any other of the Grand Slams.

"He's the player to beat on clay and his record speaks for itself and I'm sure he feels good about his game." Coria has yet to drop a set at Roland Garros this year but he has yet to face a serve-and-volleyer like Henman whose game is completely alien to the army of South American and southern Europeans who have an umbilical link to the baseline.

Juan Ignacio Chela, one of four Argentinians to make the last eight, was bewildered by the sight of an opponent playing at the net and Henman took full advantage taking their quarterfinal 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

"You would have got pretty long odds on there being a Brit with three Argentinians in the semifinal," said Henman who insists that his type of game can scare the likes of Coria into making mistakes.

"I'm playing the right way and I'm playing well. I have seen some of the guys talking about my game and I genuinely think they don't like playing me on clay. You see them doing the actions of a volley. "You get the idea of what they are complaining about and that's a good sign for me."

Henman has endured a dramatic path to the last four coming back from two sets down to beat Cyril Saulnier in the first round and saving two match points to subdue Michael Llodra in the fourth.

Henman's best hope of an upset will be to see the sun reappearing to quicken up the Philippe Chatrier Court. "It's going to be hotter and faster," predicted Coria who has won two of the pair's three career meetings.

"Henman is good on hard courts but I'm not surprised he is in the semi-final. He is very fit and he's a player everybody respects." Coria lost to Dutchman Martin Verkerk at the same stage last year but he insists, that 12 months on, he is a better player.

"My experience from last year will be very important and I am going to practice all the things that are going to create difficulties for Henman." Gaudio's clash with Nalbandian will be the first time the two countrymen have met.

However, Gaudio holds Nalbandian in high esteem. "David is a more complete player than Roger Federer," insisted Gaudio who is playing in his first Grand Slam semi-final after a steady, if unspectacular, career.

"He and Coria are geniuses. They have a special talent. They're incredible. They have a better level than me and I would be very happy if either of them won the tournament." Nalbandian believes that playing against a fellow-countryman will be a curious sensation. "It's always difficult. It changes the way you play," said the 22-year-old. "But for him and for me, it's something special for the country." -AFP