Guillermo Coria Retires
Posted by: David on Apr 29, 2009 - 02:01 PM
tennis-news
|
|
Argentine Guillermo Coria, a former World No. 3 and Roland Garros finalist, has announced his retirement from professional tennis.
"I don't have the same desire to play tennis. I am happy with my family,” the 27-year-old Coria told Argentina’s Radio Continental. “I made my best effort at tennis.”
Coria finished in the Top 10 from 2003-05, but struggled to maintain his form in recent years. He dropped to No. 116 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings in 2006, and after missing the following season with a right shoulder problem, managed to post just two match wins upon his return in 2008.
Coria made his sole appearance this season in March at the ATP Challenger tournament in Bangkok, resulting in a straight-sets loss to Israeli Harel Levy.
“In 2005 I began to feel less and less like competing,” said Coria in a statement on the Argentine Tennis Association website. “My passion just wasn't the same and it's impossible to do things well when it's like that. In this sport, you have to be at 100 percent.”
The Argentine won nine clay-court titles in 20 tour finals since turning pro in 2000, his last triumph coming in 2005 at Umag (d. Moya). He reached the finals at all three clay-court ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments, highlighted by the title wins in 2003 at Hamburg (d. Calleri) and 2004 at Monte-Carlo (d. Schuettler).
Shortly after seeing a career-best 31-match winning streak on clay come to an end against Roger Federer in the 2004 Hamburg final, Coria entered Roland Garros as the favourite to win the clay-court Slam. He held two match points against countryman Gaston Gaudio in the championship match before falling in an 8-6 fifth set.
He peaked at No. 3 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings on May 3, 2004, and qualified for the elite eight-man Tennis Masters Cup from 2003-05. He joined countryman David Nalbandian as the first players from Argentina to finish in the Top 10 for three straight years since Jose-Luis Clerc accomplished the feat in the early ‘80s.
“I’m very happy with the decision I’ve taken, since I have new projects and I will be able to spend more time with my family,” Coria said.
|
|
