Monday, August 13, 2001
Rafter has been second best a lot
Comes up short in 3rd straight final
By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — Patrick Rafter's peers say he is playing as well as anyone in the world. He'd just like some hardware to prove them right.
Despite reaching the finals of three consecutive events — including Sunday's 6-1, 6-3 Tennis Masters Series Cincinnati loss to Gustavo Kuerten — the 28-year-old Australian remains in a title drought. He hasn't won an event in 14 months. He has just one crown in the previous 26 months, two in the past 35.
In what might be his final months as a professional, he's becoming the sport's hard-luck loser.
“Winning is bound to happen; (an opponent) will break their ankle or something,” he said, laughing. “But yeah, if you keep going out there and stay in those situations, it'll turn around.”
Rafter seemed in prime position to snap his title drought Sunday. He had plenty of rest after his Saturday afternoon semifinal, and his opponent hadn't been determined even 20 minutes before the finals' scheduled starting time.
Kuerten finished off Tim Henman in a match suspended from Saturday night, but Rafter didn't have the advantage most fans figured he would. Kuerten said the end of his semifinal had sharpened his game, helping deal Rafter one of his worst losses ever.
Rafter, who had narrow defeats in the Wimbledon and Tennis Masters Series Montreal finals, had talked of changing the previously laid-back approach he had used for big matches. But his intensity made no difference.
“He was just on fire today,” Rafter said. “I had no answers for him. So today wasn't a good example of trying to work out how to get back in the winner's circle.”
The match lasted only 60 minutes. Rafter, who had lost his serve just twice in the tournament before Sunday, was broken four times by Kuerten.
“My returns were perfectly placed,” Kuerten said. “I was moving perfectly.”
It might have been Rafter's final appearance in Cincinnati. He plans to take off six months after the year, during which he'll mull retirement.
“I didn't take time to realize that this could be the last time (here),” Rafter said. “I was just too disappointed after the match.”
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Rafter has been second best a lot
