Tennis: Gonzalez on track for shot at top-10

Fernando Gonzalez has lost weight, sharpened his focus and had a brilliant start to 2005. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Fernando Gonzalez has done everything right so far in his bid to march into the world top-10 this year.

The 24-year-old Chilean, who touched world No 13 a couple of years ago, has kicked around just outside the top 20 for the bulk of the last three years.

Now he's lost weight, sharpened his focus and his Heineken Open final victory over Belgium's Olivier Rochus is the ideal way to start his year.

The fifth-seeded Gonzalez was too strong for Rochus, winning 6-4, 6-2 to complete a five-match rout of his opponents without dropping a set.

"I hope so," Gonzalez said when asked if this win was the ideal way to launch his drive to join the game's elite. "It's been a fantastic week. I did things right. I've been working a lot, I've lost a few kilos and I really have a lot of motivation for a good year. I hope this is only the beginning."

Gonzalez is in sixth spot on the ATP Race, which finds the top eight players for the end-of-year big-money showdown. There are still about 48 weeks left in the Race, but Gonzalez - and Rochus, who is in third spot after a flying start to his year at Adelaide and Auckland - have made the dream beginning.

All week, Gonzalez had been consistently good. His serve worked well, his ferocious forehand was a telling weapon, but in Saturday's final, Rochus discovered why the Chilean is on the way up.

He had hoped to gain some leverage by peppering Gonzalez' backhand, which is his weaker side. It backfired as the ball came hurtling back with accuracy and venom.

"I thought it was possible on his backhand to be aggressive and win some points," Rochus said. "As soon as I hit my backhand too short he went boom, down the line. I didn't expect his backhand to be playing that well. Now I understand why he has won five titles."

It was Gonzalez' first hardcourt title, which gave him special satisfaction, and he was cheered on by a large, vocal Chilean section of the packed ASB Tennis Centre.

He won the first set when he got a breakpoint at 5-4 on Rochus' serve and took it with a wrong-footing backhand winner.

Rochus' serve was failing to trouble Gonzalez and when he was broken to love in the fourth game of the second set the game was almost up for the gallant little Belgian.

He had one last opportunity in the next game, holding two break points. But Gonzalez lifted himself, won four points on the trot and went on to an emphatic victory, which was worth US$55,000 ($78,650).

"I've played almost perfect this week," Gonzalez said. "Today wasn't Olivier's day and I took every opportunity he gave me."

The doubles title went to unseeded Yves Allegro of Switzerland and German Michael Kohlmann, who beat another unseeded combination, Simon Aspelin of Sweden and Australian Todd Perry, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).

Aspelin and Perry also lost the final in Adelaide a week earlier.

Open organisers could delight in the bumper crowds over the week of the 50th anniversary Open. A record 29,500 spectators turned up, helped by a rain-free week.

The contingent of Spanish stars failed to deliver, New Zealand's involvement was minimal, but the Open had a popular winner, who insists he will be back next year, as does Rochus.

Qualifiers played their part, two making the last 16, one making the semifinals.

Fernando's march


* First round: bt WC-James Blake (US) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1
* Second round: bt Mariano Zabaleta (Argentina) 6-3, 6-4
* Quarter-final: bt Robby Ginepri (US) 6-3, 6-4
* Semifinal: bt 6-Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) 6-4, 6-2
* Final: bt Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 6-4, 6-2