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Gustavo Kuerten
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BRAZIL'S Gustavo Kuerten regained his world number one status on Saturday when he beat Spain's Fernando Vicente 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the Buenos Aires Open final.
ATP Tour officials said on Friday that a last-four win would be enough for the Brazilian to replace Marat Safin at the head of the old entry system rankings after the Russian's quick exit in Rotterdam earlier the week. The entry system rates a player according to his performance over the past 12 months.
Kuerten's victory also catapulted him into the top 25 of the Champions Race, which the ATP is keen to promote at the expense of the entry system rankings.
Just like his quarterfinal against Guillermo Canas, Kuerten made a slow start and lost the first set against an opponent who won the Bogota Open earlier this month.
Kuerten, so popular that he has overcome the usually bitter sporting rivalry between Argentina and Brazil and been given warm support throughout the tournament, broke serve in the third game of the second set and never looked in further danger.
He wrapped up the second set in exactly 30 minutes and outclassed a disappointing Vicente in the third, finishing the match with an ace.
“He made me nervous and frustrated me,” Kuerten told a local television station after the one-hour, 50-minute match.
“But I wanted to win enough that I eventually found a way through.” (SD-Agencies)
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