from the official Roland Garros website by Araz Gulekjian
27 May 2004

Young Russian standout Igor Andreev played like there was no tomorrow on Thursday to send fourth-seeded defending champion Juan-Carlos Ferrero home.

The 20-year-old Russian put out a brilliant performance and fired 37 winners to overpower the 24-year-old Spaniard 6-4 6-2 6-3 in just over two hours.

“It’s unbelievable,” Andreev said.

“All your dreams become true. The guy had won last year and he was No1. I just forgot about all those things and focused on my game,” added the Russian, who was playing in his first Roland Garros after making his Grand Slam debut in Australia this January.

Ferrero, still nursing bruised ribs he sustained in a fall on May 8 while practising in Spain, congratulated his opponent but vowed to set the record straight.

“He played well. He was motivated to win. But I would have beaten him and won the match had I been fit,” Ferrero said.
The young Russian dictated play with his explosive forehand – his signature shot – and wowed Ferrero with a wondrous display of heavy-hitting, which completely unsettled the Spaniard.

Far from overwhelmed by the enormity of playing on Court Philippe Chatrier, the 77-ranked Russian consistently pounded winners at will as Ferrero misfired and misjudged his drop shots.

Both players held stubbornly onto their deliveries. The Russian squandered four break point opportunities in the eighth game but prevailed two games later, breaking his opponent’s serve for the first time on a clean crosscourt backhand winner to secure the set.

Ferrero stayed in the match but blew four golden break point opportunities at 2-2 in the second set as Andreev fought his way out of trouble and immediately broke a dejected Ferrero two more times to take an insurmountable two sets to love lead.

The third set was peppered with breaks of serve. Andreev clearly felt the pressure but overcame his nerves to score the biggest win of his life.

Ferrero, who needed the help of injections in his first round match to ease the pain of his bruised ribs, maintained his decision to enter the tournament for the fifth straight time was the right one.

“I was feeling well in my first match and today it was something else. But it was the right decision.”

The Spaniard will definitely take a few weeks effective immediately.

“I don’t think I can do anything else,” admitted Ferrero, who dropped to 24 wins and four losses on the Parisian ‘red dirt’.

“I’m going to stop until Monday and after that I’ll see if I could overcome problems and difficulties to train for two weeks and be fit again.”