Other Archives - 2003, 2002, 2000/1999

After such a draining physical battle, Nico was back on court on Tuesday against US Open champion and No.2 seed, Lleyton Hewitt.  This was also another totally draining affair.  Nico was forced to come from a set down (yet again) and this time he won 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.  So far this week, he has been on court for nearly 6 hours and plays Thomas Johansson in the third round for a place in his second Paris Bercy quarter final.

Nico seems to love taking his fans on a rollercoaster ride whenever he can, has anyone else noticed that he likes to lose the first set before he really starts to play?  

Today was another such occurrence.  Things were very equal between the players until Nico came to serve at 4-5 down.  He lost his serve but immediately upped the pace and 2-0 up in the second set before he broke again in the 7th game and took the set 6-2.  Nico then let things slip again at the start of the third set and allowed Clement to break early and the Frenchman went on to lead 5-2 to ensure Nico had to produce one of his speciality Houdini acts if he was to remain in the tournament.   Serving 2-5 down, Nico had to save at least 2 match points on his own serve before he held serve.  Then Clement had one match point on his own serve in the next game but somehow Nico managed to break serve and left himself serving again just to draw level.   This he did - just - and by this time Clement seemed to have lost his nerve.   Nico broke again and held serve to complete another remarkable come back, winning 5 games in a row to win 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 and set up an interesting third round clash against Tim Henman.

Best quote of the week so far:  "There was a lot going through my mind on the changeover at 5-2," Nico said. "I was already thinking of going to Munich to visit my sister who is about to give birth to her first child.  Then being down 0-40 you just hit the points without responsibility. It's not like you want to finish the match right away but you are just one point away, but I just kept fighting and got lucky."

Nico is also playing doubles this week with Nicolas Kiefer.  They are due to play David Adams and Lucas Arnold in the first round. 

Remember: Nico has happy memories of the Palais de Lyon - the last time he was there he won the tournament!  Let's hope it can be a happy return to form. 

Here are some dates and times for the tie.

Wednesday 19th - 1900 hrs Ecuador time - DRAW CEREMONY 
(Venue: Plaza de Jose Joaquin Olmedo, Malecon 2000).

Friday 21st - 1000 hrs Ecu time - 2 Singles matches (Venue: Club Nacional)

Saturday 22nd - 1200 hrs Ecu time - Opening Ceremony followed by Doubles Rubber

Sunday 23rd - 1000 hrs Ecu time - 2 Singles match

Davis Cup team captain, Roger Taylor said of the forthcoming tie: "It will be a very tough match and the Ecuadorians have the heat, humidity and red clay court surface in their favour."

In a recent article for the British LTA's tennis magazine, ACE, Nico is said to have made the following comments:

About the tie itself:   "We have a good chance because we've already beaten Britain, so I don't see why we can't repeat that victory.  The only difference will be the surface.  On clay we feel more at home, but I don't think the English will feel at home."

About Giovanni:   "He has had mixed fortune recently, but he's turned around his game and has qualified for his first Challenger.  But Davis Cup is a different thing.  Giovanni has always transformed himself into a better player when he plays under the Ecuadorian flag and has always given his best."

About the Ecuadorian fans:   "The fans are very excitable, but they are very sportsmanlike too.  In Chile there have been cases of violence but this won't be the case this time.  The fans will support us without trying to upset Henman and Co."

Final comment on Ecuador and its people in ACE:  The outcome may not be decided by reason, but by passion.  The venue's name (Guayaquil) comes from that of an Indian prince, Guaya, and his princess, Quil, who made a suicide pact when the city was under siege from the Spaniards in the 16th century.  A similar do-or-die attitude, in what could become Ecuador's greatest tennis triumph, is likely to be in evidence now.  

We wait to see what happens !!

28 August 2001 - Nico beats Chang

Nico took just over 2 hours to win his first round match in New York yesterday.   He started well, breaking Chang's serve twice early on and took the first set 6-2 in 28 minutes.  The second and third sets were slightly tougher because the American was able to relax and find his groundstrokes, but Nico was still able to get the upper hand and a total grip on the match when he took the second set 6-4.  With a stranglehold grip on the match, Nico relaxed and was broken at the start of the set but Chang did not have things his way for long; Nico broke back and broke again and left Chang playing catch-up for one last time.  Although he saved several match points in the 9th game, Chang was only delaying the inevitable.  Nico served out 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 and now plays Davide Sanguinetti in the next round.

22 August 2001 - US Open News

Nico has been seeded 26th for the US Open which starts on Monday.  The draw took place earlier today and Nico has been drawn against Michael Chang in the first round.  Further through the draw, Pat Rafter could await him in the third round.  Good Luck Nico!

17 August 2001 - Nico concedes to defeat

Although the scoreline said otherwise, I do not think Nico gave up in his third round match until the last point was over.  Having a 100% winning record against the British No2 on clay and grass courts, the hard court confrontation between the two players was most definitely a preview of the battle ahead (for both) in the forthcoming Davis Cup tie in Guayaquil.  There was nothing to pick between the two players in the first set and this had to be settled by a tie break.  This in itself was very equal and the Briton only won it 8-6 which was very tight.  The second set came down to a couple of points and when faced with Greg's serve firing well, Nico cracked and lost 6-7, 3-6 thus giving himself 10 days break before the final Slam of 2001.

15 August 2001 - Nico races through first match in Washington

Nicolas opened his Washington campaign with an emphatic straight sets victory over young American Alex Kim.  After last week's early defeat in Cincinnati, Nico bounced back with a 6-0, 6-1 thrashing of Kim and will now face a tough match against British No.2 Greg Rusedski.  Greg and Nico are no strangers to each other's game but this contest will be keenly watched by many tennis fans in Ecuador and Britain because it could be a preview of what will happen in Guayaquil in just 5 weeks time.

13 August 2001 - Happy Birthday Nico!!

12 August 2001 - Doubles success in Cincinnati

After a few days practice, Nico's singles challenge in Cincinnati lasted just one match when he was drawn to play ex-champion Pete Sampras in the first round.  Nico knew what he had to do to pressure Pete - that was to serve well - and for most of the first set he managed to do this.  However, Pete was putting pressure on his opponent whenever he got a second serve and eventually his persistence paid off.  The first set was over 6-3 and when Nico lost his serve at the start of the second set, things went downhill quickly, leaving Pete 5-0 ahead and serving for the match.  However, Nico fought to the end and broke Pete's serve and held his own before Pete was able to finish off the match 6-3, 6-2.

However, things were not over and Nico teamed up with Jeff Tarango in the doubles competition and the scratch pair were very successful. They reached the semi finals including a win against the number two seeds Don Johnson and Jarryd Palmer but eventually lost to Damm and Prinosil but only after rain delayed the match on the Semi-Final day.

3 August 2001 - Ferrero ends Nico's challenge in Montreal

After such a well deserved victory in Kitzbuhel, it was no rest for the wicked and Nico was back in action in Canada just two days later.  He won his opening match against Jonas Bjorkman in three sets but then came up against his 2001 nemises - Juan Carlos Ferrero.  From experience I think the jet lag from trans-atlantic travel probably hit him at the wrong time and the high from winning in Kitzbuhel was wearing off.  Nico lost in straight sets and headed back to the practice courts before travelling to Ohio for the next stage of the Tennis Masters Series calendar.

29 July 2001 - Nico triumphant in Kitzbuhel

Proably because of the early start, Nico found it hard to settle early on, losing the first set 6-1.  I fancy that the early morning wake up call had not been extremely popular.  [Nico is very much of an afternoon/evening/night owl and playing early was probably a shock to the system!]  He turned things around early in the second set and created his own 4-1 lead in the set but was pegged back to 5-4, as Costa fought back.   However, Nico broke again immediately to take the set 6-4 to level the match as the midday sun became extremely hot!

The third set became extremely tight and Nico had to break serve twice to take the set.   He had to come back from 3-5 down to win four games in a row (again) to take the set 7-5 but he was still not out of the woods. 

At 3-3 in the fourth set, Nico had to endure a marathon game which went to 11 deuces.   He was forced to save 5 break points and was cramping in both legs, but somehow he used superhuman effort and held his serve.  After receiving treatment from one of the tournament trainers, Nico continued his courageous battle and had 3 match points in the 10th game of the set.  However, he squandered all of these as Costa was not prepared to give in but 2 games later he had 3 more and eventually had 3 more and won on his 6th match point as the match neared the 4 hour mark.  It took a Herculean effort to win 1-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 but this title is particuarly special because it is Nico's first since Lyon in October 1999, and sends the right message to all his rivals - NICO IS BACK! 

The little matter of ranking points should mean that Nico returns to the Top 20 in the Champions Race and the Entry System and his career is back heading in the right direction.   After a less than successful first half of the year, Nico's victory now on clay will send the right signals to the British LTA ahead of the Davis Cup tie in September and will ensure Nico heads into the latter stages of the tour this year with his confidence in tact again!

Quotes of the Day:

"It was unbelievable. I was very hungry and in the end I won it with my heart and not my tennis," a beaming Lapentti said afterwards.  "I wanted to win so badly. I won with my heart today."

Galo Blanco never really stood a chance.  I think it was destiny for Nico to reach the final this week.  He played a blinder in the semi final and won in straight sets 6-2, 6-4.  Although he was forced to come from behind in the second set, Nico's all court play, especially his heavy service action ensured he won and took his place in the final.  In the final he would play Albert Costa who has had a love affair with the Austrian Tyrol, winning there three times over the past 5 years!

27 July 2001 - Nico sends Ferrero packing his bags

Juan Carlos Ferrero was the top seed at the Generali Open and Nico's quarter final opponent.  With the second, third and fourth seeds out by this stage (Kafelnikov, Corretja and Squillari), Ferrero was under pressure to perform.  Having won their two previous matches this year (also on clay), most people thought it was just a foregone conclusion that the Spaniard would win again.  He was on the hunt for a 5th clay court title of the year. 

However, Nico had other ideas.  He came from 3-5 down in the first set to force a tiebreak and from then onwards he did not look back, winning in straight sets 7-6, 6-2.   Three matches down and Nico would play his 4th claycourt specialist in the semi finals - Galo Blanco who had beaten Franco Squilari earlier in the day!

26 July 2001 - Nico grants me my wish - AN EASY WIN!

Nico's match against Gaston was scheduled last on the second centre court and I did not think I would get the chance to see any of it.  However, Pavel won in under 50 minutes and Coria did his side of the bargain too by winning in under an hour and I managed to see the first 3 games before I had to leave.  However, I need not have worried - Nico was never in trouble and won 6-2, 6-2 in just over an hour.

Nico and Gaston were taking their encounter so seriously that they were having lunch together with their coaches as South American rival Guillermo Coria was blistering through the first set of his match!  Both of them had to move rather swiftly to the locker room to chance when Coria won the set 6-1 in just 15 minutes!  (I think Gaston knew he was on a hiding to nothing because he hardly spent any time on the practice courts that day!)

25 July 2001 - Nico beats Diaz

Nico obviously came onto court very determined against Diaz earlier this afternoon.   After losing the first set in their only previous encounter, Nico had decided to lay the law down early and won the first set 6-0 in just over 15 minutes.  Diaz looked completely out of his depth and I was sure the match could be over in a matter of minutes, however Nico has this annoying habit of making life difficult for himself and he did the same in this match. 

After holding serve at the start of the second set, Nico lost his serve in the third game and again in the 7th game to leave himself 2-5 down.  Diaz even reached set point before Nico obviously woke up and got his concentration back and reeled off the next 5 games to take the match 6-0, 7-5.  Next opponent Gaston Gaudio.

24 July 2001 - Kitzbuhel Wild Card

After limited match practice at both Gstaad and Stuttgart, Nico has been awarded a wild card for his final clay court tournament of the year (apart from the little matter of the Davis Cup) at the Generali Open, Kitzbuhel.  Seeded 6, Nico got a bye in the first round and a possible tricky second round match against Jacobo Diaz from Spain.   [Remember this guy from Rome? Diaz took a set off Nico in their quarter final match before Nico pulled away!]

19 July 2001 - Stuttgart Success

Nico is back in action at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart this week.  So far he has beaten Markus Hipfl and David Sanchez, both in straight sets (6-3, 6-3 and 7-5, 6-4 respectively) but now could find things a little tough with a quarter final match against fellow South American rival and French Open Champion, Guga. 

In doubles, Nico is back with Tomas Carbonell and they have already had a repeat win over Novak and Rikl this week.  Nico will most probably be in singles and doubles action on Friday.

13 July 2001 - Nico returns to action in Gstaad

After two weeks rest at his parents' home in Guayaquil Nico returned to ATP Tour action this week.  He won his opening round match against Lorenzo Manta but only just failed to get past French seed, Sebastien Grosjean in the second round.  However, things were better in doubles.  Nico was partnered by Spaniard Tomas Carbonell and together they reached the semi finals, beating No.1 seeds Jiri Novak and David Rikl in an earlier round before they lost to Hill and Tarango.

20 June 2001 - Nico pulls out of Wimbledon

12 June 2001 - Nico falters in Halle

Rainer Schuettler proved to be too good on the fast surface in Halle earlier today when he beat Nico in straight sets.  Although Nico beat Schuettler in Hamburg recently, the German's game is far more suited to the faster surfaces like grass and Nico struggled to hold his own in what is his first match on grass since the Davis Cup tie in Perth, Australia earlier this year.  He went down in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 and is now thinking of trying to get a wild card into one of the ATP tournaments at either Nottingham or s-Hertogenbosch next week to ensure he has more practice on grass ahead of Wimbledon which starts on 25th June. 

Nico also partnered Roger Federer in the doubles later in the afternoon but they were unfortunate to draw the number two seeds, Kafelnikov and Prinosil.  Although they fought hard, the New Balls pair lost in straight sets - incidently by the same score Nico lost earlier - 6-4, 6-4.

Check back here for more news on Nico's movements next week in a few days.

11 June 2001 - Nico vs Schuettler tomorrow

Nico will be on court first Tuesday as he tries to reach the second round of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle. He is defending Quarter Final points but he has a particularly tough draw. If he beats the German Schuettler he will face Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the second round.

Later in the afternoon, he takes to the doubles court with Roger Federer against Kafelnikov and Prinosil.

10 June 2001 - Halle News

However, Nico will no doubt have stayed on to watch "baby brother" Giovanni play in the Junior Singles competition for the last year.  Giovanni has been drawn against Peruvian youngster Luis Felipe Noriega in the first round and will no doubt play on Monday.  This match is more interesting seeing as though Ecuador have just beaten Peru in the World Cup Soccer qualifying rounds.  This means that Ecuador are now in 3rd place and 4 points clear of Brazil.  A couple more victories over the remaining matches and they should get automatic qualification.

Nico will be in singles action tomorrow against Brazilian Fernando Meligini (who reached the semi finals in 1999).  He is fourth match up on Court 7.

Meanwhile Nico will have some more match practice tomorrow when he plays his first round doubles match with new partner Sjeng Schalken (him of being scared of snakes!).  They take on the US partnership of Johnson and Palmer on Court 10 (4th match).  More updates when they are available!

However, Nico is feeling much more confident in the run up to the French Open now that he has got some really good singles victories under his belt.  He is coming back to form just at the right time.

An awesome performance from a great guy!  Well done Nico!  Let's see some more!

Nico now heads to Hamburg where he will play German Rainer Schuettler in the first round of the Tennis Masters event.  Although Nico has had several family members with him in Munich and Rome, I understand they are now heading home so keep thinking positive Nico - your fans are with you in spirit!

Nico is also a wild card entry with Nicolas Kiefer in the doubles event.  Together the two Nicos will face a tough match tomorrow against the Indian pair, Bhupathi and Paes. 

It was a great turnaround and puts Nico in to the semi finals against another Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero who has already won 3 titles so far this season.  The semi final is set to start at 2.30 Rome time and I will try to put up updates as they happen.

In another rain interupted day in Rome, Nico was one of the lucky ones to be able to complete his third round match. However, he was forced to do it the hard way in another three set match which was not completed until after the "witching hour" of midnight.

Nicolas took an early 2-0 lead in the first set and this break was enough to win the set 6-3. However he suffered a breakdown in concentration in the second set (hardly surprising really seeing how late it was) and lost the set 6-2. There was nothing to pick between the players in the final set and it went to a sudden death tie break which Nico won 7-4.  Full score 6-3, 2-6, 7-6.

Nico now plays Jacobo Diaz from Spain for a place in the semi finals. They have only played each other once and that was back in 1996 so their match should be an interesting encounter. With Nico's half of the draw opening up after the defeats of Kafelnikov, Agassi, Safin and Henman, Nico should have a good chance to make it all the way.

Coria made a positive start and won the first set 6-3 before Nico countered (as he has done many times in the past) and won the second set, by the same score.  With time getting on Coria obviously made the best start to the final set and was on the verge of victory when Nicolas fought back and won 5 games in a row to win the match 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 and seal victory in spectacular fashion.

Now he will play Felix Mantilla for a place in the quarter finals.  

The Club National has been used to host three previous Davis Cup ties against Brazil, Uruguay and Holland and as yet Team Ecu have not won there.  It remains to be seen whether they can change history! 

Afterwards Nico was upbeat about the whole situation.  "The Dr gave his approval to me and I decided to play.  The ankle was not a great problem."

The draw for both the singles and doubles events are now up and Nico has been drawn against Sjeng Schalken in the first round of the singles event whilst in the doubles he has paired up with fellow South American Marcelo Rios.  They will be playing the Czech pair Pala and Vizner in the first round.

Good luck Nico - I know you will make the right decision.  I hope the injury is recovered enough to allow to compete well - that is if you decide to play!.

Nico has been receiving physiotherapy, laser treatment and ultrasound twice a day in an attempt to get back on court again as quickly as possible and whilst he is unable to run about the tennis court, he has been doing a high percentage of gym work on other areas of his upper body and legs (eg abdominal excercises, weights and bicycle) to make sure he does not lose any of his physical conditioning once he is able to step out on court on active duty again. 

The aim is for him to get back into competitive action for the ATP tournament in Munich which starts next Monday (30th April) but if necessary will wait until the Tennis Masters Series event in Rome.  It is a shame that injury should strike Nico just at this time because traditionally the clay court season is where his game prospers and he would hope to get some good results.  However, it can't be helped and I am sure you all join me in wishing him well and a quick recovery so he can get back winning again. 

It is not all bad news though.  As long as his treatment is going well and the Dr approves, Nico was hoping to go and cheer on his home nation take on Paraquay in a soccer World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday in Quito. 

They say things goes in threes and this time it certainly has.  The main members of the Ecuadorian Davis Cup team have all been struck down with injuries so it is just as well that they don't have to play Davis Cup until September.  Not only is Nico incapacitated with his ankle injury, but Giovanni has now returned home to Guayaquil with a bank injury and Luis Morejon is also recovering from an injury picked up at the Salinas Challenger back in March.  It looks as though Dr Flores will be hard at work on the limbs of Team Ecu for some weeks to come!

It looks like he will have to be out of tournament action for about 10 days and will, as a result, probably not be able to take his place in the draw in the ATP tournament in Barcelona which begins next Monday.  More news updates when they are available.

Tim Henman and Nico were actually together in the player's lounge at Estoril when the news of the draw came through.  I should think Nico had a massive smile on his face - what irony!  Roger Taylor said it was just a co-incidence and fate was taking a hand but I think it shows that Nicolas and Giovanni can prove that last year's success was not just a fluke.  GO ECUADOR!

More tie news when it is available.

This weekend has also seen the Davis Cup show again.  The World Group and Zonal second round all took place over the last 3 days and have sprung up some unusual results, and for the first time in 8 years Ecuador was not involved - there IS some benefit from being in the World Group, a weekend off now and then!  As a result of losing their first round match, Team Ecu - well "Team Lapentti" now go into the draw for the Promotion/Relegation Play Offs in September.  The draw is made up of the 8 losing teams in the WG first round and 8 other teams pressing for promotion from the Zonal groups.    With only one zonal group result outstanding these are the teams in contention:

World Group
USA, Spain, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Morocco, Belgium, Romania and of course Ecuador

Zonal Groups
Argentina, Chile, Belarus, Italy, Great Brtain, Croatia, India and Uzbekistan

The draw will be taking place this Wednesday - 11th April - and as far as I can make out the following is what we can expect.  Ecuador is actually lucky because there are several certainties for home ties and 9 other ties which would be drawn by lot. 

Certain Away ties include:
USA, Czech Republic and Argentina

Certain Home ties
Chile, Great Britain and Spain

Tie venues drawn by lot
Belarus, Italy, Croatia, India, Uzbekistan, Morocco, Slovak Republic, Belgium, Romania

Keep your fingers crossed for Wednesday because Nico and Giova do deserve a chance to show that last year was not just a fluke!

March was not exactly the success of last year. With quarter final points to defend from Scottsdale, semi final points to defend at Indian Wells and quarter final points to defend in Miami, Nico knew he would need to play extremely well to get to those stages, especially in the Tennis Masters Events because his entry system ranking meant he was not going to be seeded in the top 16 and thus could draw a top seed as early as the first round. Here is part one of my report. Hope you enjoy it!

Delray Beach

The Delray Beach tournament is just over an hour’s drive of Miami, where Nico now bases himself, and that may have been a reason why Nico chose to play there instead of playing in Scottsdale like he has done the last two years. Personally I was disappointed that he decided not to go back to Arizona because he has played well there and it is so near the same altitude and conditions as Indian Wells.

With many of the top stars deciding to play in Scottsdale or miss that week, Nico was seeded 2 at Delray Beach behind Patrick Rafter. In fact many of the baseliners were playing there and I wonder if it had something to do with the surface and speed of the courts. With many of the top stars absent, Nico found himself involved with several of the event’s promotional activities. He must be a big kid at heart because on the first day of the tournament he was the sands of Delray Beach helping to build a sandcastle and appropriately decked out in beachwear and sun shades!

Nico raced through his first round match with Spaniard Galo Blanco only losing 2 games, finishing with a flourish 6-1, 6-1. However, the next round was not quite so successful. Nico played Xavier Malisse who was a Finalist in Delray Beach in 1999 Malisse had been forced to play through the qualifying competition and so was well used to the conditions and court surface. Although it was not a whitewash, the match was over in straight sets 3-6, 4-6 with Nico on the losing side.

The most disconcerting thing was that Nico could not seem to get any consistency. Not counting successes in doubles, Nico had not won back-to-back matches on the ATP Tour since October 2000 and it was not good for his confidence let alone his ranking!

Needing some more court time, Nico had already paired up with Juan Balcells in the doubles and together they won one match but had to retire from the second because Balcells had "pulled a muscle" – if my Spanish is correct!  (Perhaps it would be a better idea to play at Scottsdale again next year Nico?) 

Losing early in the tournament had its positive side though because it meant that Nico could travel across to the west coast with a few days to spare and fully prepare himself for the Tennis Masters Series event in Indian Wells.

Indian Wells

Nico must like the new Indian Wells Tennis Garden in the Californian desert because after reaching the semi finals last year, he followed up with a quarter final appearance this year. In fact Nico’s sojourn in the Palm Springs area produced the best run of form since he reached the quarter finals in Shanghai last October. He defeated two top ten players in the first three rounds which included his first ever victory over Tim Henman.

Even though he did not end up playing his first round match before the Tuesday, Nico arrived in Indian Wells in good time and spent a fair amount of his time on the practice court, perfecting his groundstrokes and particularly his serve in advance of his Masters Series’ campaigns. His practice partners included Alex Calatrava, Thomas Enqvist and Guga Kuerten. He practiced twice on the Saturday, once on Sunday, twice on Monday and again on Tuesday. My only problem was keeping abreast of his practice times and planning my tennis watching around them!

When the draw came out, my heart sank when I saw that Nico had been drawn to play Magnus Norman, who was ranked inside the Top 5. However, as Nico himself pointed out to me – Magnus is not the player he used to be, and beating him would be "no problem!" I did not point out that Norman had reached the final in Scottsdale!

The schedule planners obviously decided that the Norman/Lapentti clash deserved stadium court billing and the match was scheduled for Tuesday evening, after Hingis had strut her stuff.

Even though I was most definitely on holiday, I had agreed to help on one of the exhibition stands, so I volunteered to cover for Betsy whilst Martina was in action on the understanding she was back to relieve me well before Nico came on court!

PART 2....

Thankfully she was true to her word and I managed to miss the whole of Martina’s strut! Armed with my player guest pass I walked into the box seat area of the stadium court just as the women left and Nico and Magnus came on.

The first set was tight but Magnus got the decisive break and won the set 6-4. As the second set started, there was a distinct transfer in control. It looked as though Magnus had taken a strong tranquilliser whilst Nico was feeling the effects of consuming lots of cafeine. "Maggie" was always about two steps too slow getting to the ball whilst Nico was wide awake, raring to go and taking full advantage. An early break of serve became two breaks and "boring (not stormin’) Norman" spared himself blushes when he managed to get one game before the set was Nico’s 6-1. The final set was a repeat of the last but this time Norman was even more erratic. Nico let him hold one service game before he finished off the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 and the smile on his face showed just how satisfying this win was. It must be something about Swedes that makes Nico play well because he has such a good record against all the Swedish players.

With this comment in mind, I am sure that Nico was quietly confident for his next match – against Jonas Bjorkman which was scheduled the next day. It was going to be a good Nico viewing day for me because he was also down to play doubles (with Carlos Moya), therefore lots of picture opportunities!

Although I have always been the first to know about Nico’s possible clashes with my other favourite players, I had not looked beyond the first round. Bearing in mind that Nico had not won 2 matches in a row for over 5 months, it left me thinking that I should not look too far ahead. Therefore I was astonished when I realised that if Tim and Nico both won their second round matches, they would be playing against each other the following day. It would make for an interesting confrontation as far as I was concerned because after their last match in Australia, I got the distinct impression that Nico was finally getting to grips with Tim’s game plan and it was only a matter of time before he would win first a set and then a match over my other favourite.

After Tim had taken Pioline to the cleaners and in the process sounded like a real grouch (he had a go at everyone including umpire, linesmen and photographers), it was Nico’s turn to deliver. The temperatures had climbed steadily and were well above 80 degrees by lunchtime. Nico’s first match of the day was scheduled on Court 4 and started just after 2 pm when the sun was at its most difficult angle. However the sun obviously did not bother him and he raced through this encounter, winning 6-3, 6-2 and so the tie of the third round (as far as I was concerned) was on!

[With Guga, Patrick, Andre and Jan-Michael also winning, the matches would be exciting. Guga would play the hottest guy on the tour – in abs and form! – Jan-Michael Gambill, whilst Patrick was down to play the defending champion Alex Corretja.]

Having watched Tim, Nico and Patrick Rafter strut their stuff, I sought shade before the doubles match and caught up on the gossip with friends. Eventually the boys appeared on court relaxed because they spent much of the match laughing and smiling like a couple of teenagers! Their opponents were Cyril Suk and [someone else....] and to be quite honest I don’t think they had a single fan! It was obvious from the first point to the last that Nico and Carlos had all the ladies on side and they certainly enjoyed the attention from the crowd.

Although they lost the first set, the boys won in three sets – well they did have all the support – and it meant that I might get to see him play twice the next day too. When the match was over they were soon signing autographs.

I did not have long to wait before the order of play came out for the next day. If the match was not scheduled before the evening, I knew I would find it tough to make it back to Phoenix in time for my flight to Miami early Friday morning…. As it turned out, I have On-Digital to thank because they had requested the match be scheduled around lunchtime so they could show it live in Britain. Much to my delight Nico and Carlos were also scheduled to play doubles "after a suitable rest" and so maybe I would be able to stay to see that too!

The sun was out early on "N"-Day as I think I will call it and again it was blisteringly hot. I don’t call myself psychic but when I woke up I knew that Nico would win. I don’t know quite how I knew but I just did. (and it wasn’t just hope!)

Having managed to avoid Team Henman all morning (and this was not easy), I sat back to watch the match. Tim took the first two games of the match but when he failed to hold his own serve for a 3-0 lead, Nico was back in the match. And from a British point of view things went downhill from then on. Nico was not exactly serving or hitting Tim off the court, it was more that he was playing an unexpected uncanny game. He managed to put Tim on the defensive and the Briton started to make mistakes. In a change from their previous encounters, Tim was not able to dictate the pace and Nico seemed to win most if not all the long rallies. Nico managed to take the lead when he broke Tim’s serve for the second time in the 9^th game but serving out the set was not easy. Nico went 0-30 down and break point down before he came back and took the set 6-4. Bearing in mind that Nico had not won a set off Tim in three previous meeting, this was an achievement in itself and when he continued to dictate play at the start of the second set, I knew my prediction would come true. Both players held serve early in the second set but Nico managed to break through again in the 7^th game which left him having to hold serve twice for another big win. Tim held break points on both of these service games but Nico held firm and on his first match point, he served an ace to win 6-4, 6-4. The smile of satisfaction was fantastic to see.

The doubles was not so great. Nico and Carlos were up against Wayne Ferreira and Yevgeny Kafelnikov and the South African/Russian partnership won in straight sets but it was a great way to end my week in Indian Wells.

Although I had to leave, Nico was still standing in the singles event. He was one more victory away from defending his points from last year but a very difficult match stood between him and a second successive semi final. He had to play Andre Agassi and from all angles he was playing extremely well. Having been embarrassed by Francisco Clavet in Scottsdale for the second year running, Andre was in no mood to lose and Nico never really stood a chance. Andre had him in on the run from the first point to the last and Nico was very lucky not to be bageled. He lost in straight sets 1-6, 2-6 and had to make plans to fly back to Florida in preparation for the Ericsson Open at Key Biscayne.

28 February 2001 - Nico having week of rest

Nico is in Miami this week, ahead of a busy month on Tour, training with his coach Pato.  I understand that Giovanni is also with the guys in Miami getting a few hints ahead of returning home to Ecuador to play in the challenger event in Salinas.  Nico is due to play at Delray Beach, then Indian Wells and Miami during March. 

23 February 2001 - Memphis Update

Sorry for the absence of updates over the past couple of days.  Me and my computer haven't exactly seen eye to eye!  However, the news is not particularly good.   Nico lost his first match in Memphis against Sebastien Lareau 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 and now has to wait until Delray Beach to test himself in singles again.  However the news is slightly better in doubles where he is partnered by Juan Balcells.  They won their first match against the Aussie partnership of Wayne Arthurs and Ben Ellwood 6-4, 6-4 and now play wild card partnership Tommy Haas and his partner Glenn Weiner (USA) in the quarter finals.  That match is scheduled for today.

21 February 2001 - Nico double action today

Nico fans are being very lucky today.  They will have two chances to see him play.   First he takes on Sebastien Lareau in the singles in the second match on stadium court.  Then later in the afternoon he will be playing doubles with partner Juan Balcells against Ellwood and Arthurs. 

19 February 2001 - Nicolas and Giovanni in Memphis

Nico is back in ATP action this week in the International Series event in Memphis.   Seeded 4, he has a bye in the first round and is due to play Edwin Kempes or Sebastien Lareau in the second round.  Meanwhile Giovanni was in action over the weekend.  Thanks (probably) to some fast talking from brother Nicolas, Giovanni was able to get a place in the qualifying draw.  However he was drawn against Taylor Dent.  Unfortunately he lost in straight sets but it will do his confidence no harm to confirm how he is progressing.  In early March he will return to Ecuador to play in the Salinas Challenger but until then he will be training with Nico to help him build up his strength and tactics.

11 February 2001 - Nico and Giova defeated in Perth but still have their pride

Day 3 of the DC tie was a bit of an anticlimax. Nico and Giovanni had put so much into the doubles rubber that they obviously did not have anything left when it came to playing the final singles rubbers. Nico looked drained and exhausted and never really was able to play up to his best tennis. It was because of tiredness and the fact that Lleyton was not allowing him to play his game.  The match was over in just 1 hour 25 minutes 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 and the Australians started to celebrate.   Giovanni then played Pat Rafter in the final singles rubber (best of three sets) but he too was too tired to make any real impact on the match.  Although he put up a good fight in the first set, Pat won 6-3, 6-1.

However, Team Ecuador (or Team Lapentti) can certainly take some pride out of this weekend's events.  They came to Australia with little chance of winning (Nico's words not mine) and not only made a match of it but also gained a lot of respect from the Australians and fans around the world for putting up such a brave and courageous fight in the Doubles.  The Australian team (and all their fans and the Australian media) expected to win the tie within 9 sets - and completely wipe the floor with Nico and Giovanni.  However, it wasn't that.  Nico and Giovanni gave it everything in the doubles - played their hearts out for their country and everyone in Ecuador should be proud.  They certainly showed they deserved their place in the World Group and hopefully will get a reasonable draw in the Play-Off Round in September.  Well done guys!  Good on you!  Meanwhile they have to wait until April to hear who they will play and whether it will be a home or away tie.  [Personally I would like a tie somewhere in Europe so I can go but I know that Nicolas and Giovanni will be hoping for a tie at home where they can play on their preferred clay court surface.]

10 February 2001 - Davis Cup tie still live as Lapentti Brothers win doubles in 5 sets!

Nico and Giova certainly bounced back well after yesterday's singles losses to make an immediate impact in the doubles rubber.  After Australia took the opening game on serve, the Lapenttis won 5 games in a row, breaking in the 3rd and 5th games before Giovanni held serve to take the set 6-2 in just 37 minutes.  The second set went well until 2-2 then the Australians won their own run of games to take the set 6-2 and opened up a 2-0 lead in the third before Nico and Giovanni managed to win another game.  However this was the only one they won in Set 3 because the Australian pair won it 6-1 to hold a two sets to one advantage.  The set took 42 minutes to complete but only had 7 games - the quality of the tennis meant that all the players struggled to hold serve (and Nico had service game which must have lasted about 15 minutes!)   

The 4th set was incredibly tense and the pressure was well and truly on the Lapenttis.  It went right down to the wire and Nico and Giovanni managed to take it to a tie break and the boys raced to a 6-0 lead before they took the breaker 7-1.  A titanic final set was beckoning and that is exactly what it turned out to be.

Hugs of delight all round (evidently!- I am still waiting for the videos!) and the Australian team know they have a real fight on their hands.  Match score 2-1 to Australia and all the pressure is now on Nico when he walks out on court tomorrow for his match against Lleyton Hewitt.  However - remember Nico has a winning record against Lleyton (Lyon 1999) - it is amazing what a bit of confidence and self-belief can do!

[No one had better say one word about the Lapenttis being all hype ever again! - Marat Safin and Juan Carlos Ferrero didn't do too well yesterday!]

9 February 2001 - Day 1 News

In blistering hot temperatures of Perth, Nico's match against Pat did not really live up to expectations.  Pat got an early break and although Nico broke back, the Aussie bandwagon was rolling.  The second set was a complete rout and it was only in the third set that Nico started to really fight back.  He was down an early break again and broke back and then held serve until the 11th game when Pat was able to go up a few more gears and put pressure on Nico's serve, just enough to break.  Final score 6-3, 6-0, 7-5, with the match taking just 97 minutes.

Giovanni gave it his very best but it just was not enough.  He lost the first set 6-3 and then went an early break down in the second.  But he managed to break back but Lleyton broke again (twice) to take the set 6-2.  A ray of light came when Giova broke Lleyton's serve at the start of the third set.  However this lead was shortlived.  Lleyton broke back again immediately - on this occasion Giova's serve let him down and when the Australian went 3-1 and then 4-1 up it was only a matter of time before the rubber was over.  Lleyton took 96 minutes to complete the match 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.  

It was not a great day for Team Ecu and we can only hope that 2 Lapenttis prove better than one tomorrow in the doubles rubber.

8 February 2001 - Davis Cup draw

Nico will lead off for "Team Ecu" in the country's first match in the Davis Cup World Group tomorrow. He takes on the "popularity king" Pat Rafter in the first match and then Giovanni will get his chance to take on Lleyton Hewitt in the second rubber. It will be a weekend of "Team Lapentti" rather than Team Ecu because the brothers will take on Todd Woodbridge and leftie Wayne Arthurs and both are down to play the reverse singles rubbers on Sunday.

Full Match Draw Details

Friday 9 February
Nico vs Pat - 1100 Perth / 3 am GMT / 4 pm in Europe / 10 pm (Thursday) in Ecuador
followed by
Giova vs Lleyton

Saturday 10 February
Nico & Giova vs Todd Woodbridge & Wayne Arthurs - 1200 Perth / 3 am GMT etc...

Sunday 11 February
Nico vs Lleyton - 1100 Perth
followed by
Giova vs Pat

At the draw ceremony earlier today in Perth, both teams said that the first rubber would be the crucial one. Nico said that it was a bit strange to be playing Rafter in his position as the second player for Australia. He said "in Davis Cup you normally see that as the best hope, but that fact that I am playing Rafter makes it a bit special." Nico then talked about his own tennis and the intensive preparations for the tie. "I have played Pat before and I have never beaten him, he has that edge, that advantage, but I am playing well and I feel good and I like my chances," said Lapentti. "The last few days I have been hitting the ball well and that's important. On grass you don't need to think too much, you just need to be hitting the ball well, serve well and then get your chances."

Pat said "It's going to be a tough match because he is a very good player, we all know that and he is capable of beating anyone, really on any surface but the grass court is probably in my favour and I know I am playing well, so I am just going to go out there and concentrate on my game. He is going to have to play very well to beat me."

In a week that has seen the usual pre-Davis Cup politics, Nico has evidently gone on record on Australian TV to say that he doesn't think that Lleyton's on court antics are very sportsmanlike. Wally Masur, the Australian team coach hit back and said that Nico was whinging - it is all just the fun and games of pre-match hype! And I heard that Lleyton turned up early at the practice courts yesterday the Australia's practice sessions and refused to shake Giovanni's hand. Now that is friendly! (not!). Anyway we will see what happens tomorrow.

Good luck boys. I really hope you can play up to your expectations and make your country proud. Another performance like at Wimbledon last summer would be just great! All I know is that you will give it your very best shot. I think Raul Viver has it right when he said "All the guys in the team feel the same about Davis Cup, it is part of their lives, they are very proud to represent Ecuador and they always try their best and most of the time they play their best tennis for Ecuador."

3 February 2001 - Davis Cup only a week away

Out among the Wattle Park trams and Frankston trains on court18 on Tuesday, Giovanni Lapentti played a first-round boys' singles match against Simon Stadler of Germany. He lost.

In just over a fortnight, Lapentti will play for Ecuador in his country's return to the Davis Cup world group for the first time since 1986. His opponents will be Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt.  Lapentti turns 18 on Thursday. His coming of age might be a good time to question his own trams and trains in following big brother Nicolas and godfather Andres Gomez in the family trade.

In fairness to Giovanni, if he catches Australia's finest on a bad hair day, they couldn't be much tougher than his tormentor yesterday. Stadler is seeded six in the juniors here, ranked 11 in the world, and played like a brick wall juiced up on Duracell. It's been said before, but his is a name worth remembering.

Lapentti had it all over his left-handed opponent for size and power, as he does over Nicolas, despite spotting him seven years. But this was no playground punch-up, and Stadler eventually scraped through 6-4, 5-7, 8-6.

The German's win was even more meritorious for the fact that he was outnumbered in the extreme. Courtside sat Nicolas Lapentti senior, mum Maria-Cecilia, Nicolas junior, 21-year-old sister Carolina and the youngest of the Lapentti clan, 10-year-old Leonardo. The MCG and aforementioned public transport aside, it was more Guayaquil than Munich.

"I think we've seen some very good tennis for juniors here," was Nicolas' assessment from the sidelines. "Not every pro has a return like him (Stadler). I think Giovanni served pretty well in some important games, and Stadler was putting every single return back."

Giovanni is already looking to Perth, and the Davis Cup first-rounder starting on February 9th. "I just have to erase that page from my life," he said of yesterday's loss, which came after Lapentti squandered a match point.

Not only does he look like he could play centre half-forward for Collingwood, Lapentti is itching to progress from playing boys to men; he has never enjoyed junior tennis. "I play because I have to play, not because I like to play. I'm looking forward to playing pro this year."

Lapentti described Rafter and Hewitt as "not easy, for sure". "They're top players in the world, and I'm still a junior. But it's different, Davis Cup. Last year at Wimbledon, I lost (in the) second round of the juniors and when I played Davis Cup, I played quite well."

Not half. A week after the 2000 All-England Championships, Ecuador took on Britain. With a spot in the world group at stake, it came down to the last match: Giovanni Lapentti v Arvind Parmar. The teenager went two sets down on the world's most famous tennis court. And still he won.  Lapentti returned home to a hero's welcome. He has done well to keep a level head. "It was a good time, but I cannot live with that result for my whole life."  He hopes to play both singles and doubles in Perth, but will be happy simply to be playing.

No definitive account of the mother country's catalogue of sporting disasters can now be written without including a chapter titled: "How we lost the Davis Cup to Ecuador - on grass." [The Australians engaging in their favourite subject - POM Bashing!]

For Nicolas, the tie with Australia is even more poignant. Still only 24, he first played for his country in 1993, a year before winning the French and US Open junior [doubles] tournaments. "Since I got into the team that was the main goal - to get back into the world group," Nicolas said. "Finally, eight years later, we made it."

While the eldest sons will stay on to prepare for Perth, the travelling Lapenttis will take in a bit of the country before heading west to see their boys take on Australia. Before then, there will be time to celebrate Giovanni's 18th.  He has a plan. "I'm going to go to the casino, because one week ago I went and they say, `You can't come in, we don't do babysitting'." It must have been a brave doorman.

24 January 2001 - Nico and Carlos pull out

Giovanni was involved in a lengthy first round boys singles match yesterday he was up against Simon Stadler of Germany.  Although Giovanni had the advantage in height and power over his opponent, sixth seeded Stadler came up with most killer punches and scraped through 6-4, 5-7, 8-6.  Giova definitely had the most support out there, with his parents, older brother (Nico of course) and sister Carolina as well as the baby of the family Leonardo encouraging him from the sidelines.  Giovanni was quite philosophical about his defeat here.  "I just have to erase that page from my life," he said.  As he says he has never enjoyed junior tenis.  "I play because I have to play, not because I like to play. I'm looking forward to playing pro this year."

And Nicolas' opinion about his kid brother?  "I think we've seen some very good tennis for juniors here," was his assessment from the sidelines. "Not every pro has a return like him (Stadler). I think Giovanni served pretty well in some important games, and Stadler was putting every single return back."

21 January 2001 - Doubles Quarter Finals Again

However, back to the match at hand. Renamed after the Aussie legend Rod Laver last year, the main stadium was barely a quarter full when play got underway (it was only 1045 in the morning) but by the end the stadium was fairly near capacity as the momentum went back and forth as the match progressed.

After Ecuador’s great triumph over Great Britain last summer, this match took on extra significance as it was the first time since Nico and his younger brother Giovanni had inflicted major embarrassment on the Brits that Tim Henman or Greg Rusedski had played Nico, and it gave Tim a chance to gain a certain amount of revenge. Although neither player admitted that the match would be a grudge encounter, it was in the British media and amongst the British tennis public because the word "Ecuador" still makes people’s blood boil even 6 months later!

Having never taken a set off Tim in their two previous matches, Nico seemed much more confident ahead of the match and knew that he needed to be aggressive to succeed. With 7 victories in 5 set matches behind him in previous Aussie Opens to boost his confidence, who could blame him.

A 22 minute first set (6-1 to Tim) left the general impression that Nico had left his good intentions in the locker room. However the conditions were far from ideal at the start. Even though a relatively low temperature and blustery wind meant the courts were playing relatively slowly, Nico did not seem to be able to pick his game up until the sun came out at the start of the second set. At this point Nico started to play with far more confidence and began producing some of those groundstrokes that we all so admire and these kept him in contention. However when Tim broke serve in the 7^th game things started to look a bit ominous. Having said that, Tim was being forced to play some sublime tennis and this showed just how much respect that he has for Ecuador’s finest!

From 3-5 down, Nico clawed his way back into the set, saving 4 set points before breaking the British No.1 to level things up 5-5. A run of 9 points in a row left him leading 6-5 and the set was finally settled on a tiebreak. Having never broken Tim’s serve before or winning more than 4 games in a set, this in itself was an achievement, and brought praise from the very pro-British commentators. "Suddenly Nicolas Lapentti is playing as well as Tim did half an hour ago and there is no higher praise than that!"

Just one loose point in the tie break was all it took to settle it and with both players giving it their all, the sixth point of that tie break was the best of the 2001 Championships so far. The speed and skills of both players were tested to the full as Nico and Tim vied for supremacy. Nico’s speed and retrieval skills are second to none usually but here Tim beat him to the punch! It was a great pity that Nico could not maintain the pressure of the previous few games. The tiebreak went the way of Henman 7-3 but at two sets down, I really admire the fact that Nico did not give up.

Nico seemed to take heart from the fact that he was pushing Tim to the edge and his shot making and tenacity to chase everything down at the start of third set brought cheers of approval from the growing crowd. Over the past two years of watching Nico at various tournaments around the world, I know how easily he can turn things around and he did just that, breaking Henman’s serve immediately at the start of the third set. At 2-0 up, Nico had some more chances to break but then disaster struck. He slipped trying to retrieve a forehand winner and went over on his ankle. If anything, it seemed to unsettle Henman more than Nico, because Tim served two successive double faults to hand a second successive break to Nico (3-0). Although Nico’s movement did not seem to be visibly impaired, he still asked for an injury time-out to allow his ankle to be strapped. Overall I think this was a wise decision, perhaps more precautionary than necessary, but with several other dates looming large on the tennis calendar (not to mention the words "Davis Cup against Australia") Nico could not afford for any slight injury to get worse than absolutely necessary. However, it broke his concentration and Nico lost his serve and Henman started the long haul back. Nico held off further break points in the 6^th game (to lead 4-2), but with Tim raising his game all the time, Nico was not able to do this indefinitely. Things irretrievably went against him when Tim got the second break back to level at 4-4 and Nico was forced to serve to stay in the match twice at 4-5 and 5-6 down, which he did most admirably, before the match entered its second tie break.

In a "do or die" situation, Nico threw in a very unfortunate double fault, which handed Tim the early advantage, and although Nico levelled up at 5-5 and held a set point at 6-5, he just did not have the firepower on this occasion to stop Henman. He saved one match point at 6-7 but on the second had no reply to Henman’s tricky spinning service action. Henman won 6-1, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (9-7), but with a scoreline like that it was far from convincing.

At the key points in the match, Nico did not have the luck but I feel it is only a matter of time before he gets to grips with Tim’s game and starts to win. Nico played about 500% better than he did against Tim at Wimbledon last summer and obviously his rest over the off-season as well as rigorous pre-season training has helped to make Nico hungry for success. I just hope I am there to see it happen!

**  That being said, Nico is still due to take part in the mens doubles event tomorrow when he and partner Carlos Moya take on the German pairing of Lars Burgsmuller and Michael Kohlmann.  I just hope that the ankle is not too stiff after his singles match and that he can get some extra match practice ahead of the Davis Cup.

There is an interview with Nico on the Aussie Open website which is quite amusing - the highlights are also on my message board thanks to Jenny (Biggs???) and if you have Real Player - there is an audio version too!

To this end, he has decided to forego the opening tournaments of 2001, and to start his season at Melbourne at the Aussie Open which starts in a week's time.   Immediately after the  Open, he has the task of leading Ecuador against Australia in the Davis Cup, which will certainly be quite stressful!  Thereafter he plans to play the North American hardcourt events in Memphis, San Jose, and Delray Beach, in the lead-up to the TMS events at Indian Wells and Miami.

Good Luck, Nico!!!  I hope your efforts are well rewarded. (See you in Indian Wells)!!