Guillermo Coria
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| Country |  Argentina |
|
| Residence | Venado Tuerto, Argentina | |
| Date of birth | January 13, 1982 | |
| Place of birth | Rufino, Argentina | |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | |
| Weight | 152 lb (69 kg) | |
| Turned Pro | 2000 | |
| Plays | Right; Two-handed backhand | |
| Career Prize Money | $5,817,486 | |
| Singles | ||
| Career record: | 216-105 | |
| Career titles: | 9 | |
| Highest ranking: | No. 3 (May 3, 2004) | |
| Grand Slam results | ||
| Australian Open | 4th (2003, 2005) | |
| French Open | F (2004) | |
| Wimbledon | 4th (2005) | |
| U.S. Open | QF (2003, 2005) | |
| Doubles | ||
| Career record: | 9-22 | |
| Career titles: | 0 | |
| Highest ranking: | No. 183 (March 1, 2004) | |
Guillermo Sebastián Coria (born January 13, 1982 in Rufino, Santa Fe Province), nicknamed El Mago (The Magician in Spanish), is a professional tennis player from Argentina. He was named after tennis champion and countryman Guillermo Vilas.
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[edit] Career
Coria turned professional in 2000, finishing 2003, 2004 and 2005 as a top ten. He is one of the fastest players in the Association of Tennis Professionals, consistently showing great performances on clay courts tournaments and is often a major threat at the French Open. His playing style is a counterpuncher.
Coria tested positive for nandrolone in April 2001 for which he was suspended 3 months, instead of the mandatory 2 years, after it was proven that he ingested the substance accidentally.
Coria reached the semifinals of the French Open in 2003 before getting upset by Martin Verkerk's booming serves. In 2004, as a favorite to win the title, he reached the French Open Men's Singles final, beating among others former #1 Carlos Moyá, but was unexpectedly defeated by unseeded compatriot Gastón Gaudio in an unprecedented all-Argentinean final, 0-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 8-6. Coria had won the first two sets convincingly before succumbing to leg cramps, at times barely able to move. Coria played on, went two breaks of serve ahead in the fifth set and even had two points to win at 6-5 because of Gaudio's shaky play. But in the end, Gaudio prevailed in a thrilling finish. It was an emotional loss for the event favorite and a more than what the suprise of the tournament can ask for. Gaudio implicitly admits the greatness of his rival, saying he will win next year. Unfortunately, Coria still lost in 2005, this time in the fourth round against Nikolay Davydenko in four sets.
Coria is considered one of the best clay court players never to win the French Open, perhaps only surpassed by Alex Corretja.
In August 2004, he had suffered a shoulder injury, which required surgery shortly before the Houston Masters Cup, in which he performed poorly.
Coria has appeared in several finals since the French Open defeat, but did not win another title until July 31st 2005, when he won in Umag, Croatia. Afterwards, Coria joked that the small tournament was considered a fifth Grand Slam in his family, because his wife Carla hails from Croatia. Coria had a surprisingly consistent 2005 season, where he reached the fourth round or better in every Grand Slam, having previously been considered somewhat out of his element on surfaces other than clay.
El Mago attended preschool with David Nalbandian in Argentina. He is a well known River Plate fan (he sometimes celebrates winning matches like Chilean soccer player Marcelo Salas).
Coria's level during 2006 seriously dropped, losing in the first round at several tournaments. He withdrew from the 2006 French Open and from Wimbledon to rehabilitate. In August 2006 he hired Horacio de la Peña as his tennis coach.
[edit] Grand Slam singles finals
[edit] Runner-ups (1)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2004 | French Open |  Gastón Gaudio |
6-0, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 6-8 |
[edit] ATP Masters Series singles finals
[edit] Wins (2)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2003 | Hamburg | Agustin Calleri |
6-3, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2004 | Monte Carlo |  Rainer Schüttler |
6-2, 6-1, 6-3 |
[edit] Runner-ups (5)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2003 | Monte Carlo |  Juan Carlos Ferrero |
2-6, 2-6 |
| 2004 | Miami |  Andy Roddick |
7-6, 3-6, 1-6, Ret. |
| 2004 | Hamburg |  Roger Federer |
6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 3-6 |
| 2005 | Monte Carlo | Rafael Nadal |
3-6, 1-6, 6-0, 5-7 |
| 2005 | Rome | Rafael Nadal |
4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 |
[edit] Titles (9)
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (2) |
| ATP Tour (7) |
[edit] Singles (9)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | Feb 12, 2001 | Vina del Mar, Chile | Clay | Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) | 4-6 6-2 7-5 |
| 2. | May 12, 2003 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Agustin Calleri (Argentina) | 6-3 6-4 6-4 |
| 3. | Jul 14, 2003 | Stuttgart, Germany | Clay | Tommy Robredo (Spain) | 6-2 6-2 6-1 |
| 4. | Jul 21, 2003 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Nicolás Massú (Chile) | 6-1 6-4 6-2 |
| 5. | Jul 28, 2003 | Sopot, Poland | Clay | David Ferrer (Spain) | 7-5 6-1 |
| 6. | Oct 12, 2003 | Basel, Switzerland | Carpet | David Nalbandian (Argentina) | W/O |
| 7. | Feb 16, 2004 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Carlos Moya (Spain) | 6-4 6-1 |
| 8. | Apr 19, 2004 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Rainer Schuettler (Germany) | 6-2 6-1 6-3 |
| 9. | Jul 31, 2005 | Umag, Croatia | Clay | Carlos Moyá (Spain) | 6-2 4-6 6-2 |
[edit] Singles Finalist (10)
- 2001: Mallorca (lost to Alberto Martin)
- 2002: Costa Do Sauipe (lost to Gustavo Kuerten)
- 2003: Buenos Aires (lost to Carlos Moya)
- 2003: Monte Carlo Masters (lost to Juan Carlos Ferrero)
- 2004: Miami Masters (lost to Andy Roddick)
- 2004: Hamburg Masters (lost to Roger Federer)
- 2004: French Open (lost to Gaston Gaudio)
- 2004: 's-Hertogenbosch (lost to Michael Llodra)
- 2005: Monte Carlo Masters (lost to Rafael Nadal)
- 2005: Rome Masters (lost to Rafael Nadal)
- 2005: Beijing (lost to Rafael Nadal)
[edit] Performance timeline
| Tournament | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | 3r | 4r | 1r | 4r | - | 2r | - | 0 |
| French Open | - | 4r | F | SF | 3r | 1r | 2r | 0 |
| Wimbledon | - | 4r | 2r | 1r | - | 1r | - | 0 |
| US Open | 1R | QF | - | QF | 3r | - | - | 0 |
| Grand Slam Win-Loss | ||||||||
| Indian Wells Masters | - | QF | ||||||
| Miami Masters | 3r | F | ||||||
| Monte Carlo Masters | QF | F | W | F | 1r | SF | - | 1 |
| Rome Masters | 1r | F | - | 3r | - | 2r | - | 0 |
| Hamburg Masters | 1r | QF | F | W | - | - | - | 1 |
| Canada Masters | - | 1r | 1r | 1r | 0 | |||
| Cincinnati Masters | - | 2r | - | QF | 2r | 1r | - | 0 |
| Madrid Masters | - | 3r | 0 | |||||
| Paris Masters | 0 | |||||||
| Tennis Masters Cup | RR | RR | RR | - | - | - | 0 |
