By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
With the emergence of Joao Fonseca followers of the game have harkened back to the career and success of the last great Brazilian player, Gustavo ‘”Guga” Kuerten. As you can read in my book “On This Day in Tennis History (for sale and download here , It was on Jun8, 1997, when Guga, wearing his bright blue and yellow Diadora tennis gear, became one of the most unlikely long-shot champs ever at Roland Garros when he dismissed two-time champion Sergi Bruguera in the final,
June 8, 1997 – Gustavo Kuerten’s incredible run at the French Open ends in victory as the 20-year-old Brazilian becomes the first man from his country to win a major title with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 final round win over two-time French champion Sergi Bruguera of Spain. Ranked No. 66, Kuerten is the lowest ranked player to win the French Open men’s singles crown. Says Kuerten, “I didn’t expect this trophy, that’s why I didn’t believe that it could happen.”
In his famed tennis volume “The Bud Collins History Tennis” (for sale and download here https://a.co/d/09toltY2) the one and only Bud Collins wrote the following of Guga’s famous first win at Roland Garros
“The flamboyant Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten, ranked No. 66, made a spectacular unseeded run to come away with his first major title. The 20-year-old exploited his magnificent one-handed top-spin backhand and disposed of no fewer than three former champions in the ruling on the slow red clay of Roland Garros. He knocked out 1995 champion Muster in a five-set, third-round showdown, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 – after falling behind 3-0 in the final set – prevailed again in five arduous sets against defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 5-7, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4, and crushed 1993-94 victor Sergi Bruguera of Spain 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the final. Kuerten came into Roland Garros a stranger, and left with a rapidly rising reputation.”
