Once Banned for Drugs, Argentina's Puerta reaches French semis against rising Russian

Once banned for drugs, Argentina's Puerta reaches French semis against rising Russian
By STEVE WILSTEIN, AP Sports WriterJune 1, 2005

AP - Jun 1, 2:33 pm EDTMore PhotosPARIS (AP) -- Shouts of bravo mingled with expressions of surprise as unseeded Mariano Puerta, an Argentine back from a nine-month drug suspension, and Nikolay Davydenko, a Russian on the rise, set up an unlikely French Open semifinal.
After nearly seven hours of tennis in a pair of five-set marathons Wednesday, Puerta and Davydenko emerged the weary winners who will face each other Friday for a spot in the final against the winner of the more celebrated semifinal between No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 4 Rafael Nadal.
Puerta outlasted No. 9 compatriot Guillermo Canas, 6-2, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a 3-hour, 35-minute match that was like an intense Argentine Davis Cup practice. The No. 12-seeded Davydenko gave himself a birthday present the day before he turns 24 by edging No. 15 Tommy Robredo 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in 3 hours, 18 minutes...
Neither Puerta nor Davydenko has ever gone so far in a Grand Slam event. Puerta's best showing in a major before this was getting to the third round of the French in 200O. Davydenko also hadn't gone past the third round of a major until he reached the quarters of the Australian Open in January, where he retired with an injury in the third set against Andy Roddick.
Now the Russian is into the semis at Roland Garros with 10 consecutive wins, including a fourth-round upset of last year's runner-up, Guillermo Coria.
``The key, it was fighting, fighting,'' Davydenko said of his struggle past Robredo. ``Like try to fight every ball. He was really difficult to play. Every point I was feeling tired, tired.''
Updated on Wednesday, Jun 1, 2005 4:44 pm EDT
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