HAMBURG, Germany, 19 May 2003 — Argentine Guillermo Coria beat compatriot Agustin Calleri 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to win the 2.45 million euro Hamburg Masters here yesterday.

The No. 12 seed, in his third year on the circuit, wrapped up his first Masters title in no nonsense fashion to gain compensation for his recent Monte Carlo final drubbing by Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Coria comes from Venado Tuerto, a city he modestly describes as “the most beautiful in the world”. It is also the birthplace of Guillermo Vilas, a sporting hero of Corias’ father who 21 years ago named his son in honor of the former Argentinian star.

Coria was adding this to his debut ATP success at Vina del Mar in 2001 which came just before he was handed a six month ban for taking a cocktail of illegal vitamins.

His cause was helped here by a nervous Calleri competing in his first final at this level. Coria broke in the eighth game to clinch the opening set, and from then on never looked in any serious danger.

Leading 3-0 in the third set he was racing to victory but to his credit Calleri kept him waiting before finally succumbing in two hours 12 minutes.

Clijsters Fights Back to

Win Rome Masters

In Rome, Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters won the Rome Masters title after fighting back from a set down to defeat French fourth seed Amelie Mauresmo here at the Foro Italico yesterday.

Mauresmo, who knocked out defending champion and world number one Serena Williams in the semifinals on Saturday, lost her third final here in four years 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-0 in 1hr 59 mins. Clijsters, who lost her first set of the tournament before battling back for a 12th WTA Tour singles title, said she felt she would wear down Mauresmo in the decider.

Australia and Spain

Suffer Shock Defeats

In Duesseldorf, Germany, Australia and Spain, two of the favorites to win the World Team Cup, let slip 1-0 leads on the way to shock defeats by the Czech Republic and the United States yesterday.

Both opening Red Group matches in the round-robin event went to the deciding doubles, with Spain going down 2-1 to the US and the Czechs upsetting an Australia team led by world number one Lleyton Hewitt.

Hewitt showed improved form for next week’s French Open by beating Jiri Novak 6-3, 6-2 to put Australia ahead, but Radek Stepanek defeated Wayne Arthurs 7-6, 6-3 to level the tie. Novak and Stepanek then teamed up to beat Hewitt and Arthurs 6-4, 6-4, denting Australia’s hopes of a third title in five years. Carlos Moya, the world number four, put Spain 1-0 up with a 7-6, 7-5 victory over James Blake, but veteran Todd Martin hit back with a surprise 6-3, 6-4 win over Alex Corretja. Blake and Mardy Fish then completed the comeback with a 6-2, 7-6 win over Corretja and Fernando Vicente.

Hewitt, beaten by Fernando Gonzalez in the Hamburg Masters Series last week, his first claycourt event of the year, looked comfortable against Novak.

“I feel like I played as well as I needed to today,” Hewitt said. “I stepped it up from last week and I felt pretty good out there.

“It is always going to take a bit of time for me on clay,” Hewitt said. “Not having grown up on the surface, you have to be patient.”

Stepanek then leveled the tie, benefiting from a rain delay at 4-2 down in the opening set which gave him time to rest a sprained ankle. That stopped Arthurs’ momentum in its tracks, and Stepanek and Novak proved too strong in the doubles. Moya was pushed hard by Blake before giving Spain a 1-0 lead over the US, saving two set points in the first set and then holding on well in the second.

“I think we both played well today but I won the most important points,” Moya said.

“He (Blake) is a much better player this year...and it is only his second claycourt season. But he can play very well on clay and it was a good win for me. If I don’t do well here, I don’t think I will do very well in Paris.”