Power points to big leap forward for forceful Gonzalez

Latin American players tend to either frustrate opponents with top-spin and under-spin or try to grind them into submission. But Fernando Gonzalez has neither the inclination nor the patience for any of that. The 22-year-old Chilean belongs to the school of hit-or-bust.

In contrast to his compatriot, Marcelo Rios, who has the quick hands and surliness of a John McEnroe, but lacks the New Yorker's wit, Gonzalez may only attract cavalcades in Santiago if he wins a Grand Slam singles title or becomes world No 1. Rios was such a rare talent in Chile when he emerged nine years ago that home crowds mobbed him long before he became the first Latin American to top the ATP rankings in 1998.

Nor does Gonzalez have a glimmer of the skill and charisma of Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten, three times a winner of the French Open title and the world No 1 in 2000, or of Guillermo Vilas, the great Argentinian champion of the 1970s.

Gonzalez wins points with the sheer force of his shots, particularly with the forehand, though his misses can be as ridiculous as his hits are spectacular. Last year his accuracy was good enough for him to win titles in Viña Del Mar, Chile, and Palermo, Italy, and to reach the semi-finals of the Masters Series event in Cincinnati and the quarter-finals of the US Open.

His ranking soared from No 135 to No 18. This put him six places above Rios, who has not had the best of luck with injuries, and third in the list of Latin Americans, behind two Argentinians: David Nalbandian, the Wimbledon runner-up (No 12), and Guillermo Canas (No 15).

Tim Henman does not have happy memories of Gonzalez in 2002. The British No 1 had a stomach upset when the Chilean defeated him in the opening round of the Italian Open, 6-0 in the third set, and Henman's problems with his right shoulder dates back to Cincinnati last August, where Gonzalez beat him in straight sets in the second round.

Henman, who had eliminated Kuerten in straight sets in the first round, did not make excuses after the defeat by Gonzalez, 7-6, 6-2.

"You certainly have to give him an element of credit," Henman said, "but from my point of view, I am not even going to begin to think the last time I played that badly. It was horrendous."

Concerning Gonzalez's hit-and-miss technique, Henman said: "That adds to the frustration, because in the first few games [of the second set] I got some first serves in, and then, on his serve, I chipped the ball back, and in that single game he probably made eight unforced errors and ended up winning. You never really feel like the match is in your control."

Pete Sampras was shaken by Gonzalez, 7-6, 6-1, in the third round of the Nasdaq Open in Key Biscayne last March.

"He hit some great shots," Sampras said. "I didn't play all that well, but he's a strong player; no question. He hits the ball very heavy off both sides and he serves pretty well. I think the key of the match was my return of serve, it just didn't make an impact on him."

After beating Henman in Cincinnati, Gonzalez went on to eliminate Richard Krajicek, the 1996 Wimbledon champion, and the American prospect, Andy Roddick, before losing in the semi-finals to Lleyton Hewitt, the Wimbledon champion and world No 1.

Roddick described his match against Gonzalez as "a blast," elaborating: "It was so much fun and such a challenge playing against someone who is hitting the kind of shots that he was hitting tonight.

"He just played lights-out. I tried to scrap and claw my way back, but he was too good. Besides my serve, I was pretty much at his mercy. His game relies on confidence. If he's confident, he's unreal. If he's not so confident, then some days he misses a little bit."

Hewitt prevailed, 6-7, 7-5, 6-2. "He's just letting go from the back of the court or wherever he is," the Australian said. "He hits the ball as hard as he can every time. It's tough to play that kind of player. I can't say he's got the best defensive skills around. With his power, I think he's gonna have days when he looks incredible and he's gonna have days when he struggles."

In the quarter-finals of the US Open, Gonzalez lost to Sjeng Schalken, of the Netherlands, 7-2 in a fifth set tie-break. "If I'm gonna lose a match," Gonzalez said, "I'm gonna lose like today: trying to win; go, go for it.

"When I was seven or eight years old, I used to play with all old people. They hit high balls to me, and I was, like, very small," he added.

"I couldn't stand that they played me this way. So from then on I started to play like I do now. I try to finish the points very soon."

Such a player needs a steadfast coach. For years, Gonzalez was advised to calm down and be consistent. But the Argentinian Horacio de la Peña, "of the rock" in Spanish, Gonzalez's mentor since 1998, told him to play his own game.

Gonzalez has taken the message to heart.