Coria looks to improve

A French Open semifinalist last year, Guillermo Coria is out to finish the job.
PARIS (AP) -- Guillermo Coria plays with a lucky racket. And if that's not enough, he wears old sneakers that have helped him through tough matches.
"The important thing is to feel well in the place where you are," he said Saturday when asked about his superstitions.
Today, Coria will be in the French Open final playing fellow Argentine Gaston Gaudio.
While Gaudio is unseeded, Coria's first berth in a Grand Slam final is hardly a surprise. He is seeded third and has won 37 of his past 38 matches, and he survived two tumultuous weeks on clay as every other favorite stumbled.
Big-match experience
After losing last year's semifinal, Coria is determined to do better.
"My goal is to win the French Open," he said. "I don't want to just win the semifinal. I want to win the tournament."
When he and Gaudio take center court, it will be the first time two Argentines play in a Grand Slam final.
Until this week, Gaudio had never advanced beyond the fourth round at a major event. But he and Coria have dreamed of this moment since they were boys, and they're leading a resurgence in Argentine tennis.
The last man from their country to win a Grand Slam title was Guillermo Vilas at the Australian Open in 1979. He sat in the stands and watched the semifinals Friday.
"It's great to have Vilas over there and watching me," Gaudio said. "It's like too much. ... We started playing tennis because of him. So I think all that is happening to us, we owe him."
After a long dry spell for Argentine tennis, the nation now has six men ranked in the top 50.
Coria, named for Vilas, and Gaudio were two of four Argentines that made it to the quarterfinals, a first. Then three reached the semifinals, another first.
Coria has a 23-2 record against Argentines. One loss came against Juan Ignacio Chela in 2002, the other to Gaudio in 2001. On clay, Coria leads Gaudio 3-1, though they haven't played in more than a year. Both say they're ready for a long match.
Clear path
En route to the final, Gaudio beat former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt and No. 8-seeded David Nalbandian, another Argentine. Coria defeated 1998 champion Carlos Moya in the quarterfinals, then wore the same sneakers out of superstition in his semifinal victory over Tim Henman.
"The day of the final, the flag of Argentina will come up, and this is the important thing," said Coria, who was boys' champion at Roland Garros in 1999.
"It's a historic situation," Gaudio added. "Whatever happens, it's good for the Argentinian people."
Afterward, they said they might celebrate together.
"It would be a nice thing," Coria said.
"Why not?" Gaudio said.
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