GASTON GAUDIO said he was on the brink of quitting the French Open final when he was 6-0, 5-1 down. The unseeded Argentinean went on to save two match points as he came back to beat injured compatriot Guillermo Coria in five sets. "I was suffering so much. I was telling my coach 'I don't want to be here'," said the 25-year-old who won his first Grand Slam. "I was a bit lucky at the end when I got two match points down and I came back. I don't know how, but I won." Coria was struck by cramp after losing a tight third set and all but conceded the fourth by serving at half-pace and refusing to run. However, Gaudio showed no sympathy with his younger compatriot. "This is a game where we have to run and you have to prepare yourself," he said. "If you play a guy who's injured, of course it's going to help you, but that was in the fourth set. In the fifth, he started to run like the beginning of the match. It was like a new match, and it was tough." Gaudio said the turning point for him came when the crowd on Chatrier Court began a Mexican wave at 4-3 down in the third set. "I believe it was fundamental because I was very nervous," said Gaudio who paused to applaud the crowd's efforts. "I couldn't feel the ball properly. I was not enjoying it all. Suddenly, the crowd did the wave, and I enjoyed my tennis more. I enjoyed the match, and I came back into it." In the women's final, Anastasia Myskina became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam title, thrashing compatriot Elena Dementieva. Myskina dominated an embarrassingly one-sided match, triumphing 6-1, 6-2 in less than hour. Dementieva was let down by her serve, delivering 10 double faults and committing 33 unforced errors. Myskina showed no signs of nerves and came from break point down at 5-2 in the second set to triumph. "I can't believe it," said Myskina. "I am really happy, just too emotional for words. I never thought I would be here when I was growing up in Moscow. It's amazing because playing against my friend I had to hold my emotions in check." Dementieva, who beat Amelie Mauresmo and Lindsay Davenport, on her way to the final, admitted she had been struck by nerves. "I was very tired and I was nervous," she said. "It was the first time in a Grand Slam final and it's a shame for me because it is my dream to win Roland Garros. I hope it's not the last time I am in a Grand Slam final." It was Myskina who looked the more nervous when she double-faulted to lose her opening service game. However, her compatriot responded with three double faults to surrender the break immediately. The ninth seed tried to break her opponent's rhythm by attacking the net but she was unable to cut out the errors and lost the next eight games. With the Roland Garros crowd willing her to put up a fight, Dementieva broke the run of games against her at 0-2 in the second set. And after two more double faults put her 0-30 down, she produced her best series of shots to hold serve. But an assured-looking Myskina maintained her composure to hold for 4-2 and then broke again in the next game after two more doubles from Dementieva. Serving for the match, Myskina saved a break point and wrapped up the title when her opponent hit a forehand long.
