MELBOURNE, JAN 29: Petr Korda cartwheeled into the Australian Open final today, just four months after retiring sick and shattered from the quarter-finals of the US Open.Korda, 30, ended the giant-killing run of unseeded Slovak Karol Kucera, who had won 14 of 15 matches this year and beat No 1 Pete Sampras in the quarter-finals.
The No 6 seed from the Czech Republic won 6-1, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 to reach his second career Grand Slam final. He lost to Jim Courier at the French Open in 1992.
Then, he was nervous. Now he is more prepared to play a final. ``Now I've had the experience,'' Korda said after his win. ``I have had six more years, I'm a little bit older, and wiser.''
Korda celebrated his victory with three cartwheels and two of his trademark scissor-kicks.
In 1992, he was ranked No 5, but injuries helped drag him down to No 41 by the end of that year. At that time, he said, ``Nobody would put a penny on me.'' But by the end of last year, he was back up to No 13.
Korda has endured a herniaoperation in 1995 and a groin operation in 1996. He underwent surgery for a sinus problem last November, after the US Open withdrawal. He finished the year with a 55-24 record.
Kucera has had a spectacular month, winning the Hopman Cup mixed team tennis tournament with Slovakia and taking the Sydney International men's title before coming to Melbourne.
Korda was broken in the first game of today's semifinal but won the next six to claim the set in 29 minutes. He made 47 errors to Kucera's 35, but most of them came as he surrendered the third set. Korda will meet the winner of tomorrow's semifinal between No 9 seed Marcelo Rios of Chile and Nicolas Escude of France.
Martinez magic: Eighth seed Conchita Martinez of Spain came from behind to beat second seed Lindsay Davenport of the United States 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the semi-final today.
Martinez qualified for her first Grand Slam final since winning Wimbledon in 1994 despite needing treatment for a thigh injury in the third set of the two hour 25minute match.
She will face world number one and defending champion Martina Hingis in Saturday's final.
The dour baseline battle was error strewn.
The 21-year-old American had a break point in every one of Martinez's service games in the first set. She had 19 break points in all but was only successful with five.
Huber hustles Hingis: Defending champion Martina Hingis survived a semifinal scare before she beat Germany's Anke Huber 6-1, 2-6, 6-1.
The Swiss world number one had looked invincible after racing to a one-set lead in just 21 minutes but 10th seed Huber counter attacked magnificently to fight her way back into the match and threaten to unseat Hingis.
The German -- who has fought back strongly in previous rounds -- took command in the second set as a flustered Hingis made a string of uncharacteristic errors.
But in the third set, the 17-year-old was back at her awesome best, winning six straight games to close out the match in an hour and 18 minutes.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
