Last sees Bruguera refuses to follow trend

SOMETHING exceedingly peculiar happened at Roland Garros yesterday: not a single seed fell.

The fact that only one, Sergi Bruguera. was playing may be seen by some as detracting from this startling statistic. Not at all. From the opening Monday of this year's French Open, when the number 12 seed, Alberto Berasategui, was knocked out, until Tuesday of this week, when both reigning champions, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Steffi Graf, were toppled, the daily carnage has been constant.

Bruguera, seeded 16, must have felt almost compelled to lose his quarter-final against Morocco's Hicham Arazi, for he was the last seed left in the men's draw. But the Spaniard, the champion here in 1993 and 1994, proved to be made of sterner stuff.

Arazi, with a wrist as supple as any pinball wizard, thrilled the Court Central with more magical drop shots and fizzing top-spin passes like those he had produced in the fourth round to defeat Chile's Marcelo Rios, the number seven seed.

The difference, on this occasion, was that Bruguera displayed a determination and will to win, far surpassing the ineffectual efforts of Rios.

It was an extremely hot afternoon, with an enervating touch of humidity, which suited Bruguera. Arazi is as swift as the wind, but there was an obvious question surrounding his stamina, particularly as he has so little experience at Grand Slam level, when the second week inevitably takes its toll.

There is more than a touch of flash about Arazi the way he spins his racket from hand to hand, or juggles the ball with his feet - but the French crowd, loving every minute, have gone down the road to Morocco with as much enthusiasm as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lam our.

The drop shot is extraordinarily difficult to play successfully on slow clay and yesterday Bruguera was ready for it, lunging forward with eyes bulging wide. And Arazi overdid it.

The Spaniard was clearly upset that Rios had said that he expected the Moroccan "to kill Bruguera."

"He has a very big mouth," said Bruguera.

The former titleholder. who still travels to tournaments with his father and coach, Luis, said he will continue to spend around 14 weeks in the year working with former player Jose Higueras.

"I'm obviously very disappointed," said Arazi after his defeat. "But this has been a good tournament for me. When I came here, I didn't expect to get this far.

"Sergi has more experience and I broke down physically. His game doesn't suit, me very well. He plays very high"

The Spaniard now plays Australia's Pat Rafter in tomorrow's semi-finals. Yesterday, Rafter beat Galo Blanco of Spain, pronouncing himself "amazed" by his success.

Rafter, aged 24, is one of the many Australians who, since the retirement of John Newcombe, has tried to assume the mantle of greatness. And it almost crushed him.

He was the ATP's Player to Watch in 1993, and much courted by the Australian media, but the only title he has ever been able to lay his hands on is the Northern Open in Didsbury three years ago.

Last year, Rafter suffered wrist and elbow injuries, but his career took a key turn for the better just after this year's Australian Open when he came back from two sets down against France's Cedric Pioline to help his country defeat the Davis Cup holders.

"It was a huge moment. Now I know that if I do lose a first set, then I don't have to panic," he said yesterday.

Not that Rafter had the slightest inkling that he would be so successful here. Indeed, when he arrived in Rome for the clay court season, he saw it more as a holiday than anything. But he reached the final of St Polten just before the French Open and the run has continued unabated, even if it has left Rafter temporarily bemused.

Rafter is no baseline slugger. He has stuck to serve and volley throughout his winning sequence in Paris, refining his play just a touch here and there to suit the strengths of his opponents. He served extremely well yesterday, clearly frustrating Blanco who could not build any lasting rhythm.

"I just can't believe it," said Rafter after his win, adding: "I never thought I could do this well in Paris."

He also vowed he would maintain his `serve-and-volley' style, usually a recipe for disaster on the deadly slow, red clay courts, for the rest of the tournament.

"I'm going to keep on serving-and-volleying. That's the way I play. And if the sun keeps shining here I have a good chance," he said.