Kuerten Creates History in Lisbon
Champion: Gustavo Kuerten.
Gustavo Kuerten rewrote the history books when he defeated Andre Agassi 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to win Tennis Masters Cup Lisboa and finish first in the ATP Champions Race 2000. Kuerten became the first South American player to end the season as the No.1 player in the world, and the only player to ever beat Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in the semifinals and final of the same tournament. It was also the first time that the final of the season-ending event determined the year-end No.1. Had Kuerten not won, Marat Safin would have won the ATP Champions Race 2000.
"Today is the best day of my life," Kuerten said. "I did it, I don't know how. If someone told me at the beginning of the tournament 'To be No.1, you've got to beat Kafelnikov, then Sampras, then Agassi,' I would say, 'Come on, no chance," "If I have a child, I can tell him that I've been No.1 one day.
"To tell you the truth, 12, 13, even eight years old, I never thought I'd get to the Masters Cup or win a Grand Slam. I've done those things now. No one thought I was going to do that. No one thought that a guy coming out of Florianopolis, clumsy, was going to grow up and play so well.”
Brazilian television interrupted a live soccer match to broadcast Kuerten’s post-match interview to 40 million people. The interview was also replayed to 60 million people on the Sunday night show Faustao.
|
