Costa steps from shadows
to Grand Slam glory

Albert Costa stepped from the shadows on Sunday to seize his first Grand Slam title in a devastating French Open triumph of brilliance and self-belief.

Eclipsed for almost a decade by fellow Spaniards, the 26-year-old finally grasped glory with an emotional 6-1, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 win over compatriot and strong favourite Juan Carlos Ferrero.

"I used to think 'oh what is happening to me? Why not me?' I started to think I would never win a big tournament," he said. "But now it is unbelievable, I feel great. It is the happiest moment in my tennis life."

It was a day on which Costa could hardly miss and one which he will remember for the rest of his life as he joined a list of Spanish heroes who have made the French Centre Court their own.

Racing from the court to the players' box, he hugged and kissed his fiancee Cristina -- whom he marries next week -- and his year-old twin daughters Claudia and Alma who were present at his finest hour.

"Of course I dedicate my victory to Cristina and the children," he said as he drank in the fiesta atmosphere after ending a 65-tournament drought without a title.

"I want to congratulate Juan Carlos for his great tournament. He is young... he will return and win this."

MORE CHANCES

Generous and softly spoken off the court, Costa was a tyrant on it, cruelly shredding Ferrero's hopes with razor-sharp groundstrokes and pinpoint serving.

For Ferrero, a semi-finalist on his previous visits to Paris in 2000 and 2001, there will undoubtedly be many more chances to bag a major, but Sunday belonged to Costa.

Eleventh seed Ferrero had played the puppeteer all fortnight but on finals' day it was his turn to be moved and pulled all round Centre Court.

There was not a line Costa did not hit nor an angle he did not exploit as he jemmied apart Ferrero's previously impenetrable armour.

The first two sets took a mere 49 minutes as Costa handed out a beating ferocious in its brutality, leaving Ferrero reeling.

If tennis players had cornermen, Ferrero's would surely have thrown the towel in as an act of kindness, but left to face the barrage alone, Ferrero fought on.

He held the first game of the third set to rapturous applause and raised his arms aloft to acknowledge the minor victory.

PARTIAL PARALYSIS

If the 22-year-old did not freeze, he did at least suffer partial paralysis in the opening two sets, but slowly settled in the third.

Drop shots -- the mark of a desperate man -- began to feature heavily in his game, but he managed to iron out some errors and found his range with his dangerous forehand.

Costa's level dropped marginally. It was all Ferrero needed and he pulled back a set when Costa flighted a short angled forehand into the net.

Looking increasingly comfortable as a cold wind continued to sweep the stadium, Ferrero raised hopes of mounting a comeback.

But at 3-3 in the fourth set he was broken to love as Costa fizzed a forehand pass past him before serving to love for a 5-3 lead.

Costa missed one match point when he ballooned a forehand long but four points later Ferrero double-faulted to hand Costa victory in the third all-Spanish final here after two hours 30 minutes.

Costa's victory gives him a 12th title -- and all have been won on clay. He becomes the fifth Spanish man to win the French crown after Manuel Santana, Andres Gimeno, Sergi Bruguera and Carlos Moya.

Ferrero -- surely a champion in waiting -- was gracious in defeat, but did say he had been hampered by a niggling injury.

"I had physical problems in the first two sets. I had that ankle injury which was a problem," he said.

"I didn't feel well at all on court in the first two sets. But Albert played great tennis, he definitely deserved to win."