Kuerten, Bruguera Take Champion’s Path

PARIS — Attrition as much as competition has felled 15 seeded players, among them four former champions, and brought an unseeded part-time surfer and a 16th-seeded former clay court wizard to today’s men’s French Open final.

Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil is hoping to become the first man from his country to win a Grand Slam tournament title. Sergi Bruguera of Spain, who has never played Kuerten, is hoping to regain the form that brought him this title in 1993 and 1994.

Each has survived a stretch of upsets and surprises that ripped through the men’s draw. Each has improved and seasoned over the two weeks so they arrived tired but ready for today’s match.

Along the way Kuerten, ranked No. 66, has defeated two former French Open champions--Thomas Muster and Yevgeny Kafelnikov--and must face yet another to win the title. Noting who Kuerten has played here, Bruguera was not prepared to take him lightly.

“The only thing I know, he has the toughest draw in Paris,” Bruguera said. “If he pass all these matches, it’s not that he won one great match. I think he was pretty consistent to win all these matches.”

Bruguera also has defeated a former champion, Michael Chang. Although he has spent much energy downplaying his chances, the Spaniard has been buoyed by his experience.

For the 20-year-old Kuerten, the lowest-ranked player to reach the final at Roland Garros, his youth is working for him.

‘It’s like a dream for me,” Kuerten said. “My happiness is so great. I’m very, very happy but I’m not satisfied yet. I really want it more now. . . . I really have this chance to win the tournament. Why not? I just give it all.”