In a rematch of the Monte Carlo final from a few weeks back, Rafael Nadal defeated Guillermo Coria in the Italian Open title match, squelching any doubts about his favorite status heading into the French Open later this month. The teenager won an epic five-setter that lasted over five hours, rebounding from 0-3 in the final set to win a 10-8 tiebreak. Nadal now owns a 17-match winning streak on European clay and is on track for the Old World Triple, should he win Roland Garros after taking the Monte Carlo and Rome crowns. He has won 5 tournaments in 2005; interestingly, the other teenagers to win at least five titles in one season on the pro tour are Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Boris Becker, and Andre Agassi--Hall of Famers all! Think this kid has a future?
