How good was Coria?
- Thread starter D.Nalby12
- Start date
Arzivu
Professional
That's another good Argentinian player; Calleri.
Clay lover
Legend
Great, great mover and groundstrokes with the variety of an all-courter, only weaknesses being power and the serve. They don't call him the magician for nothing. I will forever be partial to him despite his struggles.
Shaolin
Talk Tennis Guru
He was mentally scarred after one of the biggest chokes ever in the RG final vs Gaudio. Got the yips on his serve and despite a few good tournaments like Rome 05 he circled the drain for a while and dispapperaed.
BauerAlmeida
Legend
On clay, he was really, really good. He came really close to beating Nadal on clay in a Bo5 match in Roma 2005, and we all know what an extremely hard task that is, only done by two players (Soderling and Djokovic). Him and Federer (same event the year later) are the only ones that came close to doing it as well.
Outside clay he was a bit limited though, he was good but not slam-winning material, he had a few QF at the USO and a final at Miami but not much else.
He only had a three-year peak, 2003, 2004, and 2005. He started having issues with his serve and mental issues as well and was never the same. Before that, he had an unfair doping suspension that hindered his progress as well and he had to climb back in the rankings again when he had entered the top 30.
Outside clay he was a bit limited though, he was good but not slam-winning material, he had a few QF at the USO and a final at Miami but not much else.
He only had a three-year peak, 2003, 2004, and 2005. He started having issues with his serve and mental issues as well and was never the same. Before that, he had an unfair doping suspension that hindered his progress as well and he had to climb back in the rankings again when he had entered the top 30.
BauerAlmeida
Legend
Very inconsistent player but had some legendary performances. Vs Ferrero in the Davis Cup 2003 final, vs Hewitt at the USO 2007, and vs Agassi at Miami 2004 among others.
Third Serve
Talk Tennis Guru
He was the loser in probably the greatest clay court match of all time against a rising Nadal so pretty good I’d say. Played another pretty good match with Nadal right before that too.
If he hadn’t had those injuries and the yips I feel he’d have been a consistent challenger for the big titles on clay.
If he hadn’t had those injuries and the yips I feel he’d have been a consistent challenger for the big titles on clay.
AnOctorokForDinner
Talk Tennis Guru
The yips became a consistent issue after the 2005 clay season. The legendary loss/choke to Gaudio hurt Coria but he still had good reason to believe he had another chance. The arrival of Nadal ruined that completely and sent him into the final mental tailspin that ate his career.
Sabrina
Hall of Fame
He indeed had a good clay season in 2005, but losing all these Mugster Final against Nadal (especially the Rome one) was the end for him.
The "only three-year peak" could've been much longer had it not been for the "unfair doping suspension". He was young, when the anti-doping agency beeped him. Perhaps, he could still have played today. Few realize that he's a year younger than Roger Federer.
Coria's suspension for doping was one of the most unfair ones that I know. The facts he found on the multivitamins that he had taken prior to the unfortunate moment clearly pointed to the producer's wrongdoing. Yet, the evidence fell on a deaf ear as powers did not want to mess with the big pharma.
ghostofMecir
Legend
Had some of the heaviest groundstrokes on tour. He was such a fun player to watch as was Coria.
Obviously we don’t know how a player would develop if he were taller, but Coria is always one of those you wonder about if he were only a few inches taller and with a better serve. H had amazing racket talent.
T
TheNachoMan
Guest
Coria is a worse choker than Federer. At least Federer has 20 slams to his name.
UnderratedSlam
G.O.A.T.
This is the same question I wanted to open a thread about, just the other day.
He seemed destined to win FO, then that horrendous debacle at FO 04, then a few successes in 2005, and it was suddenly all over.
Coria's FO 03 might give us clues too.
Mentally unstable. He lost the semis to nobody Verkerk after Coria hit a ball-girl or st or other. It totally distracted him. FO 03 was supposed to be between him and Ferrero, what a pity it didn't happen.
NatF
Bionic Poster
No one in this era was possibly taking that mantle from Nadal. Only Borg could compete. I do think Coria makes the draws much more interesting.
That is true. But Fed is more famous and that is why his choke will be remembered more.
Shaolin
Talk Tennis Guru
Calleri was awesome. I remember him playing Pete respectably at the USO and crushing Agassi in Miami (winners from everywhere that day).
Sweet 1hander and played with just a leather grip, no overgrip.
NonP
Legend
Just the other day I happened to dispense my infallible wisdom on this very Q:
A couple more things:
Not even close. Up to '06 Bull was still the proverbial dirtballer who was happy to trade endless groundies and run down everything. That allowed him to play the %s and post that crazy winning streak cuz he was so much better at it than everyone else, but he also had to work harder for it.
Of course the Ls began stacking up as he (gradually) upped his aggression, but that was to be expected even on this surface. The fact of the matter is that '08/17 Bull would've made mincemeat of Coria, which can't be said of ATG dirtballers.
Being passive on CPs vs. an ATG ain't exactly choking. Off the top of my head '98 Rios, '11 Murray and '20 Zverev are Coria's only challengers of the last 30-ish yrs.
A couple more things:
Not even close. Up to '06 Bull was still the proverbial dirtballer who was happy to trade endless groundies and run down everything. That allowed him to play the %s and post that crazy winning streak cuz he was so much better at it than everyone else, but he also had to work harder for it.
Of course the Ls began stacking up as he (gradually) upped his aggression, but that was to be expected even on this surface. The fact of the matter is that '08/17 Bull would've made mincemeat of Coria, which can't be said of ATG dirtballers.
Being passive on CPs vs. an ATG ain't exactly choking. Off the top of my head '98 Rios, '11 Murray and '20 Zverev are Coria's only challengers of the last 30-ish yrs.
Third Serve
Talk Tennis Guru
I think your definition of “consistent challenger” is a little different from mine.
Thedesertfox
Professional
Excellent player, unfortunately he was never the same after he choked in 2004 against Gaudio.
2005 loss to Nadal was a final nail in to his coffin. Still great player who could have become an ATG( at least on clay)
2005 loss to Nadal was a final nail in to his coffin. Still great player who could have become an ATG( at least on clay)
MadariKatu
Hall of Fame
He was a phenomenal player. He was good off both wings, had good hands at the net, good dropshot, great point construction, crazy speed that rivaled young Nadal, good return, elite defense, good anticipation. He had a small frame, hence lacked power and his serve was not great.
