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Corretja Tops Swiss Open


Top-seeded Alex Corretja won the $600,000 Swiss Open on Monday with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Argentina's Mariano Puerta .

Corretja, who won two matches Sunday to reach the final of the rain-plagued tournament, never lost his serve against the eighth-seeded Puerta, and needed just more than an hour to win.

"Fortunately for me I stayed alive," said Corretja, who complained that his legs ached after playing both the quarterfinal and semifinal Sunday. "I want to congratulate Mariano for his week. Obviously, Mariano didn't play his best match."

The 1998 Gstaad winner, Corretja had never before won the same tournament twice. He was forced to retire in the first round last year because of a stomach injury.

"It was so good to win here again," the Spaniard said after capturing his second title of the season. He also won in Indian Wells, Calif., earlier this year.

Organizers were forced to postpone the final until Monday after heavy rain throughout the week left the schedule severely backlogged. The weather was so bad that they had to borrow courts from a nearby hotel to catch up on delayed matches.

The skies were clear Monday, but the delay left Corretja with a tight schedule. He will return home to Spain to prepare for the Davis Cup semifinal against the United States over the weekend.

©2000 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

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