May 2nd

Gustavo Kuerten blew a massive second-set lead against Magnus Norman at the Mallorca Open but regained composure in the third set to win through to the quarterfinals. Kuerten won 10 of the first 11 games to lead 6-1, 4-0, but ultimately needed a third set to win through to a meeting with in-form Barcelona champion Gaston Gaudio.

"I was playing unbelievably well until 6-1, 5-2, then my physical and mental levels started to drop," said Kuerten, who is playing his first tournament since hip surgery in February.

"Magnus is a player who, if you let him in, can really take advantage and become dangerous. I was happy to turn it around today. It was my first real test of the tournament and I got through it. With every victory, I am growing in confidence."

"I think I finished the match playing my best tennis. Tomorrow will prove to be an even tougher match and test, but I am ready for it. Gaston is certainly playing the best tennis here. He comes into the tournament having beaten the best players on various courts. Again, he will have more rhythm than me, but I see it as just as another match."

Barcelona champion Gaston Gaudio extended his clay-court winning streak to 10 matches with a 6-1, 6-3 win over French veteran Cedric Pioline. Gaudio's streak dates back to his back-to-back wins in Argentina's Davis Cup victory over Croatia in Buenos Aires, which followed impressive hard court results in the the US, where he reached the quarterfinals at the Pacific Life Open and the round of 16 at the Nasdaq-100 Open.

Gaudio, who finished 47th in the ATP Champions Race 2001, is now 21-5 on the season. He sits 17th in this year's Race.