Puerta facing biggest test of tennis life

Mariano Puerta was locking horns with fellow Argentine Guillermo Canas at Roland Garros today in a battle for a place in the French Open semi-finals.

It is a remarkable turnaround for the 26-yearold whose career appeared to be in freefall when he served a nine-month suspension for failing a drugs test in 2003.

When Puerta made his comeback last July his ranking had plunged into the 400s and he spent the rest of the year grinding his way around the second-tier Challenger circuit.

Now back on the main tour, he won a tournament in Casablanca and reached the final in his home city of Buenos Aires. "I can't believe I'm in the quarter-finals," said Puerta, who has dropped only one set on the way to his first appearance in the last eight of a grand slam.

Waiting in the last four will be either Spaniard Tommy Robredo or Russia's Nikolay Davydenko, who also play their quarter-final today.

Robredo beat Australian Open champion Marat Safin in a five-set match in the previous round but said: "You've got to be careful with Davydenko. He's playing very good tennis."