Patrick Rafter (Australia)
French Open record: 12-8
Best Result: SF (1997)
The Australian was definitely at ease on faster surfaces but when he adapted to the slow clay the results were quite impressive.
Also read: French was their moment of glory
When Rafter came to Paris in 1997, he didn't have a great record to boast of at Roland Garros – the fourth round on debut in 1994 being his best.
But in that year, the Australian's prowess came to the fore. Commanding wins over clay specialists like Andrea Gaudenzi, Frederic Fontang and Galo Blanco and an equally convincing win over 1993 semi-finalist Richard Krajicek, set Rafter up for a semi-final with two-time champion Sergi Bruguera.
The Spaniard was himself coming back after a poor run of form and the match turned out to a classic. Rafter was relentless against a patient Bruguera and the crowd egged on the former, enjoying his aggression to the hilt.
However, after almost three hours, it was the Spaniard who edged through but Rafter did carry forward that form and captured his maiden major at New York later that year.
Two years on, Rafter thrashed a rookie named Roger Federer, one set being a bagel, a rarity with the Swiss these days.
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