Guillermo 'El Mago' Coria ended the three seasons between 2003 and 2005 by playing at the Masters Cup. He failed to repeat that in 2006. The man who has often punched above his weight, appears to have punched himself out last year. And we all saw it coming.

In 2003, Coria began to announce himself among the world's elite. In the build-up to Roland Garros, he was beaten in the Monte Carlo Masters final by then 'king of clay', Juan Carlos Ferrero, but it wasn't long before he got his hands on a Masters trophy when he won the Hamburg title shortly afterwards. And while he ended up losing to Martin Verkerk in the semi-finals at the French Open, he had already established himself as a player to be reckoned with for the forseeable future on the red surface. The Roland Garros loss was a disappointment, but he vowed to come back the following year and try again.

That unexpected defeat in Paris was the catalyst for 'Guille' to embark on a golden clay-court run. During three weeks from mid-July, he won three titles. He didn't lose a set and handed out five bagels in the process. Going into 2004, it was already clear that Coria would be in the mix for Roland Garros, but nobody could have imagined the series of events that followed and which appear as it they will define his professional career.
Coria's untouchable run on clay continued by winning Buenos Aires and Monte Carlo (his second Masters Series title). Going into the defence of his Hamburg crown, Coria was on a 26-match win streak on clay. It finally came to an end in the final of Hamburg, against Roger Federer.

From his defeat at Roland Garros in 2003, Coria posted a 31-1 clay court record by the time he next arrived in Paris. He was rightly considered as one the players to beat. He didn't buckle under the expectation, or so it seemed as he reached an all-Argentine final versus Gaston Gaudio for the loss of just one set. This was supposed to be Coria's crowning moment, the stamp of approval of a clay court king. But just as in other aspects of life, sport is never so straightforward. For an hour or so it certainly appeared as if things were going to plan: Coria took advantage of Gaudio's nerves and anxieties and raced away to a 6-0, 6-3 lead. The match seemed over and Gaudio at times played like a man marking time.

Deep into the third set on the May 24 final was when the dream of winning Roland Garros turned into the start of a downward spiral. Coria froze, got tight, and couldn't cross the finish line. However you term it, it was a moment that no doubt will be indelibly etched in his mind. The nerves were apparent, the mind was spinning, and then came the cramps. Coria lost the third set and had to let go of the fourth.
The fifth set was pure drama. El Mago was fighting to overcome his problems and tried to keep a grip of his dream. Incredibly, Coria found himself serving for the match on two separate occasions. At the first attempt he never got close. The second time he had match point, went for a winner and missed by an inch. He had another, went for a winner and again he missed by an inch.

Gaudio eventually realised that his opponent was there for the taking and after 211 minutes of action, he took him. Coria was too distraught to say much at the presentation ceremony, although he offered congratulations to an opponent with whom he had always had a frosty relationship.
Coria broke down at the post-match press conference. His fans broke down with him, and even his critics could not ignore the trauma he had gone through. Tennis is a cruel sport, one more point and Coria would have been French Open champion. Instead, his career has spiralled into crisis.

Following a disappointment far greater than he experienced in 2003, Coria required surgery on his right shoulder which ruled him out for the rest of the season. He was not willing to believe that and had a great desire to attend his second consecutive Masters Cup. With all the wins in the bag earlier in the year, he had already done enough to qualify despite not playing for more over three months. He achieved his objective to be a part of the Masters Cup, although clearly hampered and being nowhere near the fitness level required to compete and win.

In 2005, things seemed to be going reasonably well. With new coach Jose Perlas now on board, El Mago arrived to defend his Monte Carlo Masters title as the world number five. Like his defence of the Hamburg title the year before, Coria's attempt to retain the title again ended in the final, this time by a young Spaniard, Rafael Nadal.

A few weeks later in Rome, the same two players squared off in another final. This one was a bit special. Lasting more than five hours, both players gave an exhibition of clay court tennis at its finest. Coria led 3-0 in the fifth set, but Nadal was eventually the victor, winning 8-6 in the tie break. The difference between the two of them after more than five hours on court, was just two points.

Despite the obvious disappointment of not winning, Coria had reason to be upbeat. He could have won, and next time he hoped that he would. The level of tennis he showed was as good as anything he had shown in his 31-1 run on clay during 2003-2004.

Drawn in the opposite half to Nadal and Federer, Coria was a hot pick to return to the Roland Garros final, or at worst make the last four. He did neither and lost to Nikolay Davydenko in the fourth round. It was the same Davydenko whom he had beaten for the loss of just six games at the French Open in 2004. And so another year where the Roland Garros title had eluded him, and at this point even he must have started to wonder if he would ever be as close again as he had been in 2004.

Was that 2004 final to become the defining moment of his career? What we have seen since, suggests precisely that.

Coria's personal war became evident to all at the U.S. Open in 2005. Having been back on tour for about nine months and seemingly having no trouble with the shoulder surgery from the previous year, he started to perform his impression of Elena Dementieva. His tournament ended in a five-sets defeat to Robby Ginepri in the quarterfinals. Coria had achieved this run despite serving 56 - yes, that's 56 - double faults during the tournament. Impressive or ridiculous? In his fourth round match with Nicolas Massu he served 20 double faults, and still won.

Unsurprisingly, he was asked what was happening. He said it was related to the surgery, it wasn't nerves, it wasn't his mind and he added that he would have to live with these moments, and that nothing could be done. He went to Beijing and reached the final, losing to Nadal again. Bar one match against Thomas Johansson where he served 11 double faults, it was not a problem. It didn't stay that way.

Coria ended the season in poor fashion, looking very low on confidence and not showing his usual appetite for battle. He made his third successive appearance at the Masters Cup. He lost all his matches, the only bright spots being his new orange Adidas shirt and handing out a breadstick to Federer to partially make up for the bagel he had been handed earlier.

Starting 2006 in the top 10, Coria and his fans were hoping for a fresh start off the back of the poor end to 2005. Instead, it has been a complete nightmare.

During three matches at the Australian Open, he served 49 double faults. Coria's alliance with Jose Perlas ended and back in Argentina, he served 21 double faults and was knocked out in the second round by a player ranked outside the top 90.

He took a short break to clear his mind and came back in Acapulco, losing in the first round to a player outside the top 100 by serving 16 double faults in the process. Another break followed and this time he hoped that a partnership with coach Jose Higueras would stop his slide and put him back on the right path. For a short while it looked as if this time Coria was back to his old self. He returned to action at the Miami Masters where he defeated Novak Djokovic (without serving a double fault). He lost in the second round and did not play again until a month later in Monte Carlo, where he had been a previous winner and runner up.

Coria, was happy to be back in Monte Carlo. It was a crazy few days which began with a routine first round win over Mikhail Youzhny and gave us no inkling of the drama to unfold in the next days. Being humiliated by Paul-Henri Mathieu, serving double faults continuously and down 6-1, 5-1, he finally produced some of his old magic and saved four match points to record a 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory. It was an incredible win, and more was to follow the next day. After the 20 double faults against Mathieu, he went three better versus Nicolas Kiefer, and he still won 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.

The insanity had to end, and it was Nadal who did just that in the quarters. Those incredible comeback victories would turn out to be the highlights of another dreadful year. Going 1-4 approaching the French Open, Coria decided he could not play at Roland Garros, that his shoulder/arm was still troublesome and that he needed a break (another one) to regain his hunger and "to return like I was in 2003/2004".

Coria returned to action in Sweden where he lost a close match to compatriot Jose Acasuso. He followed that up in Amersfoort and made the semi-final but retired with a neck/shoulder injury. It did not stop him showing up in Umag a few days later to defend his title from 2005. Another humiliating defeat awaited him as he served 12 doubles in a first round 6-2, 6-3 loss to Robin Vik (ranked 74 at the time). More trouble was to come, in Sopot the next week and another retirement. This time in the first round versus Michal Przysiezny (ranked 364 at the time).

By now, Higueras and Coria were no longer working together. Coria found a new coach, Horacio de la Pena, a former mentor of Fernando Gonzalez.

A press conference was called, Coria sounded upbeat, even with wild ideas of being involved in Davis Cup for Argentina despite being a long way from the team.

De la Pena was less ambitious and set the goals at the bare minimum. They would train in Chile and Coria would return for the U.S. Open but the comeback ended as soon as it began when the slippery surface soon caused a groin injury, and five games in his first round match. Coria left the scene with a towel over his head and the partnership with De la Pena also ended.

Coria recently revealed that he had been too hasty and in a panic when appointing De la Pena and that a quick end was the best solution for both parties. The player decided he would play in a Challenger event; the first time he had done so since 2002. Serving for the match in his first round, Coria had now reached a new low: Dismissed in the first round of a Challenger event by a player outside the top 150.

El Mago has not played since. Having started 2006 in the top 10, Coria currently lies outside the top 100. During the off-season he teamed up with Hernan Gumy (former coach of Guillermo Canas and Agustin Calleri), he says the time away from tennis has given him the opportunity to experience things missing from his life due to the fast-paced and hectic world of professional tennis. The magician claims his hunger is still there and he is determined to rekindle the flames. He won’t be present at the Australian Open, instead choosing to build his season and more importantly, confidence, by playing a challenger event in Chile before embarking on the South American clay court season.

His fans want to see him back, but like the way he used to be and not the way he has been for most of 2006. The question is just how much Coria wants the same; he is the one who has to deal with the inner turmoil and it remains to be seen if we'll ever see his usual array of magical skills on full show again.

Just one more point on that fateful May day in Paris in 2004 and this could all have been so very different.