It's getting to be a habit with Thomas Muster and Alberto Costa when they play on clay.
Big match. Five sets. Three hours. Either Costa stops a Muster streak or Muster extends one.It was that way again at the Monte Carlo Open final as Muster needed three hours and five sets again to outlast Costa 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and win his second consecutive title Sunday.
Muster has now won 35 consecutive matches and his last seven tournaments played on clay.
The last person to beat him on the surface? Costa.
The last person to extend him to five sets? Costa.
The only person to trouble Muster on his way to the French Open title a year ago? Costa.
It was the third consecutive time the two have battled for five sets and for more than three hours.
Costa defeated Muster on clay at the Kitzbuehel, Austria, event last August and ending Muster's victorious clay-court streak of 24 consecutive title matches, stretching back to May 1990.
Costa believes he's narrowing the gap between the two.
"The experience is always something very important, but today I played a very good match, and I do have experience against Muster, because I pushed him to five sets in the French Open and I won against him in Kitzbuehel," Costa said.
"This time it was my turn to lose. Maybe more experience would be better, but today he was at a very high level and I couldn't stand the pressure. Maybe I can be the winner next time."