Beaten Gaudio delighted to be back

By Pritha Sarkar

PARIS (Reuters) - Gaston Gaudio turned up at Roland Garros hoping to recapture the summer of 2004 and relive the best days of his life.

Instead, the former champion was booking an early flight out of Paris after losing in the first round to Radek Stepanek 6-3 6-4 6-1.

"I spent the best time of my life here in this tournament, so it was great to be back. It's a pity that I lost, but it happens. It's been really hard for me to come back," said the 2004 winner, who needed a wildcard to play at the claycourt major as his ranking has nosedived to 359th.

"It's a pain in the neck to have lost today for this tournament that I love."

The Argentine had taken time out from the sport for almost a year before returning in January but has found it tough going. He had won only one tour level match before arriving in Paris and Stepanek was quick to expose his frailties.

Gaudio said he was determined to persevere with his comeback.

"I have to go on because I was missing tennis," said Gaudio, who defeated fellow Argentine Guillermo Coria 8-6 in the fifth set to win his sole major.

"I spent like the first five or six months enjoying life, doing all the stuff I would like to do when I was playing but I couldn't.