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Au revoir, Marat
Safin's French Open run ends with loss to Pioline
Posted: Monday June 01, 1998 04:10 PM
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Cedric Pioline celebrates his victory over Marat Safin, ending the young Russian's incredible run (AP) |
PARIS (AP) -- Marat Safin's run at the French Open is over.
Playing before a crowd that chanted wildly for his French opponent, the Russian qualifier was ousted in five sets Monday by Cedric Pioline, losing 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4.
By the end of the match, however, the fans were chanting as well for Safin, the world's 116th-ranked player who beat Andre Agassi and defending champ Gustavo Kuerten in Paris.
At only 18, Safin is 10 years younger than Pioline, a runner-up at last year's Wimbledon. Pioline will next meet Hicham Arazi of Morocco, who also advanced Monday with a 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, victory over Alberto Berasategui.
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The American men may have bombed out at this year's French Open, but the women are doing just fine.
With Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport and Monica Seles all advancing Sunday, more U.S. women have reached the quarterfinals than in any French Open since 1986.
They were almost joined by the other Williams sister, Serena. But she folded in the second set of a contentious match against Aranxta Sanchez Vicario after coming within two points of victory.
"I'm only 16, my first Roland Garros," Serena said after the match. "Everything is a learning experience for me."
That may be the one thing Sanchez Vicario agreed with.
"I taught her a lesson," the fourth-seeded Spaniard said.
It was a lesson that featured glares across the net, an unusual dress change by the Spaniard, and a slam by Williams that nearly beheaded her opponent.
Williams accused Sanchez Vicario of changing from a black outfit to a white one midway through the second set as a strategic move. Sanchez Vicario, for her part, was upset at Williams' attitude after a controversial point in the first set.
"I just think she doesn't have respect. She cannot go in with that attitude," said Sanchez Vicario. "You know, I'm glad I beat her."
So Serena will have to watch her sister in the quarters, and it should be one of the most intriguing matches of the tournament.
Venus Williams will play top-seeded Martina Hingis, another match in a rivalry quickly becoming one of the best in women's sports.
The older Williams advanced Sunday with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Henrieta Nagyova of Slovakia in which she slammed seven aces -- two at 116 mph.
Hingis was a 6-1, 6-2 winner over Anna Smashnova of Israel in a match between former French Open junior champions.
Venus Williams, the No. 8 seed, has lost just 13 games in her four matches at the French Open, while Hingis has lost 14 games. Hingis holds a 5-2 record against Williams, but they are 2-2 this year.
Sanchez Vicario will face Patty Schnyder in the quarterfinals. No. 2 Davenport and No. 6 Seles also advanced to the quarters.
Davenport will face defending champion Iva Majoli, the 10th seed, who ousted No. 7 Conchita Martinez 7-6 (7-1), 6-7 (3-7), 6-3 in a match completed Monday.
Majoli and Martinez were tied at a set apiece when darkness halted play Sunday night. Martinez jumped to a 3-1 lead in the third set, then lost the last five games.
Seles will face No. 3 Jana Novotna, who defeated No. 13 Anna Kournikova 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-3 in another match halted Sunday night. The match was stopped with Novotna leading 4-2 in the final set. It took Novotna just 12 minutes to finish off the match today.
Play was halted Sunday night at Novotna's request, leaving Kournikova in tears because she had made the same request a game earlier, but was denied.
According to international tennis rules, a match can be halted because of darkness only on an even-number game in a set.
"It was very difficult for me to play the match over two days," Kournikova said. "It was a new experience for me."
Seles, a three-time champion who never has lost before the quarterfinals in Paris, won 6-1, 6-4 over Chanda Rubin.
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