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American women thrive in Paris
Posted: Monday June 01, 1998 09:55 AM
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Although Serena Williams (right) lost to Sanchez Vicario, Venus moves on to face Hingis in the quarterfinals (AP) |
PARIS (AP) -- The American men may have bombed out at this year's French Open, but the women are doing just fine, thank you.
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 angrily after the match.
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. 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.
Kournikova was defeated by Jana Novotna in a match that spanned two days (AP) | |
Majoli and Martinez were tied at a set apiece when darkness halted play Sunday night. Martinez jumped out to a quick 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 Mon
day.
Play was halted Sunday night at Novotna's request, which left 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 due to 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.
As the second week of the tournament gets started, the women's side appears to have a bit of everything.
There's power and attitude in Venus Williams, the world's No. 1 player in Hingis, and a touching story in Seles, who is playing only two weeks after losing her coach and father.
What's left on the men's side?
Certainly not many of the world's top players. With 12 men left in the draw, only No. 3 seed Marcelo Rios
remains of the top 10. The next seed left is No. 12 Carlos Moya. Then there's No. 14 Alex Corretja, No. 15 Felix Mantilla and No. 16 Alberto Berasat
egui.
Corretja moved into the quarterfinals Monday with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
win over Jason Stoltenberg of Australia.
Also remaining are the world's 45th-ranked player, the 69th and the 116th.
No U.S. man made it through the third round, the worst showing in a Grand Slam event in at least 30 years.
Gone are the reigning champions of the other three Grand Slams: top-seeded Pete Sampras (Wimbledon), No. 2 Petr Korda (Australian Open) and No. 4 Pat Rafter (U.S. Open).
Also gone are some of the more charismatic players, such as American Andre Agassi and last year's surprise champion, Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil.
The remaining marquee player, Rios, has a huge following in Chile, and his fans bring gigantic Chilean flags to his matches. But in the rest of the world, he is well known for a cold and haughty attitude.
There is one exciting story on the men's side being written by Marat Safin, the 18-year-old Russian qualifier ranked 116th in the world, who's beaten Agassi and Kuerten here.
Safin powered his way through the first three rounds much like Williams, with brawn and with aces.
He's attracted Kournikova-like attention with his athletic good looks. And his post-match news conferences resemble those of Hingis: smiles and jokes.
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