From: clin@eng.umd.edu (Charles Lin)
Subject: US Open - Monday results (spoilers)
Reply-To: clin@eng.umd.edu (Charles C. Lin)
Organization: College of Engineering, Maryversity of Uniland, College Park
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 02:16:30 GMT


   Last night, there was yet another interesting matchup between
the steady baseliner, MaliVai Washington (who has had a pretty
good summer on hardcourts) and the flashy Henri Leconte.  Leconte,
who used the same flashy orange racquet as Agassi, seems to also
have changed to a different model.  I'm not sure if it is just
cosmetics or what.

   Leconte showed that he can still dazzle and still disappoint.
His serve seems to have gotten quite powerful (not that it
was that weak before) and was regular serving at 120 mph.
Not to be outdone, Washington also sent serves in ranging
in the 110 mph range.  

    This match had a very stop and go feel to it.  Leconte would
either hit a sharp volley or miss on returns or else Washington
would pass.  Throughout the entire match, Washington seemed to
easily hold his serve (a few exceptions in the second set
when he saved quite a few set points) and while Leconte had several
easy service games, he had to twice save himself from 0-40 
situations.  Washington broke Leconte once, and was able to
hold off Leconte to win the first set.

   In the second, Leconte had chances to win by breaking Washington,
but Washington held off several set points, and this set went
to a tiebreaker.  Leconte had an early lead (I think it was 4-2)
when it began to drizzle, and play suspended.   However, the rain
was light and play began some fifteen minutes later.   Leconte
played quite well in the rest of the tiebreaker, taking the next
three points.

   In the third set, I believe only one break determined that set.
which Washington won (6-4 according to Shun's post),  Early in 
the fourth, MaliVai broke for a 2-0 lead.  To get the
2-0 lead, MaliVai had two chances to break (15-40), and
Leconte got one back, but played a series of volleys, which
ended up in Leconte getting passed.  During this attempt, Leconte's
knee was in an awkward position, and he fell to his back, and it
seemed he might have to default.  However, he came back the
next game, played several agressive points, and got the
break back.

   They, then held serve back and forth until 4-3, where it
once again rained (about 1 am) and play was finally called
off until the next afternoon.  It took 6 minutes or so, of
play for MaliVai to break and hold and win the match.  Washington
will next face Michael Chang, in a battle of consistent
baseliners.  Watch for rallies for position and both players
trying to take chances by coming to net.  This is a tough
call, and I do not know the previous record.  Chang has
never gone past the fourth round, but this is also Washington's
first trip to the fourth round.

   I missed most of the Courier-McEnroe match, but it was pretty
much an easy match for Courier.  Courier won 6-2, 6-2, 7-6.  He
was able to keep the ball low and hard against Mac, and basically
overpowered Mac.

   In a side note, yesterday, McEnroe got in a heated argument
while playing doubles.  Apparently, Scott Davis's girlfriend (presumably
Stafford) was getting a little excited, and this was bothering
McEnroe who wanted her to act more like "a human being".  Davis
was not very happy, and basically started arguing.  At the
end of the match,  Davis still had a few choice words for
Mac, and threatened to deal with it in the locker room.
Today, Davis was fines something like $2000 for obscenities.
Apparently, McEnroe was not fined since he did not use
any profane words.  By the way, McEnroe and Stich won that
match in three sets.

   Other results:  Graf ran over her opponent rather easily,
6-2, 6-2.  Sanchez-Vicario had an even easier time against
Zina Garrison, 6-0, 6-1.  Magdalena Maleeva is in a dogfight
with Chanda Rubin (who beat sister Katerina).  They have
split sets.  7-5, 5-7, 2-0(?) with Maleeva in the lead in the
third.  If Maleeva wins, she will face her sister, Manuela.
Manuela had a rather tough time, beating Kerry Cunningham,
6-3, 7-5.   Cunningham played TeamTennis with Connors this
summer, and she seems to have a sort of Connors-like
groundstrokes.  She also wears the Bollitieri-like sunglasses,
which she endorses.  It wasn't really bright (says Mary Carillo),
so it was merely for endorsement.

   Sampras played Forget in the third match (after Courier-McEnroe
and Washington-Leconte).   Sampras is favored by many to win the
tournament.  He had a recent scare with Todd Martin, winning
in five.  He may also have had reason to fear Forget since Forget
has won all but one of their four or five previous meetings.  This
included a hardcourt final last year.  He defeated Sampras in the
Davis Cup as well.  However, Sampras seems to have gotten his game
back into order.   He won the first set, 6-3 on a service break,
but fell two breaks behind in the second to Forget.  Since Nick
Bollitieri just commented on Sampras winning, I assume he won
today.

   This brings me to the night match between 8th seed Andre Agassi
and 10th seed Carlos Costa.  If this match has started, it has
been after a rain delay.  Actually, almost any rain will stop
a match since the lines get slippery, and players are paranoid 
about injury.  Both players have had easy matches up until
now, and so this may be a tough match for both.

    Oh yes, let me get back to the match yesterday between
Mary Pierce (originally of the US, but represents France)
and Mary Joe Fernandez.  As Anne mentioned earlier, Tracy
basically repeated the same sentiment that Shun has pointed
out.  Namely, players hit too hard and go for winners, and
don't know how to set up points.  Mary Pierce lost the
first set to Mary Joe 6-0.  Fernandez was more consistent,
and just got the ball back in play.  Pierce's strategy began
to pay off in the second, and the hard hitting Pierce managed
to make a close set, but it still went to Fernandez.  Pierce
hits her forehand on a level with Steffi Graf, but hasn't got
the same kind of consistency as Graf does.

   When Bollitieri (Pierce's current coach) was asked what
Pierce had to do,  he said that what parents and other people
don't understand is that, unless the players are happy, they
aren't going to play good tennis, so that the main objective
is to somehow make Mary happy.  It seems like good advice.

   There were a few segments produced by CBS and USA network.
There was the relationship between Edberg and Pickard (his
coach) and how they are good friends, and Edberg sees
Pickard something like a father, and Pickard also has
respect for Edberg, and it is this mutual respect that
keeps them going on.  Pickard, says Edberg, is honest,
and will tell Edberg when he's played a lousy match.
Edberg also says that Pickard protects him since he
can say "no" where Edberg is often reluctant to.

   Another story was how young players are under too much
pressure.  Another one was a rememberance of Arthur Ashe,
as Peter Bodo (editor at Tennis), Mary Carillo (announcer
for CBS, ESPN), Stan Smith, Cliff Drysdale, and others
commented on what Ashe has meant to the game of tennis.
Also, another piece on how the press box is so far up, and
sometimes so poorly situated, that in some places, only
part of the court can be seen, and that sometimes somebody
from a foreign country has to update the person writing
at the site, since that person can see the entire court
on tv.   There was also a rememberance of Ilie Nastase,
and what players thought of him.

   Finally, the king of comebacks, Brad Gilbert goes down.
After two five setters with Michael Stich and Tommy Ho,
Gilbert seemed again poised to come back as he fell two
sets to none to Volkov, then went 5-all, before he broke
and held in the fourth.  The fourth went all the way to a
tiebreak.  Gilbert lost a crucial rally which would have
put him up 6-4, serving for the tiebreak, but instead went
5-all.  Volkov won the next point (on a pass if I recall)
and then Gilbert double-faulted to lose the set (which made
him really upset, as he slammed the racquet into the chair).

   The match was interesting in a weird sort of way.  You
normally expect two baseliners to be slugging it out.  Yet,
both players were content (at least near the end) to push
the ball, and push the ball.  Gilbert normally plays this
way, then tries to put away a short ball.  Volkov has a
very casual style on groundies and volleys (though he
seems to be able to hit harder when he has to) as well.
I don't know if this was just because he was matching 
Gilbert's style or what.  I have no idea who he faces next.

   Well, the men's have held quite well to form, with 13
seeds making it to the fourth round, the highest ever in
the Open era (since 1968 or so), and the women have had
the second lowest number of seeds in the fourth round.
This trivia, courtesy of CBS.  There are still dangerous
people left in the draw sneaking through.  Among them
are Becker and Edberg.  Most attention seems more focused
on Sampras, Agassi, and possibly Courier, who is now playing
more solid tennis as the week has progressed.  Becker and
Lendl face off, and Edberg and Krajicek also play.  This
may be tough as Krajicek owns one of the biggest serves in
tennis.

--
Charles Lin
clin@eng.umd.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis