Ilie and Koubek Stage a Late Night Thriller
by Christopher Gerby
For every dramatic moment captured by TV cameras during the early rounds
of the US Open, there are dozens only seen by the fans in attendance.
Day One of the 2001 tournament was no exception. Over at Court 7, there was
the look of rapturous joy on qualifier Barbara Schwartz's face as she realized
she'd just defeated # 13 seed Amanda Coetzer. There was a vociferous
throng of Chileans stomping on Court 10's metal stands as they rooted
Nicolas Massu to a win over Francisco Clavet. There was Jonas Bjorkman's
verbal sparring with umpire Andreas Egli on Court 8...and there was
Juan Balcells on the other side of the net, sporting the world's largest
sideburns. The following reports will aspire to convey some of
the other sights and sounds from Week One's outer court action.
Cristina Torrens-Valero (31) vs. Miroslava Vavrinec
Women's Singles: First Round
Court 17
Monday morning's play got off to an awkward start for Switzerland's
Miroslava Vavrinec. Just as her first round match was about to begin,
chair umpire Cristina Olausson informed her that she'd have to remove
the Sanex WTA Tour patch on her headband. The WTA patches are acceptable
on players' shirts, but there is apparently an obscure Grand Slam rule prohibiting
them on headwear. Vavrinec was annoyed, but quickly complied, using a
little pair of scissors handed to her by Olausson. That effort was
more successful than Miroslava's tennis in the early going, as she lost
nine of the first ten points. Cristina Torrens-Valero (who joined the
list of seeds when Anna Kournikova withdrew) is a classic clay courter.
She'll occasionally take a big swing on a forehand, but is generally
content to just keep the ball in play. That was good enough for a 4-0
lead and an eventual 6-2 win of the first set. Vavrinec kicked the
air at one point, frustrated by her erratic play.
I departed after the first set, since it had been less than inspiring
tennis. While I was away, the match did a complete 180. Suddenly
it was Vavrinec who took complete control, winning the second set 6-1 and
holding at love for a 3-1 lead in the third. Torrens-Valero was
yelling at her self, being called for foot faults, and basically coming
apart at the seams. Ignoring the leaves which had been blown onto the
court by some nearby trees, Miroslava Vavrinec struck a pair of aces
in holding for 5-1 and closed out the minor upset one game later.
Undone by a surprising torrent of forehand errors and double faults,
31st-seeded Cristina Torrens-Valero fell 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. For a
relatively low quality match on a little side court, it drew a fair bit of attention
at the end, as Torrens-Valero was interviewed by a Spanish TV crew and
Vavrinec signed numerous autographs.
Lina Krasnoroutskaya vs. Jill Craybas
Women's Singles: First Round
Court 7
If you read any of my World Team Tennis reports this summer, you'll
recognize the name of former NCAA star Jill Craybas. She was up an
early break in her first round encounter with up-and-coming Russian
Lina Krasnoroutskaya, but dropped the set 7-5. While Craybas had the
bulk of the crowd support, Krasnoroutskaya had the more fired-up
demeanor. Lina's incessant fist pumping bothered Jennifer Capriati so
much that she refused to shake the Russian teen's hand after their
match in Zurich last fall. Krasnoroutskaya was at it again here,
pumping her fist and/or shouting "come on!" after every point she won.
Playing steady baseline tennis in the early stages of the second set,
Craybas broke for a 3-2 lead. However, she gave the lead away by
double faulting three times in Game 6 (after surviving two doubles
in Game 4). Craybas just seemed to be going for too much on her
second serves, afraid a more cautious delivery would be pounded by the
French Open quarterfinalist. Indeed, it was Krasnoroutskaya's power
which dominated the rest of this first round showdown. She held for
4-3, broke for 5-3, and held at love to finish up a 7-5, 6-3 win.
Craybas was despondent about having blown her chances, but a friend
consoled her afterwards, saying it was a "tough, tough match."
Elena Likhovtseva (21) vs. Tatiana Perebiynis
Women's Singles: First Round
Court 8
18-year-old Tatiana Perebiynis -- a juniors finalist at last year's
US Open -- is definitely a young player to keep an eye on. After a
successful run through qualifying, she drew an experienced opponent
with a similar game. Like Perebiynis, Elena Likhovtseva is a baseliner
who hits the ball hard and flat. They engaged each other in some
challenging rallies in the first set. Likhovtseva rallied from a 1-3
deficit to get back on serve, but played a loose game at 4-5 to
surrender the set. Elena's forehand was letting her down and Tatiana
was playing with palpable confidence.
After an early exchange of breaks, the second set settled into an evenly
matched battle of service holds. Perebiynis (who bears a facial
resemblance to Thora Birch from American Beauty) shouted "come on!"
after ripping a forehand winner for a 6-5 lead. She was within two points
of victory five times in the set's long twelfth game, but every time
she got to deuce, Likhovtseva found an answer. Elena finally knocked
off a high forehand volley to send the second set into a critical
tiebreak...
- TB serving: A Perebiynis forehand hits the baseline and handcuffs Likhovtseva -- 1-0 PEREBIYNIS
- EL: Perebiynis gets the mini-break with a sizzling forehand pass -- 2-0 PEREBIYNIS
- EL: Likhovtseva responds with an ace -- 2-1 PEREBIYNIS
- TP: Perebiynis is long with a backhand -- 2-2
- TP: A backpedaling Likhovtseva misses with a backhand -- 3-2 PEREBIYNIS
- EL: Likhovtseva leans into a down-the-line backhand winner -- 3-3
- EL: Perebiynis nets her return of a second serve -- 4-3 LIKHOVTSEVA
- TP: Perebiynis drives a forehand into the net -- 5-3 LIKHOVTSEVA
- TP: Perebiynis digs the hole deeper with another forehand error -- 6-3 LIKHOVTSEVA
- EL: Likhovtseva coughs up a double fault -- 6-4 LIKHOVTSEVA
- EL: Likhovtseva swings an ace out wide -- 7-4 LIKHOVTSEVA
Perebiynis didn't go away immediately. The first three games of
the third set were long and competitive, but Likhovtseva gutted out
all of them and finally broke the teenager's spirit. Perebiynis
banged her racquet against the back fence and quickly fell behind 0-5.
She avoided the bagel, but Elena Likhovtseva served out a
4-6, 7-6, 6-1 victory at love. It was a typical case of a solid
veteran outlasting a talented newcomer, but Tatiana Perebiynis is a
name to remember. If the chair umpire had it right, it's pronounced
pear-uh-BEE-nus.
(20) Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario vs. Petra Mandula
Women's Singles: First Round
Court 11
Former world # 1 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario looked certain to send her
fans home happy when she took a 6-3, 3-6, 5-2 lead over Hungary's
Petra Mandula. However, Arantxa shrieked as Mandula fought off a
break point in holding for 3-5. Sanchez-Vicario seemed safe again
when she went up 40-0 in the following game, but Mandula (who beat
Jelena Dokic this year at Roland Garros) bravely kept staving off
elimination. The scene turned almost biblical, with the skies darkening
and thunder rumbling in the background. Mandula fought off a total of
seven match points before crushing a return to break for 4-5.
The drama continued to build as the players made their way to third set
tiebreak. Moving the aging star around with heavy groundstrokes, Mandula
took a 5-2 lead and pumped her fist. Just minutes before rain began
falling around the grounds, Sanchez-Vicario came back to life. A thunder
clap followed her forehand winner for 4-5. Lighting could be seen in
the distance as Mandula was sending a backhand long for 5-5. Two
more backhand errors from Mandula ended it. An incredible hour-long
third set culminated in a 7-5 tiebreak win by Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.
Mandula's collapse at the very end was unfortunate, but both players
richly deserved the loud ovation they received after match point.
Bianka Lamade vs. Evgenia Koulikovskaya
Women's Singles: First Round
Court 9
After barely escaping the last two rounds of qualifying, Evgenia
Koulikovskaya found herself in the US Open's main draw for the first
time since 1998. You've probably heard by now about her highly
unorthodox game. Refusing to hit any backhands, the ambidextrous
Koulikovskaya switches her racquet back and forth from one hand to
the other. And the forehands she hits aren't exactly textbook.
Koulikovskaya chokes up and uses all kinds of up-and-down circular
motion -- it looks like she's swinging a machete. Further adding to
her mystique as a tennis eccentric was Evgenia's almost obsessive
drying of her grip on Monday evening. She frequently wiped the racquet
handle on her powder blue dress and dipped into the courtside box of wood chips
after every changeover. Even her win in the coin toss was
unusual. Rather than choose to serve or receive, the Moscow native
chose the side of the court she'd rather start on.
Along with all those quirks, Koulikovskaya is a pretty feisty little
player. Bianka Lamade (soon to replace retirement-bound Anke Huber as
the best hope for women's tennis in Germany) took a 3-0 lead, but
Evgenia battled back. She won the last four games of the opening set,
taking it 6-4 under a reddish-purple sunset. Set 2 went with serve
all the way to 5-4 and Lamade looked like she was about to steal it
late, earning set point in Game 10. However, Bianka netted a forehand
to lose a rally she was controlling and Koulikovskaya wound up holding
for 5-5. Lamade (who broke through with a title in Tashkent earlier
this summer) let out a victorious shout after a winning drop shot
gave her a 6-5 lead, but Koulikovskaya held to force a tiebreak.
The 'breaker was a see-saw battle. Mini-breaks flew back and forth
as the Russian squeaked out a 6-4 advantage. Facing match point,
Lamade hit a winning overhead from the baseline to get back on
serve at 5-6. Just as quickly as she got the momentum, though, Bianka
gave it away with a match-ending double fault. There were a few
seconds of stunned silence before the fans applauded Evegenia
Koulikovskaya, whose 6-4, 7-6 win set up a dream meeting with Monica
Seles.
Stefan Koubek vs. Andrew Ilie
Men's Singles: First Round
Court 11
Arriving at this match just as Stefan Koubek took a 5-2 first set lead, I
could tell I was in for an unusual experience. Start
with Koubek's attire -- flourescent yellow shorts and the same garish
red shirt Lleyton Hewitt's been modeling this week. Throw in the
mysterious clouds of dust (or something) exploding off Koubek's
racquet after some of his serves. Add the interesting rapport Ilie had
struck up with one particular ball girl, whose main job was to dip towels in cold
water and place them on Ilie's neck (and sometimes dab his face) during
the changeovers. Then factor in a remarkably boisterous fan (let's call
him "the Mad Austrian") screaming his support to Koubek before, after, and sometimes during the points. This
was not your average spectator. He chanted, called out during rallies,
chided fans seated around him, babbled recurring mantras about Thomas
Muster and "the Austrian mind," and managed to annoy and/or amuse
everyone within earshot. Koubek won the first set 6-2, but wouldn't
even look in the direction of his inappropriately exuberant supporter.
"You have to tell him to be quiet during the point," Andrew Ilie told
chair umpire Steve Ullrich early in the second set. Ullrich agreed,
saying "one more time and you'll have to leave" to the Mad Austrian.
No longer being distracted before his shots, Ilie stormed out to a 4-1
lead in the set, playing his usual high-power, low-percentage baseline
game. The Mad Austrian cheered wildly after Ilie missed a return of
a routine Koubek serve in Game 5, causing the Aussie to chuckle. The
fan was getting out of hand again and Ullrich resorted to talking to him
like a child. "It's quiet time," he informed the Mad Austrian after
Ilie took a 5-2 lead. Two games later, an errant backhand from Koubek
brought the 6-3 set to an end.
The ensuing changeover was maybe the strangest in the history of
tennis. Ilie grabbed a pair of shorts from someone in his entourage
and asked for some space so he could change his clothes. Steve
Ullrich intervened, asking Andrew not to remove his shorts on court.
He was about to complain when he noticed his towel-dipping assistant.
"Oh yeah, I've got the girl here," Ilie remarked, causing the ball
girl to burst out laughing. Meanwhile, the Mad Austrian began
swearing and harrassing another spectator. Ullrich said "security
to the court" into his microphone and immediately waved over a
couple volunteers walking nearby. "How many chances do we give you?
No more," Ullrich told the troublesome Austrian. Rather than remove
him from the stands, though, the volunteers simply sat next to him,
one on each side. Soaking up the attention, the Mad Austrian grinned
from ear to ear and resumed his trademark "let's go Stefan, ay-oh-ay"
chant.
A decisive service break helped Koubek to a 3-0 lead in the third set.
After holding for 1-3, Andrew jokingly tried to start up a "let's go
Ilie" chant. "Only Austrian fan on this court!" you-know-who bragged
while his left-handed favorite played some imposing baseline tennis
to win the set 6-1. The Mad Austrian was interviewed during the break
between sets. Or, to put it more accurately, someone put a very
official looking microphone in front of his face while he ranted at
length. His bravado growing, the Austrian shouted "Don't worry,
you're much better than him" to Koubek after Ilie held to open Set 4.
That was the last straw for umpire Ullrich. "He's been insulting.
It's time to go." One of the volunteers actually disagreed, but a
security guard said it was the umpire's call to make and led the Mad
Austrian out of Court 11. He went quietly, but another fan stood
up for him, declaring "He didn't do anything against the rules. This
is America."
After holding for a 2-1 lead in the fourth set, Ilie walked up to
Steve Ullrich and announced, "Toilet break. I can't help it. I have
to change my shorts." However, Ullrich wouldn't let him leave after
an odd-numbered game, so the Aussie had to wait until Koubek evened
the set at 2-2. "Play will continue after an emergency bathroom
break," Ullrich then announced, possibly getting in a subtle dig at
Ilie. The unpredictable fireplug returned to the court with his new
shorts on and slowly took control of the set with his massive one-handed
backhands. Koubek sent a forehand long to drop serve for 3-5 and
lost the set one game later. The only match still taking place
around the National Tennis Center grounds headed into a fifth set.
Koubek fought off a break point in the final set's opening game and
inspired another complaint. "Excuse me, this ball is wet," Ilie told
Ullrich, implying that Koubek had wiped it on his sweaty clothes.
"Every time he's in trouble, he throws a wet ball." That would explain
those little cloud bursts coming off Koubek's racquet. They mysteriously
disappeared for the next several games, with the players holding to
2-2. Ilie squandred two more break points in Game 5 and received a
leg massage from trainer Doug Spreen. Game 6 was an eight-deuce
marathon, with a hobbled Ilie gamely holding his hungry opponent at
bay. Andrew finally held for 3-3 and carried that momentum into the
next game, breaking Stefan at 15 and pumping his fist. Spreen
attended to Ilie again before he went back out to try and finish off
Koubek.
Ilie held for 5-3 and took a 0-30 lead by jumping off the ground while
crushing a forehand winner. The crowd (still large and enthusiastic
at 11:30 PM) went wild as Ilie bent down low and pumped his
fist again. A backhand error by Koubek brought up triple match point,
but the dogged baseliner came up with three big first serves, getting
back to deuce. Koubek's forehand was a weak link for much of the
match, though, and two consecutive errors off that wing closed out
Andrew Ilie's 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 win. After three scintillating
hours of play, Ilie shook hands with Koubek and treated the fans to
his traditional shirt-ripping celebration. Andrew needed some more
treatment from the trainer, but was gracious enough to sign autographs,
pose for pictures, and chat with the loyal fans who stuck around.
"It got a little quiet after that guy left," he said with a smile as
he finally departed.
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