One of the best bargains for a tennis fan can be found at the National Tennis Center, which is known mainly for the $42 nosebleed stadium seats and six-dollar hamburgers. Every year, the qualification matches are free and open to the public, and they feature some of the most memorable moments on the professional tennis circuit. In all, 256 singles players and 32 doubles teams compete for entrance into the final major of the year, and the event, which takes place the week prior to the start of the main draw matches, can be viewed as a microcosm of the Open. Nearly all of the courts that are used for competition throughout the fortnight are loaded up with matches between players itching to get into another (or quite possibly their first) Grand Slam event.

Of course, the crowd favorites are the more well-known players, some of whom are facing down age and a slipping ranking (such as doubles stalwart Todd Woodbridge) or career-threatening injuries (like Justin Gimelstob, from nearby New Jersey and always popular at the Open). The biggest cheers and crowds were gained by Vince Spadea, who went from a Top 20 player to the owner of the ATP Tour?s lengthiest futility streak in the span of eighteen months. Spadea?s run was halted in the final round -- a disappointing draw against the top seed, Argentine David Nalbandian -- but every point and game he won was heartily cheered by the fans.

The spectators, though, are a knowledgeable bunch, and the talk of the grounds was the preponderance of former Soviet bloc players on the rise, particularly amongst the women. No woman garnered as much chatter as last year?s junior champion, Tatiana Perebiynis. The 18-year-old Ukranian had recently turned professional, and brought a 2-4 WTA Tour record into the qualifying, where she had just missed being seeded. The crowds at her first match on Wednesday were awed by her power and guile, as she cruised past gritty Australian Lisa McShea. More autograph seekers and amateur photographers were beguiled when she demolished Sylvia Pischke on Thursday. Plischke, seeded 20 and a former quarterfinalist at Roland Garros, was expected by the crowd to pressure Perebiynis far more than McShea did, but after a competitive opening six games, Perebiynis added extra pace to her shots, and Plischke?s mentality wilted.

Perebiynis played her final round match on Court 11, the fifth of five show courts at the National Tennis Center. She was drawn to play Erika de Lone, a common name in the Top 100 in years past, but recovering from a leg injury that kept her off the Tour for months. In the first set, de Lone?s scrappy retrieving kept the points lengthy, and after a tense final game, which saw Perebiynis hold multiple break points to even the set at 5, de Lone clinched the first set, after one of Tatiana?s many errors long. In the second set, though, Perebiynis turned up the heat on her game, putting more pace on her serve while actually increasing her first service percentage. The crowd perpetually gasped as Perebiynis? wicked groundstrokes caught a sideline or a baseline, and though de Lone?s speed and determination kept her in many more points than one would have expected, she was constantly on the defensive. After a hiccup at 5-1, where Perebiynis served her only sloppy game, she was able to grasp the second set, 6-3. In the third set, with the crowd firmly in her corner, Perebiynis was able to take advantage of a tired de Lone, and, showing no signs of fatigue, calmly aimed a foot inside the lines and ran away with the third set, for a well-earned 4-6 6-3 6-2 victory.

As one of the spectators near me sighed, ?We?re going to have to keep an eye on this one!? Tatiana has a beautiful all-court game, with superb groundstrokes off both sides. Her shots are very flat and she is a great mover, but does not demonstrate a willingness to come into the net as of yet. Still, with three vicious wins, she?ll be playing in her first US Open.

It wasn?t just about the up-and-comers out of the former Soviet Republics, though. Surely the most talked about SHOT of the tournament came out of Russia, but Evgenia Koulikovskaya is not new to the Tour; as a matter of fact, she was ranked in the Top 100 and reached the second round of the US Open once. Her results over the last two years have not been able to keep pace with that early success, though, and she had not played in a Grand Slam singles main draw since Wimbledon of 1999. That all would change, though, as she faced off against rising German star Martina Muller in the final round of the qualifying.

In the first set, Muller?s power game put off Koulikovskaya, but, slowly, Evgenia worked her way into the match. The SHOT that had everyone buzzing was Koulikovskaya?s backhand. Which, of course, does not exist. Koulikovskaya serves lefty and hits her forehand with her left hand, but when the ball is returned to what would be her backhand side, she returns with a right-handed forehand! After returns, she waits patiently in the middle of the court with both hands on the racket, and as the ball is being hit back to her, determines which side it will come to and puts the racket into that hand. It?s surely a chancy way to play tennis, but it works for her.

Koulikovskaya?s entire game is an anachronism; she hits deep moonballs to her opponent until she gets a short reply, and then zooms into the net to put away a volley or slice a drop shot winner (another qualifier, Korea?s Yoon Jeong Cho, also uses this tactic quite often). This game may not fool a Venus Williams, but against the young, fiery German, it was enough to make Martina lose her mind. Muller had fits often, screaming quite often and, at one point, earning a warning for ball abuse after blasting a ball two courts over. Muller, when on, has enough power and placement to beat most anyone, but, after coming back from 1-5 to 5-5 in the decider, Koulikovskaya?s frustrating game, coupled with the crowd?s strong support of the Russian with the unorthodox game, caused her to implode, and the Russian emerged victorious, 2-6 6-4 7-5.

When Perebiynis qualified, there was not much expression, as if she expected it, but Koulikovskaya, who hadn?t made it this far in years, leapt into the air and beamed a broad smile. Muller was disheartened and left the court immediately, but she can at least take solace in the fact that, as the fourth seed, she?ll play the main draw as a lucky loser.

Francesca Lubiani (at the 2001 Palermo International)

The most discussed match of the tournament came in the second round, between Italian veteran Francesca Lubiani and highly touted American teenager Cory Ann Avants. Avants had already caused a stir by coming from behind to oust Lubomira Bacheva, the second seed from Bulgaria. At the start of this match, though, it was all Lubiani, as she raced to a set lead. Curiously, Lubiani began to complain about Avants?s motions while returning serve, as well as Avants?s claim of injury. Indeed, Avants, while returning serve, gives the impression of an adorable bunny rabbit on methamphetamine, as she bounces from one foot to another, sidles from side to side, shakes her head, talks to herself, and whips her thigh into submission with her racket.

As Lubiani?s complaints mounted as they entered the third set, the crowd became increasingly involved. Each player stepped up her gamesmanship. Every winner that Avants hit would be accompanied by a yell and a thigh slap. Lubiani?s winners would be punctuated by a fist pump in the direction of Avants. Between points and at changeovers, their eye contact would be unwavering. Avants mocked Lubiani?s facial expressions and laughed when she double faulted. Lubiani?s shots seemed to head straight for Avants, no matter where she was. The crowd loved every second of it, and quickly chose sides (approximately 60-40 in favor of the American). Avants had a bit more pace when it counted, and bolstered by a bit more crowd support and her natural adrenalin, was able to close out the match, 6-4 in the final set.

As the players tentatively walked to the net, eye contact still unbroken, the crowd held its breath in anticipation. At the end, after a brief pause, Lubiani held out her hand, and Avants quickly followed. They exchanged their ?Good match,? and the crowd erupted. It had been as draining for the spectators, but no one was more drained than Cory Ann Avants. As Lubiani started talking to the umpire, still giving looks towards Avants?s chair, the 16-year-old American put a towel up to her face, but not quickly enough to hide the fact that she was weeping. As Lubiani saw that, she gave up, looking exhausted and more than a little saddened, and left the court to raucous cheers. Avants had never experienced anything like that, as she had to deal with injury and a truly vicious match in a pressure-packed situation, and it was more than likely that the occasion had gotten to her.

Still, though during the match Avants and Lubiani were at each others? throats, afterwards, they were calm and professional. That match shows how important these tournaments are to the players, yet underscores how these are normal people, trying to do what they love, and doing everything they can to live out their dreams. Avants was able to collect herself, and, after signing autographs and posing for pictures, left the court. She still had one more round to concentrate on.