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by Christopher Gerby The epic five set struggle between Marat Safin and Nicolas Kiefer in Arthur Ashe Stadium wasn't the only thriller on Tuesday. It was another emotional, action-packed day on the field courts as well. Emmanuelle Gagliardi vs. Vera Zvonareva Women's Singles: First Round Court 9 Court 9 was a nice place to be on Tuesday morning, as a seat there allowed you to keep tabs on Amy Frazier (playing right behind me on Court 8 against Virginia Ruano Pascual) and Ai Sugiyama (handling Korean qualifier Mi-Ra Jeon on Court 10). Of course, the best view it offered was of the match pitting Vera Zvonareva against Emmanuelle Gagliardi. The feisty, athletic Zvonareva opened a lot of eyes at this year's French Open, taking a set off Serena Williams in the fourth round. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Gagliardi is an affable late bloomer having the best season of her career. Zvonareva won 9 of the match's first 11 points, but her quick start suddenly turned sour. Multiple double faults in her next two service games, sandwiched around a love hold by Gagliardi, saw the young Russian fall behind 2-3. Vera took it hard, swiping at the court with her racket and groaning loudly. She buried her head in a towel during the changeover...which is her normal custom, but this time she stamped her foot and slammed the towel down on her chair when it was time for Game 6. Now it was Gagliardi's game falling apart -- she double faulted on break point to tie the set at 3-3. Zvonareva held easily for 4-3 and opened up a 15-40 lead on Emmanuelle's serve. The Swiss veteran saved one break point, but Zvonareva struck a forehand winner to end a magnificent rally for 5-3. A winning forehand volley would put a 6-3 set in the teenager's coffers after just 29 see-saw minutes. Zvonareva could be seen kicking at the court surface and muttering to herself early in the second set, but it was Gagliardi who surrendered the first service break, double faulting to 2-3. A violent racket toss followed one point later as Gagliardi grew increasingly frustrated. She did manage a love hold for 3-4 and produced some great strokes (including a line drive backhand pass and an angled drop shot) in Game 8, but Zvonareva's forehand bailed her out of trouble. The 17-year-old held for 5-3 and scored one last service break to put away Gagliardi 6-3, 6-3. A pretty handy win in the end for the talented youngster, who gave Kim Clijsters a real scare two rounds later. (28) Eleni Daniilidou vs. Henrieta Nagyova Women's Singles: First Round Court 6 A pretty evenly matched tussle on paper proved just as close on the court as Henrieta Nagyova and Eleni Daniilidou split the first two sets of their first round encounter. When Danillidou broke serve for a 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 lead and jogged to her chair with a raised fist, it looked as if the seed was on her way. The powerfully built Daniildou draws immediate comparisons to Amelie Mauresmo with her powerful one-handed backhand and range at the net. Unlike Mauresmo, the 19-year-old has a real fondness for the drop shot, which she successfully used on game point for a 2-0 lead in the final set. Undaunted, Nagyova screamed "come on!" after a service winner got her to 1-2. Another exchange of holds followed, with Daniilidou missing a cool behind-the-back shot as Nagyova got to 2-3. Eleni's backhand went off in Game 6, allowing "Henya" to break for 3-all. After a winning forehand took the Slovakian to 30-0 in the next game, she looked right at Daniilidou while pumping her fist. The very next point saw Nagyova raise her finger juniors-style to indicate that a Daniilidou backhand had landed wide. Eleni got the call, but was upset anyway, pleading to the chair about Nagyova's antics. "Come on, this is a joke! When she is doing this, it's not right." An overrule then went against Nagyova to even the pivotal seventh game's score at 30-30. Daniilidou then missed a forehand and Nagyova threw up her arms in a "do you believe it this time?" gesture when the ball was called out. Game point in hand, Nagyova launched a service winner and yelled, "Yes! Come on!" Game 8 saw more errors from Daniilidou and more fist pumping from the very fired up Nagyova. At 30-40 in the next game, Nagyova made a lunging squash shot to continue a rally she eventually won with a swinging forehand volley. Exhausted, Nagyova bent over and paused for a while before continuing the game. Two points later, back at deuce, Nagyova complained of dry eyes and took a brief break to drop some water into them. Henrieta then missed a forehand and netted a volley. Daniilidou was back on serve at 4-5, still alive in her second US Open appearance. The stands were now filled to capacity, as news of this airtight grudge match had probably circulated around the grounds. Nagyova raised a "not ready" hand just as Daniilidou was serving a would-be ace to open Game 10. A let was called and Daniilidou absolutely flipped out, engaging the umpire in a long argument, trying to find the right English words. "I hit already! She was, like, normal. There is no way!" Two points later, Nagyova made a backhand error and argued the call, visibly angering Daniilidou. A badly missed drop shot left Daniilidou facing a match point at 30-40, but she uncorked an unreturnable forehand to stave off elimination. After the game went to a second deuce, Eleni launched an ace and shook her fist in Henrieta's direction. The strapping 19-year-old then knocked off a high forehand volley to hold for 5-5. Game 11 was another extended tooth-and-nail battle. On the second deuce point, Nagyova threw up a desperate lob. Daniilidou chased it down and returned a shot to Nagyova, who made her run in the opposite direction with a drop volley. Daniilidou got to it and scooped a reply right at Nagyova, who made a reflex volley right at Daniilidou, who somehow had the presence of mind to angle off a winning volley of her own. Until the Andy Roddick vs. Juan Ignacio Chela match, this was the most incredible rally I saw in the entire tournament. Daniilidou ended it by dropping to the ground and looking over to her supporters with a huge grin on her face. Nagyova was facing a break point now, but she still had plenty of fight left. A backhand winner, service winner, and leaning backhand down the line got her to 6-5. Controversy rose its ugly head again in Game 12, as Daniilidou drew a foot fault call from the opposite end of the court (for stepping over the center service line). Daniilidou missed her second serve, double faulting to deuce. The youngster from Greece would then complain to the chair umpire about Nagyova's stalling tactics. He agreed and said, "Henrieta, when she is getting ready, you have to be ready." Two points later, Nagyova went for water and was warned she had "six seconds" left. After sending a lunging forehand long, Daniilidou faced match point for a second time. Nagyova made good, catching the sideline with a forehand winner. After fighting against a bigger, stronger opponent for more than two and a half hours, the aspiring model broke into a huge smile as she stood at the net savoring a 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 win. Daniilidou, however, was frozen in disbelief on the other side of the net, gesturing at a mark wide of the line, waiting for a call which never came. After all of Nagyova's perceived gamemanship and Daniilidou's open disgust over it, I was pleasantly surprised when Eleni finally did walk over to shake hands. Vince Spadea vs. Jerome Golmard Men's Singles: First Round Court 7 I don't know if the red, David Beckham-ish mohawk Jerome Golmard is sporting these days makes him more areodynamic, but it certainly wasn't slowing him down in the early stages of this match. The Frenchman rocketed home an ace for a 6-4, 5-1 lead against the ever unpredictable Vince Spadea. Two games later, Golmard put away a leaping smash to wrap up the 6-2 set. Derisively called "Blackjack" for the record 21-match losing streak he racked up in 2000, Spadea has fought very hard in his climb back to respectability. Armed with a huge canteen full of water and some very vocal fans, Vince started the long uphill climb. He won 12 of the first 13 points in the third set, inspiring cries of "attaway Vinny!" and "5-set specialist, Vince!" Suddenly floundering at the net and losing all control of his serve, Golmard took just 25 minutes to hand the man from Boca Raton a 6-1 win of the third set. Following a bathroom break from Spadea, the players opened Set 4 with a series of fairly routine service holds. A few points after making a spectacular backhand winner on the dead run, Spadea knocked off a high forehand volley to break Golmard for 4-3. Jerome played aggressively in the following game, trying to get the break right back, but Vince held steady. He saved a break point with a winning forehand pass and advanced to 5-3 with a nifty drop volley. A shout of "French toast, baby!" came from the stands before Spadea secured another break for a 6-3 win of the set. Spadea's never-say-die spirit (and Golmard's crumbling game) put this match dead even at two sets apiece. The Frenchman decided it was his turn for a bathroom break and he took his sweet time before returning. Having apparently gotten his head back together, Golmard stayed with Spadea to 2-2 in the final set. Although in the minority, a handful of Golmard fans were boosting his morale with cries of "allez Jerome!" But Spadea held at love for 3-2 and earned double break point in Game 6. After losing the first break chance on a backhand error, Spadea put a dipping return of a Golmard first serve at the Frenchman's feet. Unable to dig out the shoestring volley, Golmard fell behind 2-4. Golmard quickly struck back, earning a 15-40 chance on Spadea's serve. Having worked too hard to throw it all away now, Vince controlled the next couple rallies and eventually held for a 5-2 lead when Golmard netted a return. Placing a bag of ice on his head and taking another swig out of his canteen, Spadea steeled himself for one last push. At 30-30 in Game 8, Golmard misfired with a forehand and reacted with an enraged racket toss. Facing match point, he sent a backhand into the net. A five set specialist indeed, Spadea raised his arms in triumph, having come all the way back to post a 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 victory. Martina Muller vs. Maret Ani Women's Singles: First Round Court 15 Three straight wins in qualifying (the last coming against college star Jessica Lehnhoff) allowed Maret Ani to become the first Estonian to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam. Once there, she showed a good physique and an explosive temper. "Do you see the f***ing line?!?" Ani screamed at the chair umpire, disputing a line call which gave Martina Muller a 6-4, 2-0 lead. Muller is 5 foot 5, but plays even smaller, crouching way down in her return stance and really bending her knees on many of her groundstrokes. She also has an amusing service routine, always opening her mouth wide as she tosses the ball into the air. Moving and competing well, Muller clawed her way to a 4-1 lead. Hard-hitting Ani held serve for 2-4, but misjudged a lob midway through Game 7, allowing it to fall in untouched. After missing a forehand on game point, Ani angrily whacked the ball back over the net. Leading 5-2, 30-30, Muller rifled a backhand winner and hissed "yes!" The first match point was the only one the German would need. Ani hit a forehand wide and immediately threw her racket halfway across the court at her chair. Maret did a little pirouette immediately after shaking hands with Martina, trying to turn away and hide the fact that she was crying. Like Alina Jidkova and Justin Gimelstob the previous day, Maret Ani showed just how emotional opening round matches can be for the lower-ranked players. If she can harness her baseline power, though, I'm sure she'll be heard from again. For her part, scrappy Martina Muller scored a very impressive second round win over Barbara Schett before falling to Venus Williams on Saturday. (16) Magdalena Maleeva vs. Kveta Hrdlickova Women's Singles: First Round Court 8 The luck of the draw placed Magdalena Maleeva opposite Kveta Hrdlickova in the opening round of the US Open for the second year in a row. Maleeva won that meeting 6-2, 6-1 and appeared to be on her way to a repeat performance on Tuesday, serving out a 6-3 win of the opening set. Sporting a new hairdo (dangerously close to resembling a mullet) since I last saw her, Hrdlickova went about turning the tide. She broke Maleeva at love for a quick 2-0 lead in the second set, but a torrent of forehand errors dropped the Czech right back to 2-2. A winning backhand return two games later allowed Hrdlickova to break for a 4-2 advantage. This time she held on, serving out a fairly sloppy 6-3 second set. Maleeva looked strangely subdued and out of sorts. She survived a four-deuce battle to open the third set, but broke herself with some errant backhands for 1-2. Hrdlickova's confidence seemed to grow from game to game as she got closer to the finish line. Up 4-2, Hrdlickova ran down a Maleeva drop shot, flipping it back for a winner and a 0-30 advantage. A forehand error on break point would put Maleeva behind by two breaks at 2-5. The Bulgarian remained calm, however, and streaky Hrdlickova started to spray errors. Breaking at 30 and holding at 15, Maleeva narrowed the gap to 4-5. Kveta's game was in absolute freefall now. Three unforced errors and a double fault cost her Game 10, leaving a match she had served for twice suddenly tied at 5-5 in the deciding set. The old Maleeva spunk finally surfaced in the following game, as she screamed "ai! ai!" after Hrdlickova errors took the score to 30-0 and 40-0. Hrdlickova sliced a backhand long on triple game point, allowing Maleeva to take a 6-5 lead. Hrdlickova began swiping at the court wildly after yet another unforced error opened Game 12. Facing match point at 30-40, she finally did something right, blasting an ace. But Hrdlickova then pushed a defensive forehand into the net to give Maleeva a second chance. This time it was Hrdlickova steering a forehand wide and Maleeva throwing a victorious fist into the sky. The 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 outcome would sit well with Maggie's fans, but this is one match Hrdlickova is sure to have nightmares about. Gimelstob/Tarango vs. Cibulec/Friedl Men's Doubles: First Round Court 4 For the second day in a row, long matches kept Justin Gimelstob from taking the court until after nightfall. Fully recovered from his late night cramping episode, Gimelstob teamed with Jeff Tarango to battle the solid, unassuming Czech pair of Thomas Cibulec and Leos Friedl. A wild first set saw the Americans hold most of their service games with ease, but fail to convert multiple break points. Leading 5-4, they reached double set point against Friedl's serve. Tarango missed a forehand return to make it 30-40. Set point # 2 saw Gimelstob dive for a drop volley. He failed to reach it, instead landing hard on the concrete and scraping his right thigh. "Great play," Tarango said as he helped his partner to his feet. Cibulec put away a smash to save a third set point, eventually holding for 5-5. After an easy Tarango hold, Jeff and Justin went about trying to break Cibulec's serve. On set point # 3, Gimelstob netted a return. On set point # 4, he missed another return and let out a scream which could have been heard from several counties away. Two points later, a Cibulec ace forced a tiebreak.
Facing triple set point, Cibulec sent a lunging forehand return down the line for 40-15. Tarango then served what appeared to be a set winning ace. It was called a fault and Jeff shot back "correction!" His second serve actually looked long, but it was called in and the Czechs won the point when Cibulec ripped a forehand at Gimelstob. Tarango managed a wry smile and told the service lineswoman, "I shouldn't have said a word. Don't doubt yourself." A service winner on the next point ended the 6-2 set and pushed this match deeper into the night. After Leos Friedl returned from a bathroom break, the final set got underway at 9:50 PM. The opening game was a five-deuce doozy, with Cibulec dodging three break points. The last point saw Gimelstob yell "yours!" before meekly bunting a ball into the net. Knowing he should have taken that ball, Tarango said "sorry, buddy." After Gimelstob held easily to 1-1, it was Friedl's turn to save three break points with some clutch serves and well placed volleys. Frustration was mounting for Jeff Tarango, who scored an ace for 2-2 but complained about Cibulec and Friedl holding him up when he was ready to serve. When the umpire admitted they were taking "a little longer," Tarango was quick to reply. "A little? Is that Czech time or American time?" A forehand return winner by Tarango at 30-30 in Game 5 earned his team their seventh break point of the set and approximately their 700th of the match. Cibulec yielded, netting a forehand volley for 2-3. Distracted by Gimelstob (who screamed at the top of his lungs and nearly took Tarango's hand off with a massive high five), I didn't notice whatever it was that earned Leos Friedl a code violation for "unsportsmanlike conduct." Riding a wave of emotion, Gimelstob made some great volleys in a love hold for 4-2. Friedl rallied from a 0-30 deficit to stay within one break at 3-4. Although a good eight years younger than his partner, Gimelstob was taking a leadership role, shouting "Great job! Come on!" after Tarango made a reflex volley winner on his way to holding for 5-3. Cibulec held at love, forcing Gimelstob to serve it out. Dominant on his serve throughout the entire match, Justin would not be denied. He bellowed "COME ON!" yet again after rocketing an ace for 40-0. A service winner on triple match point then ended it. It took a set longer than it should have, but Justin Gimelstob and Jeff Tarango finally emerged with an exciting 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 win. |