Yevgeny Kafelnikov on how disappointing it was to lose to Woodruff: "It's not so much. I'm happy with this week, I reached the semifinals... I'd like to be in the final tomorrow, but you cannot win every match, especially with the way he played."
Chris Woodruff on serving four aces in a row: "Don't ask me how that happened. I don't know. It's weird. The way my mind works out there, I think of certain things. I hit the first ace and then I started thinking about Michael Jordan, how when the game's on the line he takes over, so I try to adopt that same mentality."
Woodruff on what he thinks about during changeovers: "Ah, just weird, just different things. Probably not fit for tellin'."
Michael Chang on Gustavo Kuerten's personality: "I think it is great for the game of tennis. It's always great when you're able to have new faces with new personalities, and obviously he's got an outfit to match that. But I think it's great for the tour. It's refreshing, and I don't know Gustavo all that well, but he seems to be a pretty nice gentleman."
Gustavo Kuerten on becoming the first Brazilian man to reach the top 10: "To me, it's great even if Brazil had already 20 or 30 top ten players... I think it's what every player, what every professional player wants to be, top 10. So after the hard practice I did and the travel I did, this is my bonus, my payback, and I'm so happy right now."
The pressure of his first Super Nine semifinal may have gotten to Woodruff early on, with a double fault for 15-30 in the first game. He reeled off three straight points to go up 1-0, though, and jumped out to 15-40 lead in Kafelnikov's initial service game. Yevgeny staunchly warded off three break points, ending the game with a laser forehand down the line. Woodruff got another 15-40 the next time Kafelnikov served, this time winning the long rallies and breaking for 3-1. Kafelnikov fought all the way from down 40-0 to earn a break point in the seventh game, but Woodruff saved it with a backhand stab volley and held for 5-2 when another Yevgeny down-the-line forehand just missed.
Woodruff didn't rest on his laurels -- up 0-15 in the next game, he kept a rally alive with a desperation backhand volley and won it a couple strokes later by driving a forehand volley for 0-30. Kafelnikov nevertheless battled back to hold and forced Woodruff to serve it out. That would be easier said than done for the unseeded American, who began struggling with his ball toss in the windy conditions. A Kafelnikov forehand pass made it 15-30, a Woodruff backhand into the net made it 15-40, and a high forehand volley gave Kafelnikov a huge break for 5-4.
After a Kafelnikov hold made it 5-5, Woodruff found his serve under assault again. Kafelnikov squandered his first break point of Game 11 with a netted forehand, but Woodruff handed the game over with a double fault and a long backhand. The momentum all his now, Kafelnikov served an ace for 15-0 and another for 30-15, following that up with an overhead smash for 40-15. The Russian chunked a low backhand on his first set point, but converted the next with an ace. As he had on Friday, Kafelnikov was putting up fine service numbers despite the wind. That may have been the difference in a 7-5 first set.
Woodruff said afterward that he very easily could have gotten discouraged at this point and left with a 7-5, 6-2 defeat. Not on this afternoon -- he had the first break point of the second set, although Kafelnikov denied him, holding for 2-2 on another timely ace. The holds continued, Woodruff taking a 4-3 lead. At 30-30 in the set's eighth game, Kafelnikov came up with a beautiful little backhand volley with traveled almost parallel to the net. He then held with an ace again for 4-4. Woodruff, concentrating mainly on holding his own serve, did so to 6-5.
A crucial Kafelnikov double fault in the next game put the #4 seed down 15-40. Woodruff lost the first set point, but got a second serve to swing at up 30-40. He put the return into the net, though, and angrily ripped off his hat. After getting and losing a third set point, Woodruff settled into the best rally of the match -- he hit a great return and had to punch several volleys before Kafelnikov finally succumbed. Fired up, Woodruff looked to the adoring crowd and pumped his fist. He lost yet another set point, though, this time on a backhand into the net. However, a Kafelnikov forehand into the net gave Woodruff his fifth chance to claim the second set. This time he would not be denied, charging in and killing a backhand volley to even the match at 5-7, 7-5.
Woodruff held for 1-0 and took a bathroom break. The delay may have effected Kafelnikov, who was faced with two break points before holding for 1-1. Woodruff lost another break point in the fourth game and started to tire. He wearily served double faults for 15-30 and 30-40, but dismissed a pair of break points. Kafelnikov lost an unlucky net cord at deuce and whipped his hat to the court. Yet another Woodruff double fault meant break point #3. Woodruff put this one away, too, knocking off a high forehand volley. Kafelnikov then fired two shots just over the baseline and trailed 3-2.
At deuce in the next game, Kafelnikov picked up a double fault with a late call on the second serve. He uncharacteristically threw in another double fault immediately afterwards, gift-wrapping the first break of the set for Woodruff. The 24-year-old from Knoxville kicked right into the zone after that, smacking a startling four aces in a row to hold for 5-2. The long battle nearly came to an end in the very next game -- at 30-30, a Kafelnikov forehand literally danced across the tape and fell wide. Facing match point, Kafelnikov came right back with a forehand winner down the line, an ace, and a service winner.
It was deja vu all over again for Woodruff, once again serving for a set with a 5-3 lead. Whether it was wind or nerves which failed him the first time, neither was evident at this juncture. Woodruff threw in another ace for 30-0 and took a 40-0 lead when an off-balance backhand return by Kafelnikov met the net. With triple match point on the line, Woodruff hammered home an ace. After 2 hours and 15 minutes of mostly brilliant play, he ecstatically smacked a ball clear out of the stadium, celebrating a 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 upset. Chris Woodruff loves the role of "giant killer" and he has played it to the hilt this week with wins over Goran Ivanisevic, Mark Philippoussis, and now Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
When I got out of the Woodruff press conference, Kronemann and MacPherson were holding for a 3-2 lead. The crowd had thinned somewhat from the big singles match, but these four were still playing in front of far more people than usual. Mahesh Bhupati and Leander Paes had been clinging to dear life early in the tournament, dropping the opening set in each of their first two matches, needing a 9-7 third set tiebreak win to get past Donald Johnson and Francisco Montana in the second round. Trevor Kronemann and David MacPherson had made their own noise with big wins over Black/Gimelstob, Ferreira/Galbraith, and Philippoussis/Rafter. Hefty Trevor and scrawny David may make for a fun sight gag, but they're also capable of terrific tennis.
Paes and MacPherson each went to deuce in the games which followed my arrival (the latter aided by a disputed ace), but hung on for 4-3. Five more holds followed without the returners making much of a dent -- highlight of this stretch was a lob Bhupati and Paes both chased, Paes getting to it with a nifty over-the-shoulder shot. Some very fine doubles was being played, but it was little more than a prelude to the game which really mattered -- the first set tiebreak.
A MacPherson backhand volley winner was followed by three consecutive errors (one each by MacPherson, Kronemann, and Paes) for 2-2. A service winner by MacPherson made it 3-2 and he added a forehand volley winner for a mini-break. Bhupati replied with a service winner for 4-3. MacPherson hit a sterling backhand on the next point; Paes chased it way past the doubles alley, but his lunging forehand overshot the baseline by a couple feet. After a Kronemann service winner, "The Tank" and "The Professor" had a 6-3 lead.
MacPherson lost the first set point on a long forehand volley, a point during which the forecasted rain finally began to fall. By the time Paes hit a forehand volley winner for 6-5, fat raindrops were sprinkling the stadium and forcing about half of the spectators to flee for the aisles. Not wanting to halt the match in the middle of a tiebreak, the umpire allowed play to continue. Perhaps distracted by all the commotion in the stands, MacPherson blew the third set point on a double fault. Play was finally suspended, the sound system shortly kicking in with clever selections like "No Rain" by Blind Melon.
During the rain delay, we got word that this doubles semi would be moved to Court One at the resumption of play (a little after 6 pm), with Chang vs. Kuerten starting in the stadium at the same time. This obviously was to prevent having to empty out an entire stadium of day session ticket holders to bring in the night session folks for the singles semi. As you may know, one of my goals covering tournaments for On the Line is to bring you the good matches you might not read about anywhere else. With that in mind, I chose to stick with the doubles. Little did I know I would miss Kuerten's entire 6-3, 6-1 dismantling of Chang!
The evenly matched teams picked right up where they left off on the new court. The resumption started badly for Bhupati, who was promptly hit by a Kronemann smash for 7-6. MacPherson blew a return on the next point, however. A winning forehand volley by Paes gave the Indians their first set point, but it fell by the wayside as a Bhupati lob fell long. After Paes returned a Kronemann serve into the net, the "Mutt and Jeff" team had its fifth set point up 9-8. Again MacPherson missed a return and it was 9 all. Paes followed that up with a backhand volley, intensely clenching his fist as it caught the sideline. Paes and Bhupati couldn't convert this set point, either, MacPherson whacking a smash for 10-10. Leander and Mahesh finally got a much needed mini-break when MacPherson buried a low forehand volley in the net. Bhupati also faced a low backhand volley on the next point, but he sent it right down the line for a set-clinching winner. After 12 full games and a 22 point tiebreak played over two courts, Bhupati and Paes were up a set.
Bhupati held for 1-0, then Kronemann held easily with an array of big serves. A slow drizzle had started up, unfortunately, and the chair umpire took to the court for an inspection one point into the third game of the set. The players wanted to continue, however, and that they did -- Paes holding for 2-1 on a mis-hit Kronemann return. The umpire returned to dragging his feet around the possibly slippery court during the changevoer and this time insisted play be temporarily suspended. The players stayed in their chairs for a few minutes, but exited when the rain became more forceful. At 7-6, 2-1, the match went into its second delay.
I retreated to the press box and typed some of the article you're now reading. By the time I returned to Court One, the second set score was 3-2. Kronemann then held at love for 3-3 and Paes did likewise for 4-3. MacPherson got down 15-30 in the following game, but battled back for 4 all. Bhupati also found himself in trouble on his serve, double faulting for 40-30 and missing a lob for deuce. He and Paes pulled out the game, though, winning it when a running MacPherson sent a forehand wide. MacPherson slammed his racquet down upon reaching his chair for the changeover, upset to have let a big game get away.
Seeming to get all of his considerable weight into his serves, Kronemann once again held at love for 5-4, the game ending on a MacPherson smash. Looking for a break to help them even the match at one set all, Kronemann/MacPerson stormed out to a 0-30 lead on the Paes serve. MacPherson then missed a backhand volley, reacting with a pained grimace. Bhupati/Paes sidestepped the threat by winning the next three points for a 6-5 lead, Leander wrapping up the hold with an ace. Another strong MacPherson overhead completed his easy hold, which set the stage for another tiebreak.
The teams rolled along to 3-3 in the tiebreak, each winning all of their service points. That streak ended on a MacPherson double fault, giving Paes/Bhupati a winning lead of 4-3. A swinging volley winner from Paes made it 5-3. Bhupati added a service winner for 6-3, but Kronemann countered with one of his own to stave off the first match point. With big Trevor serving so well throughout the match, one would guess he'd add another point for 6-5. Leander Paes disagreed, ripping a forehand return winner to lock up the hard fought, twice interrupted victory. Bhupati and Paes advance to Sunday's final 7-6 (12-10), 7-6 (7-4).
I arrived at this evening match in time for what had the earmarks of an important game -- Aleksander Kitinov being broken to get behind 3-1 in the 1st set. The #3 seeds looked to solidify it, with Alex O'Brien taking a 40-15 lead on his serve. The missed smash by hometown favorite Sebastien Lareau gave an ad to the qualifiers, who converted the break point when Jeff Salzenstein charged foreward to knock off a forehand winner. It was 3-2 and deuce in Salzenstein's service game when the rains returned. The players would come back on court about 45 minutes later to warm up, but the rain started again before a single point could get underway. When the match finally did resume at 10:43 pm, only a couple hundred fans were left, most of them having moved down to the good courtside seats.
The long delay apparently did not faze Kitinov and Salzenstein. Kitinov, the only native Macedonian in the tournament, hit a forehand volley on the first point and Salzenstein followed it with an ace for 3 all. It was then Lareau's turn to impress, as he ended a love hold with a nice stop volley. The shaky Kitinov service game once again proved a weak link -- his double fault ta 30-40 gave Lareau/O'Brien a 5-3 lead. Up 40-15 in the following game, the Texan smacked a service winner to claim the first set 6-3, drawing pretty big cheers from the small but enthusiastic crowd. Kitinov/Salzenstein had been the only team left in the tournament not to have dropped a set.
Salzenstein held to open the second set and went up 15-30 in another O'Brien service game. The next point was a wild one, with Salzenstein and Kitinov both going up for the same overhead. Kitinov hit it, but not very well, and he eventually missed a volley to lose the point. O'Brien went on from there to even the set at 1-1. Kitinov was then broken for the third time in a row, losing the game on a backhand volley winner from a fired up O'Brien. But this time it was Lareau giving away the advantage -- he served two double faults in the next game and lost it on a high backhand volley into the net.
Salzenstein held at 15 for 3-2; O'Brien held at 30 for 3-3. It was then time for Kitinov's customary break. This one was even uglier than usual, as Kitinov/Salzenstein lost all four points on errors. The following game went to 30-all, but a Lareau smash made it 40-30 and a Kitinov service return into the net made it 5-3. Having won all of his service games in doubles at this tournmanent (and 88% in singles), Salzenstein was a good bet to make it 5-4. He did by holding at 15. That merely put off the inevitable, however. Alex O'Brien held at love and vaulted himself and his Canadian partner into the '97 du Maurier Open doubles final with a solid 6-3, 6-4 win under the stars.
The local cable company in Eindhoven decided two weeks ago that they were going to remove Eurosport. Eurosport, you see, had decided to increase the fee the cable companies have to pay to distribute them. The increase is from 25 cents per connection per year to 50 cents. Clearly, this would cut heavily into the profits the cable company makes, because 25 cents is quite a bit, taken out of the roughly 15000 cents we pay for our cable.
Clearly, having no Eurosport was not going to do at all. I therefore decided to get myself a satellite dish, something I'd been thinking about a long time. It cost a bit (not as much as I had feared), but it paid off. Because it allowed me to see the second semifinal of the Montreal Canadian Open.
Brazilian tennis star Gustavo Kuerten had not faced a seeded player yet on his way to the semifinal. If that worried him in his match with Michael Chang, he certainly never showed it. Right from the start of the match he was holding his own quite well against the fastest player on the tour.
It took a rain delay, however, to really set him alight. The rain delay occurred when the score was tied at 2 all in the first set, games having gone with serve. When the payers returned from the break, Chang made it 3-2 on his serve, and then Kuerten won seven games in a row.
Kuerten produced a most stunning display of all-court tennis to win that string of games. I have not seen Chang dominated that way since Arnaud Boetsch was all over him at the end of last year in Paris-Bercy.
Kuerten had it all -- power on both wings from the back of the court, as well as very good net play. When Goran Ivanisevic moves in to play a drop shot, it's always a toss-up between an unbelievable shot, or a very silly one. When Guga plays a drop shot, it may not be as flashy as Goran's best, but it is plenty good enough. Guga is also one of the few players who can hit penetrating backhands, even when he is not playing into an open court. Frankly, he may be the only player who can do that.
At 0-3 in the second set, Chang managed to hold his serve, to break the long string of games won by Kuerten. The match might have turned then, as it can do at any time when Chang is playing -- he never ever gives up. But Guga was not fazed, and closed out the set and the match by winning the next three games. With his win he moved into his first Super Nine final, and he moved into the top ten. In the opinion of this reporter, there is no reason why he should not soon move into the top five as well. Gustavo Kuerten, right now, is the most exciting coming player in all of men's tennis, and he's not about to stop his advance.