Working Overtime: Arantxa a Double Winner, Will Face Novotna in Semis   Canadian Open, Friday, August 21 By Ed Toombs

  Because of matches suspended by yesterday's rain, this was a grueling day for many of our players at the Canadian Open. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, for example, had to play almost two complete matches before sundown. But there were busier players: like Sandrine Testud, who had to play five sets of singles and a late night doubles quarterfinal. After her third round win this morning over Irina Spirlea this morning, a reporter marvelled, "Three matches in one day, you must be in great shape." Testud gave him a somewhat weary smile and answered, "I'll tell you tonight."

  One of our double winners was Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, the third seed and perhaps the most popular player here. Sanchez never misses a Canadian Open, usually performs well here, and Montrealers appreciate her good humour and ability to express herself in French. She went through Tauziat and Martinez today to earn a berth in the semifinals.

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (3) def. Nathalie Tauziat (11), 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 (time: 1 hour, 40 min.)
Third Round
Previous head-to-head: Sanchez leads 10-0.

  A landmark win for Nathalie Tauziat: she won a set from Arantxa Sanchez Vicario for the first time in her career!! Unfortunately that was as far as her success went today, as the veteran from Spain reversed the tide after a poor start and pulled out a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 win to advance to the quarterfinals.

  This match actually started last night, when only a few games were played in between light showers. Play was resumed this afternoon, with Sanchez serving at 3-4 in the first set. Arantxa came out rather sluggishly and was unable to cope with Tauziat's attacking play. Sanchez quickly lost the first two games after resumption of play, allowing the 31-year-old from Bayonne (that's France, not New Jersey) to take her first-ever set from the Barcelona Bumblebee.

  However, the second set was all Sanchez. She began to find the range with her passing shots, and mixed in the occasional lob, usually perfectly placed, for good measure. Tauziat's attacks became less and less convincing, and unforced errors became more and more common. Nathalie committed 21 of her 51 unforced errors in the second set alone, and proved that it is hard to serve and volley when your first serves are landing in play only 30% of the time, as they were in this disastrous second set. It was more of the same in the third set. Sanchez played a crisp counterattacking style to finish off Tauziat, who no longer seemed to believe in her chances as the match drew to a close.

  We were unable to get post-match comments from Arantxa, as she was preparing for a second match today, a quarterfinal showdown with compatriot Conchita Martinez. But Nathalie did appear before the media to offer her comments, and she seemed totally dejected about her second-set swoon. "I'm happy with my game, but not my attitude," lamented Tauziat. "I should win this type of match in two sets, and not let things drag on like this."

  Tauziat's frustration is compunded because she is expecting her unexpected runner-up performance at this year's Wimbledon to breathe new life into the twilight years of her career. "Since Wimbledon people see me differently, and I see myself differently. I know I should be able to win matches like this and beat players like Seles and Sanchez Vicario, and play through to the year 2000, hopefully." But if we see many more matches like this from her, the Wimbledon Tauziat may prove to be a brief, flickering flame in the darkening dusk....

  Later this afternoon, Sanchez Vicario cruised to a routine 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal triumph over Spanish rival and Fed Cup teammate Conchita Martinez. Sanchez has basically owned Martinez in their career: this was Arantxa's 10th triumph in 13 meetings.

  Waiting for Arantxa in the semifinal of the bottom half of the draw is her former doubles partner Jana Novotna. Relations have been frosty between the two since a messy public spat broke up their partnership in 1996. The Czech has won 11 of their 20 lifetime meetings, including 5 of the last 6. You can bet a bundle that the Spaniard will be anxious to beat Novotna, especially in a city that she has come to see, in a way, as her own.
 

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