Coetzer and Hantuchova Beat the Wednesday Heat
by Christopher Gerby
Montreal was hit with weather straight out of the Bible on Wednesday.
By 11 in the morning, the temperature had already reached approximately
one billion degrees. Around 4 in the afternoon, the skies suddenly opened
up for a brief but incredibly powerful rain storm which all but turned
Centre Court into a pool. (The linesperson chairs were actually floating
across the court.) The rain left just as quickly as it came and
the sauna-like conditions returned. A reasonable person would have
stayed in the air conditioned confines of the press box...but of course
I spent the bulk of my day frying on the outer courts.
(9) Elena Dementieva vs. Amanda Coetzer
Singles: Second Round
Court 1
The opening match of the day on the grandstand court featured a real
contrast in styles: lanky, big-hitting Elena Dementieva versus
still-scrappy-after-all-these-years munchkin Amanda Coetzer. What
they have in common lately is a need to regain some confidence.
Dementieva came in off early losses in San Diego and Los Angeles,
while "the Little Assassin" has seen her ranking plummet in 2002.
The toasty conditions figured to give the South African an advantage,
especially if she could lull Dementieva into extended rallies.
The opening game was an incredible marathon, dragging on for nine
deuces. Overcoming four double faults and saving three break points,
Dementieva finally got on the board when Coetzer pushed a return
wide. The side-to-side baseline death struggle continued with serve
to 2 games all. Facing break point in Game 5, the Russian unwisely chose
to let a Coetzer passing shot sail past her, losing the game when it
landed on the baseline. Dementieva had a bit more firepower throughout
the set, but Coetzer was certainly holding her own. Playing the more
consistent tennis, she broke again to win the opening set 6-3.
Three more double faults sank Elena early in the second set, putting
her into a 0-2 hole. She immediately broke Coetzer at love, but was
clearly laboring in the humidity. Dementieva opted for a medical timeout,
during which the trainer took her pulse and applied ice bags to her
thighs and neck. It was to her immense credit that she soldiered on,
still engaging Amanda in long rallies and winning many of them. The
double fault bug was biting her time and time again, though -- a total
of 17 in the match. Those service woes allowed Coetzer to break for
4-2 and again for 5-3.
Down 30-15 in the set's ninth game, Dementieva somehow managed to win
the most extraordinary point of the match, beating Coetzer at her
own game with tireless scrambling. She then rifled a forehand return,
forcing a Coetzer error for 30-40. But on the verge of beating a Top
15 player for the first time all year, the veteran would not be denied.
Dementieva lost the next three points, netting a forehand to end the
match. A very encouraging 6-3, 6-3 win for Amanda Coetzer, whose next
opponent would come from the following match...
(8) Daniela Hantuchova vs. Patty Schnyder
Singles: Second Round
Court 1
Court 1 became a revolving door for challengers to Anna Kournikova's
throne as the tour's leading sex symbol. Following the Coetzer-Dementieva
tilt, Barbara Schett gutted out a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Chanda Rubin.
The impossibly leggy Daniela Hantuchova followed them into battle, hoping to
reverse her 0-2 career record against dangerous Swiss lefty Patty
Schnyder. "Dani" put the focus squarely on her tennis right away,
wowing the fans with rocket serves and thundering groundstrokes en
route to a 2-0 lead. Schnyder stood her ground, though, and got even
at 2-2 when Hantuchova sent an off-balance forehand long on break point.
The Slovakian continued smoking the ball, getting great depth on her shots,
but Schnyder kept her on her toes with varying spins and changes of pace.
An expert drop shot helped Hantuchova to break point in Game 7; she
converted with a cross-court forehand blast. Schnyder became
visibly frustrated and dropped the next three games to trail 6-3, 1-0.
Hantuchova's body language was the complete opposite -- lots of little
fist pumps, with a determined look on her face. At 2-1, Hantuchova
used another big forehand to set up an easy put-away at the net,
breaking for a 3-1 edge. After extending the lead to 4-2, the Slovakian
got a little sloppy in Game 7. Schnyder had chances to break, but
screamed at herself after allowing Hantuchova back to deuce. Two
points later, a Schnyder backhand flew wide for 6-3, 5-2.
After Patty held for 3-5, Hantuchova attempted to serve out the match...
and failed miserably. Three double faults and a wild forehand miscue
gave Schnyder the game and brand new life at 4-5. Now it was Hantuchova
in the throes of frustration, giving her racket a lively, end-over-end
bounce off the court after a poorly played point in Game 10. Daniela
finally did get to match point at 6-5, but missed with a backhand.
Schnyder stayed alive and forced the set into a tiebreak...
- DH serving: Lovely backhand drop shot winner from Hantuchova -- 1-0 HANTUCHOVA
- PS: Hantuchova ends a long rally with an inside-out forehand winner -- 2-0 HANTUCHOVA
- PS: Schnyder sends a forehand long for another mini-break -- 3-0 HANTUCHOVA
- DH: Schnyder barely reaches a drop shot; Hantuchova then pokes a volley past her -- 4-0 HANTUCHOVA
- DH: Hantuchova rips a winning forehand and pumps her fist -- 5-0 HANTUCHOVA
- PS: A late call on the baseline goes against Hantuchova -- 5-1 HANTUCHOVA
- PS: Service winner from Schnyder -- 5-2 HANTUCHOVA
- DH: After a series of Hantuchova moonballs, Schnyder strikes a winning forehand -- 5-3 HANTUCHOVA
- DH: Defensive Schnyder backhand floats wide -- 6-3 HANTUCHOVA
- PS: Schnyder nets a fairly routine backhand on match point -- 7-3 HANTUCHOVA
A fine straight sets victory for Hantuchova, but one she'd certainly
complicated for herself. After the match, I asked her if she'd lost
her concentration after building that 5-2 lead in the second. "Yeah,
definitely. I felt like I had the chance to close the match at that
point and I just didn't use my chance... It was really hard to close
it out, but I'm really happy how I came back in the tiebreak." Despite
Schnyder's repuation for folding up her tent when the going gets rough,
Hantuchova wasn't surprised to see her fighting until the end. "Every
match I played with her she is always tough. And I think when you
play somebody that is higher on the rankings, then you are always up
to play that player. So I thought that she will never give up in
this match. And she fought back very well."
(7) Callens/Vinci vs. Morariu/Po-Messerli
Doubles: Second Round
Court 2
After the sudden loss of her regular doubles partner (when Sandrine Testud
simultaneously announced her pregnancy and retirement), Roberta Vinci
had to act quick in finding a replacement. Before Martina Navratilova
even got a chance to offer her services, Vinci had hooked up with a
very capable replacement: solid veteran Els Callens. Their second
round opponents are technically a new team as well, but one with some
history. While Corina Morariu was receiving treatment for the rare
form of leukemia which nearly took her life last summer, Kim Po-Messerli
flew all the way from Europe to Florida on the eve of the French Open
to be by her friend's side. The karma is paying dividends now,
as Po finds herself sharing the court with the world's former # 1 doubles
player.
Corina's inspirational comeback is more than just a feel-good
footnote -- she is already back near top form. With Callens and Vinci
up a break in the third set, the 24-year-old cancer survivor took
over the match. A quick break of Callens and a commanding hold by
Morariu gave the unseeded pair a 3-2 lead. A brilliant
return by Morariu put Vinci behind 15-30 in Game 6. The next rally
ended with Morariu knifing a volley right at the Italian. "Sorry, sorry,"
Corina said after hitting Vinci for 15-40. Callens then netted a
reflex volley on double break point and furiously slammed a ball off
the court surface. Els herself was broken two games later as
Morariu/Po-Messerli completed an impressive 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win.
(6) Kournikova/Schett vs. Fujiwara/Sugiyama
Doubles: First Round
Court 1
Despite a rather humiliating loss in singles (7-5, 6-1 to Virginia
Ruano Pascual) earlier in the day, Anna Kournikova was still attracting
fans of all ages. The veritable mob scene on Court 1 featured everyone
from a grown man holding a "CALL ME ANNA" sign (complete with a phone
number) to an adorable little
girl telling her mother, "I wish I was Anna." Camera-wielding fans stormed
the edge of the court for every changeover, leaving their seats just
to get pictures of the back of Kournikova's head. It was a very
amusing spectacle which didn't seem to put Anna or doubles partner
Barbara Schett off their games. They won the opening set 6-1 in no
time flat, sharing lots of smiles and showing off terrific reflexes
at the net. The only people not enjoying the match to this point were
Ai Sugyiama and a seemingly outclassed Rika Fujiwara.
Kournikova cut across the net to knock off a volley in the opening
game of Set 2 and playfully stuck out her tongue. Doubles ace
Sugiyama was oddly unable to find any answers. She lost Game 1 when
her racket grazed a ball which might have been going wide and she
almost single-handedly dropped Game 3 with a pair of double faults.
With Kournikova/Schett up a set and a double break at 6-1, 3-0, the
only question left appeared to be how soon the autograph seekers
could rush down with their glossy photos and oversized tennis balls.
All of a sudden, the Japanese pair started to make some very nice
service returns. They broke Kournikova at love and then drew within
2-3. The blondes didn't seem bothered in the least: coming out from
the ensuing changeover, Anna started playing with Barbara's ponytail and gave
her a gentle pat on the backside. But even after Schett made a
flawless baseline-to-baseline lob in the middle of Game 6, Kournikova
wound up netting a reflex volley on break point. Sugiyama then held for
a 4-3 lead, riding a sudden wave of momentum. The old Ai was showing
through now with deadly, dipping returns and lighting-quick poaches
at the net. Up 5-4 in the second, she sent back a winning return to
earn set point. Schett immediately obliged, driving a backhand into the
tape. Second set to Fujiwara/Sugiyama: 6-4.
Kournikova/Schett seemed to get things back under control in the
third set, taking a 3-1 lead when Anna made a sterling shoestring
volley winner. On serve at 4-3, 30-15, Kournikova was called for a
double fault -- a ruling debated by many whistling fans, if not by
any of the players. Sugiyama then scored a volley winner for 30-40.
Schett staved off the break point with a brilliant drop volley of her
own, but Ai and Rika were undaunted. Their second break point of the
game was successful, as a well-placed Sugiyama return drew an errant
volley from Kournikova. The teams were now, as Cliff Drysdale would
say, "dead solid even" at 4 games apiece.
Fujiwara, serving so much better in the second half of the match,
held at love for a 5-4 advantage. At 30-30 in Game 10,
Sugiyama zipped a volley at a slow-reacting Kournikova to earn match
point. A long rally followed, with the Russian finally clipping
Fujiwara's racket with a volley to stay alive at deuce. Kournikova/Schett
reached game point, but Sugiyama put away a backhand volley and
excitedly pumped her fist. Deuce # 2: Kournikova reaches a ball which
skipped off the
net cord, tries to dink it back over, and instead dumps it in the net.
Match point # 2: a low, skidding ball is too tough for Schett, who
whacks a forehand into the net.
While obviously disappointing for the crowd, the 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 outcome
was a thrill for Fujiwara and Sugiyama. Charging all the way back from a
set and two breaks down against a pair of upbeat, talented players is
nothing to sneeze at. Whether Sugiyama can carry her relatively
inexperienced partner all the way to the title remains to be seen, but
they'll certainly be favored over Nathalie Dechy and Meilen Tu on
Thursday.
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Last updated 26 September 2015
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