14B - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 9, 1999
Davenport continues reign at U.S.
Open with close victory over Pierce
4
NEW YORK (AP) - Lindsay Davenport
barely clung to her reign as U.S. Open champi-
on yesterday, thanks to the most auspicious
shower and a double-fault on match point by
Mary Pierce that made a packed stadium
groan.
Davenport survived two match points
against her, then came back from the rain break
to beat Pierce 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 for a berth in the
semifinals against the winner of the Monica
Seles-Serena Williams match.
"I should have been on my way to Manhattan
and started packing to go home tomorrow
morning," Davenport said. "I'm just lucky to
be here. Sometimes it just turns the tournament
around. You play even better after that"
Davenport and Pierce engaged in the most
thrilling women's match of the tournament so
far, riveting the fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium
right to the wrenching end.
Just as compelling was Yevgeny
Kafelnikov's 7-6 (7-0), 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 1-6, 7-5
(7-5) quarterfinal victory over Richard
Krajicek, who set an Open era record with 48
aces.
Krajicek, seeded No. 12, broke Goran
Ivanisevic's record of 46 aces, also set in a los-
ing effort, against Magnus Norman at
Wimbledon in 1997.'
Kafelnikov, seeded No. 3, will play in the
semis against the winner of the Andre Agassi-
Nicolas Escude quarterfinal match.
For all the power of the Kafelnikov-Krajicek
match, it didn't exceed the tension of the
Davenport-Pierce duel.
"I don't think she completely froze,"
Davenport said of the match-ending double
fault by Pierce. "I think she maybe got a little
nervous. Everybody does it. I don't care if
you're No. 1 in the world, No. 100 in the world,
a guy or a girl. Everyone gets tight whenever
you're serving for a match in a big situation, no
matter how many times you go through it."
Pierce played perhaps the best tennis of her
life for most of two sets as she dictated points
with deep, hard groundstrokes and pushed
Davenport to the brink of defeat. But the 1995
Australian Open champion couldn't quite put
the match away when she served at 5-4 in the
third set.
"I had my chances," Pierce said. "I guess
that's what makes Lindsay one of the top play-
ers - she's always there and she plays the big
points well. I give her a lot of credit. She played
a great match. I'm just proud of myself. I kept
hanging in there."
A few sprinkles fell as Pierce took the court
at 5-4 in the third in hopes of serving out the
match. Davenport, desperate for a break,
pawed the court with her foot and looked at the
umpire for a rain delay but didn't get it.
Pierce reached her first match point at 40-30
when she struck a crisp backhand winner
crosscourt. But after narrowly missing on an
ace attempt, she saw Davenport save the match
with a sharply angled backhand from midcourt
that clipped the sideline.
Pierce then served her first double fault of
the set and sixth of the match. She brushed that
off, though, fought back to deuce, and secured
her second match point with a brilliantly played
rally that ended with her punching a forehand
approach shot out of Davenport's reach.
With the spitting rain holding off, Pierce
whacked a backhand crosscourt that she
thought gave her the match. She pumped her
fist in triumph, but her celebration was prema-
ture. The linesman called the ball wide -
replays showed the shot missed by an inch or
two - and Pierce threw back her head in frus-
tration and nervous laughter.
"I'm human. I got a little bit nervous and a
little tight," Pierce said. "I went for that shot,
which I really didn't need to do. It was short
and I felt like I could go for it. It felt good. But
it wasn't, unfortunately."
Two unforced errors - a backhand long ai
a forehand in the net - then cost Pierce the
game and tied the set at 5-5.
The sprinkles suddenly came down nore
frequently, and Davenport showed no -,er-
ness to continue. She remembered the s!, serv
surface that caused good friend Mary Joe
Fernandez to fall and hurt herself against Venus
Williams, and she wanted a little time after
gaining the big break. She asked the umpire to
stop play, and, after a brief discussion, got her
way.
Pierce had to go into the locker room and
ruminate about the chances she had missed,
and Davenport could take the time to collet
her thoughts about capitalizing on the opportu-
nity she now had.
"I talked to my coach for 10 minutes, thle
just kind of lay down, tried to relax as best I
could," Davenport said. "It's such a difficult
position for a rain delay, more so for het, 'tt
sure."
When they returned an hour and 10 minutes
later - the thin rain had persisted through
bright sunshine during that time - Davenport
opened with a pair of aces. Though Pierce
pushed the game to deuce with several cleat
winners, Davenport held serve for a 6-50d.
Pierce's only hope was to take the mate inst
a tiebreaker, but when she had her first chanc
at 40-30, she made another unforced error t;
make it deuce. Davenport then earned mate
point with a superb forehand crosscourt thC
Pierce slapped long. Pierce had three mor
chances to win the game, but couldn't conver
any of them.
Finally, Davenport gained a second mate
point when Pierce hit i forehand long. Pierc
looked tight as she served to save the tcl
and her seventh double fault reflected tW
the first serve landing in the net, the secon
sailing long to give Davenport the victory.
Undsay Davenport captured another U.S. Open Title in a thrilling match that ended with Davenport
pulling it off in three sets.
Williams sister act in US Open
possible for a final showdown "
NEW YORK (AP)-A sister act in the U.S. Open final isn't
so farfetched, afctr all.
Serena Williams out-slugged, out-hustled and out-grunted
two-time champion Monica Seles, serving 15 aces Wednesday
night to reach the semifinals of the U.S. Open in only her sc-
ond year as a pro.
The 17-year-old Williams staved on track to fulfill her
father's prophesy of a final against her big sister Venus, but
first has to get past defending champion Lindsay Davenport.
Venus faces just as big a hurdle in No. I Martina Ilingis.
In beating the No. 4 Seles for the third time in three match-
es, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and gaining a Grand Slam semifinals spot For
the first time, the seventh-seeded Williams showed a wealth of
power, speed and cleverness.
She blended crushing serves and groundstrokes with deft
drops and lobs, raced down virtually every drop Seles sent her
way, and matched her stroke for stroke from the baseline. Even
when it came to grunting, Williams proved louder than Seles.
Williams ran her ace total for the tournament to 42, more
than any other woman, while serving at speeds of up to 16
- mph against Seles.
"It was always a goal," Williams said of closing in on the
title. "But it's really coming true. I'm so excited that my work
is paying off.
Seles said she has come to accept that she had her time as a
champion and "now it's Venus' and Serena's time."
"The desire is still there," she said, "but physically I can't
cover the court as well."
Davenport barely clung to her reign as U.S. Open champion,
thanks to the most auspicious shower and a double fault on
match point by Mary Pierce that made a packed stadium groan.
Davenport survived two match points against her, then came
back from the rain break to beat Pierce 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.
"I should have been on my way to Manhattan and started
packing to go home tomorrow morning," Davenport said. "I'm
just lucky to be here. Sometimes it just turns the tournament
around. You play even better after that"
Davenport and Pierce engaged in the most thrilling women's
match of the tournament so far, riveting the fans in Arthur Ashe
Stadium right to the wrenching end.
Just as compelling was Yevgeny Kafelnikos's 7-6 (7-0), 7-6
(7-4), 3-6, 1-6, 7-5 (7-5) quarterfinal victory over Richard
Krajicek, who set an Open era record with 48 aces.
Kafelnikov, seeded No. 3, will play in the semis against No.
2 Andre Agassi, who happily settled for a less thrilling 7-6 (7-
3), 6-3, 6-4 victory over French qualifier Nicolas Escude.
High Holiday Service.
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
Tickets are required and can be purchased in a
Hillel or by phone. Students will receive a ticke
charge by showing a valid UM ID. Tickets can
ataHillel anytime before the Holidays or in the Fi
9 and 10,
Rosh Hashanah Services
Conservative Orthodox
Fri., Sep. 10 7:35pm* 7:35pm
Sat., Sep. 11 9:00am* 9:00am
7:35pm 7:25pm
Sun., Sep. 12 9:00am 9:00am
7:35pm
*These two Conservative services are at the Po
(121 Fletcher St.) All other services are at Hillel.
Tashlich
Sun., Sep. 12
Meet at Hillel at 4:30 pm
A beautiful Rosh Hashanah custom. Join your
walk through the Arb, where we will toss bread
crumbs into the Huron River, symbolically thro
our year's regreted acts.
Yom Kippur Services
Conservative services are at the Power Center;
services are at Hillel.
Conservative Orthodox
Sun., Sep. 19 7:15pm 7:05pm'
Mon., Sep. 20 9:00am 9:00am
6:00pm 7:00pm
1429 Hill Street
769-0500
"Whoever wins has a pretty good chance of finishing
year as No. I," Agassi said of the match against Kafelni
"He's had such a great summer since Wimbledon. He's a
guy, moves well, hits well, does everything well. It's good I
all to come down to this one match."
Krajieck, seeded No. 12, broke Goran Ivanisevic's recot
46 aces, also set in a losing effort, against Magnus Norm
Wimbledon in 1997.
For all the power of the Kafelnikov-Krajicek matcb d
exceed the tension of the Davenport-Pierce duel. '
"I don't think she completely froze," Davenport said o
match-ending double fault by Pierce. "I think she maybe I
little nervous. Everybody does it. I don't care if you're No.
the world, No. 100 in the world, a guy or a girl. Everyone
tight whenever you're serving for a match in a big situatiot
matter how many times you go through it"
Pierce played perhaps the best tennis of her life for iso
two sets as she dictated points with deep, hard groundstr
and pushed Davenport to the brink of defeat. But the
Australian Open champion couldn't quite put the m t
when she served at 5-4 in the third set.
"I had my chances," Pierce said. "I guess that's what m
Lindsay one of the top players - she's always there anc
plays the big points well. I give her a lot of credit. She p1
a great match. I'm just proud of myself. I kept hangin
there."
A few sprinkles fell as Pierce took the court at 5-4 i
third in hopes of serving out the match. Davenport, desp
for a break, pawed the court with her foot and looked a
umpire for a rain delay but didn't get it.
Pierce reached her first match point at 40-30 when
struck a crisp backhand winner crosscourt. But after r
missing on an ace attempt, she saw Davenport save teno
with a sharply angled backhand from midcourt that clippe
sideline.
Pierce then served her first double fault of the set and
of the match. She brushed that off, though, fought ba
deuce, and secured her second match point with a brilli
played rally that ended with her punching a forehand appt
shot out of Davenport's reach.
With the spitting rain holding off, Pierce whacked a I
hand crosscourt that she thought gave her the match.
pumped her fist in triumph, but her celebration was pa
The linesman called the ball wide - replays showed the
missed by an inch or two - and Pierce threw back her he
frustration and nervous laughter.
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