Section B · Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, September 10, 1999
Pioline, Martin advance in Open
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Todd Martin and Cedric Pioline, two of the best players this decade never to win a Grand Slam title, took a step toward changing that yesterday when they set up a clash in the U.S. Open semifinals.
Martin served 22 aces at up to 127 mph in a 6.3-5.7, 6-4, 6-4 victory against inspired Slava Dosedel of the Czech Republic, a 29-year-old journeyman ranked No. 95 who played superbly in defeat.
The trip to the semis will be the first in a major tournament for the 29-year-old Martin since Wimbledon in 1996, when he blew a 5-1 lead in the fifth set and lost it 10-8 to MaliVai Washington.
Martin also reached the semis at Wimbledon in 1994, the same year he was runnerup in the Australian Open and a semifinalist in the U.S. Open
Piline, twice a Grand Slam finalist but never a champion, continued his reign as king of the tiebreaker with a 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (16-14), 7-6 (10-8) victory against 1997 French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten.
The 30-year-old Pioline reached the finals of the U.S. Open in 1993 and Wimbledon in 1997, only to lose both times to Pete Sampras.
"He played probably the best tennis I've ever seen
from him today," Martin said of Pioline. "That was a great match. Hopefully we'll have a good old men's battle.
"He's probably the prettiest player to watch on the tour, and I'm at the other end of the spectrum. He has athleticism, big loopy strokes, and he's French. I'm athletic in my own special way, but nowhere near to the extent that he is."
The other semifinal tomorrow will pit second-seeded Andre Agassi, 29, against No. 3 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the youngest of the remaining men at 25.
"It shows me that Kafelnikov is a little out of place," Martin quipped. "Listen, if the older body is fit and healthy, I think it makes sense that there can be success at this age, because I think experience and knowledge and maybe a little bit more perspective than some of the other guys might actually help."
Martin had trouble moving quickly against Dosedel two nights after winning an exhausting fiveetter against No. 9 Greg Ruselski.
Piline broke Kuerten's serve once in their match, which lasted nearly 31/2 hours, but was able to force three tiebreakers, a shootout in which Piline has been perfect this tournament.
The tiebreakers highlighted what was one of the better matches in the final Grand Slam event of the year.
NEW YORK — So far, so good.
The Associated Press
Richard Williams, tennis father and coach, surveyed the U.S. Open draw before the tournament began and decided it wasn't that complicated. Forget the rest of the women's field, he said. His daughters, Venus and Serena, would make the final a Williams family affair.
Dad predicts Williams sisters' success
The next step today will be the toughest of all. In semifinal matches, Venus Williams faces top-seeded Martina Hingis and sister Serena meets defending champion Lindsay Davenport.
Davenport and Serena Williams completed the semifinal pairings with three-set victories Wednesday. Davenport survived two match points and held off Mary Pierce 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. Then Williams defeated former champ Monica
That was 124 players ago.
That was 124 players at the game.
The women's draw at the Open is down to the final four, and the Williams sisters are still at it, one match away from making poppa's prophecy come true.
A day earlier, Hingis beat Anke Huber 6-2, 6-0 and Venus Williams downed Barbara Schett 6-4, 6-3.
Seles 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
So what about pop's prediction?
"I still have one more match," Serena Williams said. "My dad has been right about a lot of things. If I can do well in this match, I know it will be great."
Davenport and Hingis are entirely capable of upsetting the Williams plans. Both have won the U.S. Open and came into this tournament ranked No.1 and No.2 in the world.
Davenport has won 12 straight matches during the past two years at the Open and Hingis has reached the semifinals at the Open for the fourth straight year.
Hingis has a 7-3 record against Venus Williams, including victories in three of their last four meetings.
Serena has beaten Davenport in two of their three meetings, both times on the same kind of hardcourt they've been hitting on at the Open.
That doesn't disturb Davenport, who will always have a warm spot in her heart for the National
Tennis Center because she earned her first Grand Slam title there.
"I love the court here," she said.
"It's fast. It's good for my game.
"I've had a good time trying to defend this title, whether it ends Friday, ends Saturday, whatever."
Davenport was asked if she might have preferred Seles in the semifinals.
"Serena is probably a little more athletic and plays a little better defense." she said.
Serena has taken a tough path to the semis, dropping the first set in each of her last three matches but recovering each time to advance. Venus, too, hit a speed bump when she dropped the first set of her match against Mary Joe Fernandez before rallying.
If they win today, the Williams sisters would play each other for the fourth time. Venus has won the first three and Serena thinks she knows why.
"Venus is a more powerful player than I am," she said. "I use more of the court than Venus, although she's doing that a lot better now."
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DON'T THINK TWICE A NOVEL
Crown Books
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In northwest Minnesota near the Chippewa reservation, a troubled man is caught up in the environmental and economic conflict over Native American lands. A suspense novel based on the author's experiences in the region.
Wayne Johnson was a Teaching-Writing Fellow at the Iowa Writers Workshop and was a recipient of the Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University. His short fiction has appeared in journals such as The Atlantic Monthly and Ploughshares, and in collections including Prize Stories, The O. Henry Awards, and The Norton Anthology of Literature.
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