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| August 28, 2002 | Wednesday | Jamadi-us-Saani 18,1423 |
Serena dazzles in brutal display, Clijsters advances
NEW YORK, Aug 27: Serena Williams dazzled New York’s hot dog-munching, cat-calling US Open crowd on Monday night, flooring fellow American Corina Morariu 6-2, 6-3 in a brutal floodlit first round display.
The world number one waited patiently in the wings at the start of the night session as the Flushing Meadows crowd paid tribute to those killed in the September 11 attacks last year.
One of the two American flags recovered from the remains of the Twin Towers was carried into the stadium in an emotional scene amid members of the New York police and fire departments.
But once Serena, shimmering in a short-legged, all-in-one, black leather-look, skin-tight outfit, was let loose all eyes were on the court.
The younger sister and runner-up to Venus Williams here last year did not disappoint.
The brave Morariu, playing her first grand slam since recovering from leukaemia earlier this year, was powerless against a barrage of heavy hitting and vicious serving from the pink-shoed top seed.
Serena’s victory completed a successful day for the leading women’s seeds. Earlier, Jelena Dokic wasted little time in winning her opening encounter.
Sixth seed Andre Agassi thumped compatriot Robby Ginepri 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in a straightforward final match of the night, but not all the leading men had things their own way as Albert Costa and James Blake dropped sets on the road to the second round.
Fifth seed Dokic was no less convincing, thrashing Germany’s Greta Arn 6-2, 6-2.
French Open champion Costa, the eighth seed, moved into the second round of the men’s event but he needed four sets to beat former world number two Magnus Norman of Sweden 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Fans’ favourite James Blake, seeded 25, had to survive a bout of cramps and a spirited display by fellow American Brian Vahaly to squeeze through 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6.
The tournament’s glamour quotient took a heavy blow on the opening day when the unseeded Anna Kournikova slumped out after an embarrassing and lacklustre 6-3, 6-0 defeat by teenage Indonesian Angelique Widjaja.
The Russian had never suffered a first round defeat at Flushing Meadows since her debut in 1996, but threw in 40 unforced errors to allow the 17-year-old Widjaja to clinch victory.
American teenager Ashley Harkleroad also bowed out on Day One, slumping 6-3 6-2 to 1997 French Open champion Iva Majoli of Croatia.
Blake, who won his maiden ATP Tour title in Washington earlier this month, was treated for leg cramps and a shoulder injury by trainer Doug Spreen in the fourth set of his clash.
The former Harvard student was massaged for leg cramps when trailing 5-4 and had his left shoulder treated when 6-5 down.
Later on Tuesday
Seventh seed Kim Clijsters trounced Spain’s Conchita Martinez Granados 6-1 6-0 on Tuesday to ease into the second round.
Granados’s first appearance at Flushing Meadows was a brief one, the Belgium needing just 42 minutes on a steamy Grandstand court to dispose of the 100th ranked Spaniard.
Clijsters, who claimed her seventh career title earlier this season in Hamburg, fired 39 winners past her overwhelmed opponent but was far from top form committing 23 unforced errors and converted only five of 17 break opportunities.
In the second round, Clijsters will meet either American Mashona Washington or another Spaniard Gala Leon Garcia.
Monday’s results
Men’s singles:
First round: 4-Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) beat Davide Sanguinetti (Italy) 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) beat Mario Ancic (Croatia) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 3-2 — retired; Robin Soderling (Sweden) beat Lars Burgsmuller (Germany) 7-6 (9-7), 6-0, 6-4; 4-Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) beat Davide Sanguinetti (Italy) 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; 25-James Blake (US) beat Brian Vahaly (US) 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5); 20-Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) beat Jeff Morrison (US) 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-2, 7-5; 13-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Jiri Vanek (Czech Republic) 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5; Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Radoslav Lukaev (Bulgaria) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4; Ramon Delgado (Paraguay) beat Alex Bogomolov Jr (US) 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 0-6, 6-4, 7-5; Michael Chang (US) beat Francisco Clavet (Spain) 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3); 8-Albert Costa (Spain) beat Magnus Norman (Sweden) 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Harel Levy (Israel) beat 30-Andrei Pavel (Romania) 1-6, 7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) beat Jan Vacek (Czech Republic) 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
Women’s singles:
First round: Stephanie Foretz (France) beat 31-Alexandra Stevenson (US) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3; 1-Serena Williams (US) beat Corina Morariu (US) 6-2, 6-3; Iroda Tulyaganova (Uzbekistan) beat Adriana Serra-Zanetti (Italy) 6-0, 6-0; Virginie Razzano (France) beat Mariana Diaz-Oliva (Argentina) 7-5, 6-1; Dinara Safina (Russia) beat Rita Grande (Italy) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1; Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) beat Sarah Taylor (US) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; 22-Tatiana Panova (Russia) beat Lilia Osterloh (US) 6-1, 6-1; 26-Nathalie Dechy (France) beat Maja Matevzic (Slovenia) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); 11-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Nicole Pratt (Australia) 6-2, 6-1; 13-Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) beat Brie Rippner (US) 6-1, 6-4; 20-Daja Bedanova (Czech Republic) beat Alina Jidkova (Russia) 6-1, 6-3; Angelique Widjaja (Indonesia) beat Anna Kournikova (Russia) 6-3, 6-0; Marion Bartoli (France) beat 25-Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spain) 6-3, 6-1; Els Callens (Belgium) beat Tathiana Garbin (Italy) 6-0, 2-6, 6-1; Elena Bovina (Russia) beat Clarisa Fernandez (Argentina) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6); Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) beat Ally Baker (US) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3); 5-Jelena Dokic (Yugoslavia) beat Greta Arn (Germany) 6-2, 6-2; Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Ansley Cargill (US) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1; 24-Iva Majoli (Croatia) beat Ashley Harkleroad (US) 6-3, 6-2; Rossana Neffa-De Los Rios (Paraguay) beat Ludmila Cervanova (Slovakia) 6-1, 6-4; Petra Mandula (Hungary) beat Miriam Oremans (Netherlands) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) beat Laura Granville (US) 6-3, 6-4; Cara Black (Zimbabwe) beat Maria Emilia Salerni (Argentina) 6-3, 6-7 (8-10), 6-4; Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat 19-Anne Kremer (Luxembourg) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2; 15-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat Marta Marrero (Spain) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0; 27-Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) beat Barbara Rittner (Germany) 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2.
Tuesday’s results:
Men’s singles
Jan-Michael Gambill (U.S.) beat Julian Knowle (Austria) 6-1 2-1 retired
Women’s singles:
Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) beat Tatiana Poutchek (Belarus) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (9-7); Alicia Molik (Australia) beat Patricia Wartusch (Austria) 6-4 6-0; Henrieta Nagyova (Slovakia) beat 29-Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 7-5 4-6 7-5; 17-Anna Smashnova (Israel) beat Marie Gaianeh-Mikaelian (Switzerland) 7-6 (7-1) 6-4; 18-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) beat Jeon Mi-ra (South Korea) 6-3 6-3; Cristina Torrens Valero (Spain) beat Angelika Roesch (Germany) 7-6 (7-1) 6-3; Amy Frazier (U.S.) beat Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) 6-3 6-3; Mashona Washington (U.S.) beat Gala Leon Garcia (Spain) 6-4 6-3; Myriam Casanova (Switzerland) beat Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) 6-4 6-3; 7-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat Conchita Martinez Granados (Spain) 6-1 6-0; Vera Zvonareva (Russia) beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) 6-3 6-3.—AFP/Reuters
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