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| May 31, 2003 | Saturday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1424 |
Awesome Agassi as Serena thrashes hapless Schett
PARIS, May 30: Serena Williams took just 40 minutes to thrash Barbara Schett at the French Open on Friday in a third round match that bordered on the embarrassing.
But Andre Agassi can hold his head high after a breathtaking 6-4 7-5 7-5 victory over Xavier Malisse.
While Schett provided no resistance whatsoever to the women’s top seed during a 6-0 6-0 ordeal, an irrepressible Agassi was full of praise for his Belgian opponent afterwards.
“He is an incredibly talented player sometimes you are watching him playing instead of watching the ball,” the men’s second seed said.
Malisse, a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year, played with flair and power throughout but came up against a brick wall in the form of Agassi.
Swatting the ball around court, the 1999 champion never allowed Malisse — immensely talented or not — a chance.
“You know, today I constructed the match very well... played well at the right time, at the end of each set, and finished it off,” Agassi said.
He will next face Flavio Saretta after the Brazilian beat Spain’s Galo Blanco.
In the women’s draw Serena, despite a number of errors herself, was simply too strong for Schett in a match lacking even a modicum of subtlety or guile.
Tactics were an irrelevancy as both players struggled to find any consistency. At least when defending champion Serena’s shots landed in court they were hit with great power, a difference which won her the match with ease.
“I just played very good today,” Serena said when stopped as she was leaving the court. There was little else she could say and still save her opponent’s blushes but Schett’s reaction at the end told a different story.
A former world number seven — and conqueror of Serena’s elder sister Venus here two years ago — Schett won just six points in the second set and 20 in the entire match.
Sixteen of those came from unforced errors. In fact the Austrian hit just two winners the entire match.
When a clumsy attempt at a drop-shot landed half-way up the net while facing match point she jogged to the net and smashed a ball high into the stands.
Shaking her head and smiling in embarrassment she embraced Serena before heading back to the locker room, flushed and smiling shyly.
“Obviously I didn’t play my best today,” she smiled when asked about the one-sided ordeal.
“Usually Barbara and I have tough matches,” Serena said. “I guess today it was just my day. I hope I can keep it up.”
Serena will next face Japan’s Ai Sugiyama after the 16th seed beat Meghann Shaughnessy of the U.S. 6-1 6-4.
While Schett’s discomfort had been evident to all on centre court, Wayne Ferreira’s agony was evident to anyone within hearing range of court one.
The South African let out a chilling shriek of agony before collapsing on the court after injuring his groin during his match with 11th seed Rainer Schuettler.
Ferreira had to be carried off court as Schuettler received easy passage through to a fourth round clash with Martin Verkerk.
Amelie Mauresmo thrilled her home fans with a powerful 6-3 6-4 win over Fabiola Zuluaga to reach the fourth round.
The fifth seed lined up a clash with either America’s Ashley Harkleroad or Spain’s Magui Serna.
Third round results:
Men
Carlos Moya (Spain) bt Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) 6-2 6-3 3-6 2-6 6-3; Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) bt Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 6-4 7-5 3-6 6-2; Flavio Saretta (Brazil) bt Galo Blanco (Spain) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 2-2 retired injured; Andre Agassi (U.S.) bt Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 6-4 7-5 7-5; Martin Verkerk (Netherlands) bt Vincent Spadea (U.S.) 5-7 6-4 6-2 7-5; Guillermo Coria (Argentina) bt Attila Savolt (Hungary) 6-4 6-1 6-1; Rainer Schuettler (Germany) bt Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) 6-3 1-6 7-6 (7-3) 2-3 retired injured; Mariano Zabaleta (Argentina) bt Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) 6-2 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-2)
Women
Chanda Rubin (U.S.) bt Laura Granville (U.S.) 2-6 6-1 6-3; Petra Mandula (Hungary) bt Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 6-2 6-4; Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) 6-3 6-4; Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) bt Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 6-3 6-4; Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) bt Dally Randriantefy (Madagascar) 6-1 6-1; Serena Williams (U.S.) bt Barbara Schett (Austria) 6-0 6-0; Ai Sugiyama (Japan) bt Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) 6-1 6-4.
Saturday’s programme at French Open
PHILIPPE CHATRIER CENTRE COURT (from 0900 GMT)
Paola Suarez (ARG x30) - Kim Clijsters (BEL x2)
Nathalie Dechy (FRA x25) - Lindsay Davenport (USA x6)
Arnaud Clement (FRA x32) - Nicolas Coutelot (FRA)
Juan Carlos Ferrero (SPA x3) - Tim Henman (GBR x25)
SUZANNE LENGLEN COURT
Jennifer Capriati (USA x7) - Julia Vakulenko (UKR)
Silvia Farina Elia (ITA x26) - Venus Williams (USA x3)
Albert Costa (SPA x9) - Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)
Gaston Gaudio (ARG x21) - Gustavo Kuerten (BRA x15)
COURT NO 1
Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (SPA) - Vera Zvonareva (RUS x22)
Sjeng Schalken (NED x12) - Fernando Gonzalez (CHI x19)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS x1) - Tommy Robredo (SPA x 28)
COURT NO 2
Magdalena Maaleva (BUL x 15) - Rita Grande (ITA)
Felix Mantilla (SPA x20) - Fernando Vicente (SPA)
COURT NO 7
Marissa Irvin (USA) - Nadia Petrova (RUS)
Conchita Martinez (SPA x 24) - Tina Pisnik (SLO)
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN x30) - Victor Hanescu (ROM).—Reuters/AFP
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