Justine Henin-Hardenne and Juan Carlos Ferrero handled one of the strangest days in US Open history like the champions they are, winning with character and poise despite the distractions.
A court-closing oil spill, unsettling déjà vu, a bothersome blimp and a four-hour rain delay combined to make a bizarre Saturday that ended with world number one Andre Agassi still waiting to finish his third-round match.
Showers halted Agassi’s match against Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the second set, relenting only long enough to allow one more point to be played, then returned and delayed the finish to Sunday with Agassi leading 6-3, 0-1.
When a motorised drying machine leaked oil across the Grandstand court, it was closed and two matches were moved, including Henin-Hardenne’s 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Japan’s Saori Obata.
”You have to deal with these situations at a Grand Slam,” Henin-Hardenne said. ”It wasn’t a normal day for sure. It’s very difficult but things like this happen and you have to be prepared for adversity. It’s very important.”
The second-seeded French Open champion from Belgium won on the same Court 11 where she was ousted from the US Open the past two years, facing down her court of doom in 55 minutes after waiting 10 hours to play the match.
”That was very difficult. I was very worried. It was not my good court,” she said. ”The day was very, very long. A year ago I would have been upset by the rain. I have more experience. It told me you have to get ready because the match is going to come. That’s what I did.”
Henin-Hardenne will reach her first US Open quarterfinal on Monday if she beats Russia’s Dinara Safina.
”I’ve never been to the US Open quarterfinals, but that’s not a worry,” she said. ”My goal is to go further.”
Spain’s third-seeded Ferrero, also a French Open champion, waited all day to spoil the 24th birthday of Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela, advancing 7-5, 7-5, 6-1 after ”just playing cards all day and waiting for the rain to stop”.
Ferrero made the day’s best shot in the third set, racing away from the net to chase down a lob. He fired a back-to-the-net, between-the-legs winner past a stunned Chela, a shot identical to one Roddick put past Chela here a year ago.
Next in Ferrero’s path is American Todd Martin, who beat compatriot Robby Ginepri 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-4 late in the tumultuous day.
”If you do things well on the court, it should translate to how you cope with things off the court,” Martin said. ”It’s good preparation for when we go back out on the court. You have to be able to roll with the punches.”
Fifth seed Guillermo Coria of Argentina beat France’s Gregory Carraz 7-5, 6-1, 7-5 in a match that began with five games on the Grandstand and ended on an outer court after a long delay in informing players of the switch.
”I couldn’t believe it. It was like a joke,” Coria said. ”I was hungry. I wanted to eat. But I didn’t know if I could.”
Now Coria does not know if he can play in Monday’s fourth round, saying a left inner thigh injury might force him to withdraw from his matchup against Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman, who had the oddest day of all.
Bjorkman beat Karol Kucera 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-4 after duelling the Slovakian for four hours and 37 minutes before rain arrived during match point.
After Bjorkman slipped on consecutive shots, umpire Carlos Ramos stopped the point in the middle of the rally, citing the safety risk to both players.
”That was very strange,” Kucera said. ”I’ve seen matches like that but never at match point in the fifth set. Mentally it was tough. But I handled it well.
”I felt terrible. It’s a pretty tough thing to walk off that court after four-and-a-half hours and come back. It’s like running a marathon, going to rest and coming back to run again. It’s tough.”
When they returned, Kucera hit a forehand off the net cord that landed wide and Bjorkman’s day was finally over.
”I wasn’t nervous at all when I got back on court,” Bjorkman said. ”I was just focused to finish it off.”
A blimp flying over Arthur Ashe Stadium disturbed Jennifer Capriati, who asked the umpire to order the flying airship away from the area during her 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 victory over France’s Emilie Loit.
”It was loud,” Capriati said. ”Usually it’s much farther up. It just seemed to be much closer. It doesn’t hurt to ask. There are a lot of distractions here. That’s why I did ask, to try and cut out some of the distractions.”
Australian sixth seed Lleyton Hewitt was left wanting more after leading 6-1, 3-0 when Czech Radek Stepanek retired with back pain, so he practiced with the man who took his Wimbledon throne, Swiss second seed Roger Federer.
Hewitt next plays Thai 11th seed Paradorn Srichaphan, who beat Spanish lucky loser Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
France’s Mary Pierce beat Japan’s 55th-ranked Shinobu Asagoe 6-4, 6-1. At 28, Pierce is making an unlikely bid for the third leg of a career Grand Slam, having won the 1995 Australian Open and 2000 French Open crowns.
”To win another one, I would probably have a breakdown on the court,” said Pierce, who next faces seventh seed Anastasia Myskina of Russia. — Sapa-AFP