Age triumphed over youth as French schoolgirl Tatiana Golovin was taught a lesson by Lisa Raymond at the Australian Open on Monday.
Raymond, who played in the first round of the 1989 US Open just a year after Golovin was born, booked her place in the quarter-finals with an emphatic 6-2, 6-0 win.
The 30-year-old American 25th seed, who had advanced to the last 16 after pulling off an upset victory over third seed Venus Williams, overwhelmed Golovin in 42 minutes.
Golovin, a wildcard entrant ranked 354th in the world who only turned 16 on Sunday, never looked like repeating her giant-killing feats of the previous two rounds when she eliminated seeded opponents.
Raymond, a doubles specialist who has only reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam event once before in 44 attempts spanning 15 years, now plays either Nathalie Dechy or Patty Schnyder in the last eight.
And after stunning Williams on Saturday and dispatching Golovin without putting a foot wrong, Raymond is starting to think that anything is possible — even if she is mystified by her form.
”I don’t think I’ve ever been able to put together four sets of tennis like the last two matches in my career,” said Raymond. ”I’ve had one-offs, but not at this level and not in a Slam. To be able to play as well as I have here it feels great. And hopefully I’ve got a lot more great tennis left in me for a couple more rounds.
”I don’t know if it’s experience, I don’t know if it’s working with my coach, I don’t know if it’s because I’m happy. I don’t know if it’s a combination of all of the above. I think it’s a combination of a lot of hard work and a belief,” added Raymond, who has been deluged by emails and messages from wellwishers since defeating Williams.
”It’s been awesome, both in the locker room and from my family and friends at home,” Raymond said. ”To be able to call home and tell all those people that have supported me for so long that I’m finally putting it together out here feels great. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Raymond dominated play with a relentlessly accurate service game and clever shot selection, sending down seven aces and 20 winners.
The Paris-based Golovin was in trouble from the outset when she was broken in her opening service game, immediately surrendering the initiative to her much older opponent.
Problems with serve dogged Golovin throughout and the French youngster was broken again in the seventh game when she smashed a forehand long to give Raymond a 5-2 lead. Raymond then closed out the set with her serve.
Golovin was on the back foot in the first game of the second set, her nerve on serve deserting her to double-fault on break point.
Raymond went for the kill, breaking Golovin twice more with ease before sealing the match with a delicate cross-court volley.
Golovin was disappointed at the one-sided nature of her defeat but was able to reflect on a dazzling run to the last 16.
”I’m a little disappointed. I wasn’t really moving and she was bothering me with her slices. I was getting a little tired and it’s my second week,” said Golovin.
”But overall I’m pleased. My goal was to get one or two rounds, so it’s great that I lost in the fourth.” – Sapa-AFP