Defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne crashed out of the $17,8-million US Open in New York on Monday, losing 6-3, 6-2 in a stunning fourth-round upset to unheralded Russian Nadia Petrova.
”She played well, she served well and took her opportunities,” Henin-Hardenne said. ”I wasn’t feeling powerful and strong like in the past. I was nervous. It just wasn’t my day.”
Petrova posted one of the biggest upsets in Open history, as Henin-Hardenne is the first top seed to lose before the quarterfinals since Billy Jean King was ousted in the third round in 1973. King was forced to retire in the third set suffering from heat and illness.
Henin-Hardenne will also surrender her world number-one ranking this week with either Lindsay Davenport or Amelie Mauresmo poised to take over the lofty perch.
The other two highest seeds prevailed on Monday, as number five Lindsay Davenport and Svetlana Kuznetsova registered straight-set victories in their fourth-round matches.
Taking the court on Tuesday is Mauresmo, who squares off with Russian Elena Dementieva, and American third seed Serena Williams who meets countrywoman Jennifer Capriati.
The 22-year-old Petrova moves on to face compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova.
”I am very satisfied,” Petrova said. ”I played great. My shots, my serve was working. I was consistent and I am happy with myself.”
Petrova hammered 16 winners and put 67% of her first serves in play in the one-hour-24-minute match. She clinched the win with an ace, her second of the match.
Henin-Hardenne was dominating the WTA Tour when she came down with a viral infection in the spring, which caused her to miss Wimbledon.
She has played just more than a handful of matches since March but recovered in time to beat Mauresmo at the Athens Games.
Henin-Hardenne said it was hard to regain that match toughness after the long lay-off.
”I miss this kind of situation with a lot of pressure,” she said. ”In Athens everything was so different because there was less pressure. It was my coming back.
”I need more matches and more tournaments until the end of the year to be ready for next season.”
This is also the earliest exit for a defending women’s champion in nine years. The 1994 champion, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain, was ousted in the round of 16 the following year by Mary Joe Fernandez.
Henin-Hardenne, who captured the gold medal for Belgium at the Summer Olympics, had four double faults and made 30 unforced errors.
”I didn’t have confidence in my game,” she said.
The reigning Australian Open champion, Henin-Hardenne was unable to take advantage of the good memories she has from beating countrywoman Kim Clijsters in the 2003 final.
The thee-time Grand Slam champion lost in the second round of 2004 French Open.
”I am disappointed in the way I lost, not because I lost my first place,” Henin-Hardenne said.
Ranked 14th in the world, Petrova reached the quarterfinals for the first time in New York. Her best previous result was a fourth-round finish last year.
Henin-Hardenne’s loss opens the door for France’s Mauresmo or American Davenport to seize control of the women’s side of the draw.
Petrova came into the US Open after a second-round loss to unheralded American Lisa Raymond at the New Haven tournament.
She made the final of the Gold Coast event where she fell to Japan’s Ai Sugiyama. She lost in the first round of the Australian Open, the third round at Roland Garros and the fourth round of Wimbledon.
The 25-year-old Mauresmo is the highest-ranked player without a Grand Slam title.
Against Dementieva, she will be looking to avenge her quarterfinal loss at the French Open.
”I have revenge to take and I’m ready for that,” Mauresmo said.
Dementieva knows Mauresmo will be gunning for her.
”I am sure she wants to take her revenge against me, especially after I beat her in Paris. I know she is a great player and I have to play my best to win.”
Mauresmo has reached the semifinals at the Open just once, in 2002.
She withdrew from the 2004 Australian Open with an injury and built up a one-set lead against Serena Williams at Wimbledon before stumbling in the final set.
This will be the seventh meeting in a major between Capriati and Serena Williams, but the first at the Open.
Capriati lost to Williams eight consecutive times between 2001 and 2003. But Capriati regained some bragging rights by beating Williams twice this year, in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and the semifinals in Rome.
”I’ve played her at her best, I’ve played her at her worst,” Capriati said. ”I’ve played her at my best, me at my worst.
”From her, you pretty much expect the same thing. Just feel like either it’s going to be like a bulldozer effect or it’s just going to be a lot of errors.” — Sapa-AFP