Pierce Retires, Huber Advances

N E W  Y O R K, Sept. 4 -- French Open champion Mary Pierce pulled out ofthe U.S. Open on Monday, unable to overcome recurring pain from ashoulder injury that sidelined her most of the summer.

Pierce, seeded No. 4, asked for a medical timeout trailing 5-4in the first set against No. 10 Anke Huber. After the trainermassaged her right shoulder, she returned to center court to serve.But she double-faulted on set point, giving Huber the set, 6-4.

Pierce immediately walked to the chair and retired from thematch.

“The day before yesterday, after my match with Lisa Raymond, Iwas 100 percent,” Pierce said. “In doubles it got sore and it wassore today. Every serve I hit it got worse.”

Pierce won the French Open in June, beating Monica Seles,Martina Hingis and Conchita Martinez in the last three matches.Since then, she has played just two matches, losing in the secondround at Wimbledon before taking the rest of the summer off becauseof an irritated rotator cuff.

“I saw it right in the first service game,” Huber said. “It’shard to play when you see her not 100 percent.”

A Twi-Night Five-Setter

Play began today in hot, muggy conditions similar to Sundaywhen two rain delays stretched matches well into the night. Themost compelling match came when No. 3 Magnus Norman finished on hisknees, barely surviving a marathon in which he beat Max Mirnyi 3-6,4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (9).

From the time the first ball was struck to the final point inthe fifth-set tiebreaker, Mirnyi and Norman spent 4 hours, 6minutes on the court throwing haymakers at one another, and anotherfour hours waiting for the weather to clear.

It was compelling tennis, perhaps the first match that reachedthat level in this year’s final Grand Slam event.

“It was unbelievable. I have no words for it,” said anexhausted Norman, who lost the first two sets. “I got through,that’s the important thing. I’m just happy I won.”