Pierce Retires, Huber Advances

N E W  Y O R K, Sept. 4, 2000 -- 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.”

Teenage Rivalry

Earlier in the evening, Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati facedoff in a resumption of what many thought might have been one of thegreat rivalries in women’s tennis if off-court problems had notinterrupted their careers.

So much has happened to them since their magical semifinal atthe Open in 1991. But for one night, at least, Seles took Capriatiback in time, defeating her 6-3, 6-4.

Nine years ago, they were kids—Capriati 15 and Seles 17—andviewed as the future of American women’s tennis. Seles captured athird-set tiebreaker that day and went on to win the championship,beating Martina Navratilova.

“I really don’t think about that much anymore,” Capriati said.“I think it’s kind of annoying a little bit, to tell you thetruth.”

Seles recalls it more warmly.

“I think it’s the first time in women’s tennis you had suchhard hitters,” she said. “It changed the face of women’stennis.”

On an unpleasant night that left them both drenched, there werefew reminders of the tennis they once played at center court.

“She came out really strong,” Capriati said, “just from thefirst ball. She was just hitting them full speed. She served reallywell. It was tough for me to break every time. That put a littlemore pressure on my serve.

“I think it was pretty close. We had a lot of close gamesthere. It could have gone either way.”

A year ago, they played in the round of 16. After Capriati lost,she finished the day in tears, trying to bury her troubled past.

“I think she’s found some peace,” Seles said. “I think she’schanged a lot in a year. It’s great to see that. I’m probably thesame. I’m pretty even through the hard times and through the goodtimes.”

Venus Catapults Ahead

Venus Williams extended her winning streak to 23 matches with a6-2, 6-2 rubout of Magui Serna. It took the third-seeded Williamsjust 53 minutes to move into the quarterfinals, where she will meetNo. 8 Nathalie Tauziat, who eliminated former champion ArantxaSanchez-Vicario 6-3, 6-2. It was Tauziat’s first victory overSanchez-Vicario after 11 consecutive losses

Her victory over Serna was in sharp contrast to Williams’ lastwin, when she was forced to a first-set tiebreaker by MeghannShaughnessy.

“In the first couple of rounds, I didn’t feel I was playingvery well,” Williams said. “I was happy actually to get a nicematch. She actually came out and played very well. I feel verywarmed up now. I feel more in a groove and more ready to compete.”

On the men’s side, No. 6 Marat Safin survived the longest day oftennis, beginning at 11 a.m. then sitting through the suddendisappearance of his game as well as two long rain delays beforefinally prevailing over Sebastien Grosjean 6-4, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 3-6,7-6 (5).

Safin was up two sets when he suddenly found himself in trouble.

“I was a little bit tired,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘Onemore set.’ I didn’t expect it to change that quickly because it was6-1, 6-3 in half an hour or less. I don’t know. I just lost myconcentration. It was very fast.”

Safin started the match dressed all in black and ended it some6½ hours later all in white, wearing borrowed pants and socks afterthe two rain delays, the first one 1 hour, 19 minutes, then after28 minutes of play another delay of 1 hour, 40 minutes, this one inthe midst of a fifth-set tiebreaker.

When play resumed, Safin completed his delayed victory, built on25 aces and achieved despite 64 unforced errors.

“Finally, I made it,” he said. “I am happy.”

No. 12 Juan Carlos Ferrero also waited out the rain for his 7-5,7-6 (6), 1-6, 7-6 (6) victory over Roger Federer.

“I think I had a little bit of luck in the tiebreak,” he said.“It’s no great days for the tennis when is rain.”

Sunday’s other winners included No. 14 Nicolas Kiefer, a 7-5,6-3, 6-4 winner over Sjeng Schalken,and Wayne Arthurs, who defeatedRichard Fromberg 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.