Tags:
Journalism of Courage
PARIS, May 27: Powered by huge serves and delicate drop shots, Venus Williams rolled into the third round of the French Open tennis championships today, routing Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-0, 6-2.
It only took one more game for Williams8217; potential quarter-final opponent, top-seeded Martina Hingis, to advance. Hingis easily beat German Meike Babel, 6-1, 6-2.
Sugiyama, ranked 19th in the World and Japan8217;s best player, didn8217;t hold her serve once. But she did break Williams twice in the second set.
The eighth-seeded Williams, vastly improved since she first played here last year, served big, hitting one at 118 mph in the first game of the second set.
quot;I think my footwork was very good,quot; she said later. quot;I was in position and it was hard for her to get balls past me. If my footwork is there, it8217;s extremely hard to beat me. That8217;s what I was really happy with.quot;
Like Williams, Hingis also made key use of drop shots, one of her best weapons.
Her opponent tried them as well but Hingis usually got to them.
Inother early action, the man many pick to win the title, third-seeded Marcelo Rios of Chile, had no trouble with Emilio Alvarez of Spain, winning in three quick sets, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2, to advance to the third round.
World number two, Petr Korda crashed out of the French Open, joining Andre Agassi and former double champion Sergi Bruguera as first-round casualties.
The 30-year-old Australian Open champion, and second seed was beaten 6-0, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 at Ronald Garros by 20-year-old Argentine Mariano Zabaleta, ranked 211 places below, in fading light yesterday.
Zabaleta failed to win a single ATP tour match in 1997 but his clay court pedigree was never in doubt.
The 1996 junior World Champion, won 10 titles from 11 events played that year, including the Junior French Open.
That Ronald Garros experience proved vital when, after allowing Korda to come back from two sets down to level at 2-2, he found the extra strength to finish off the victory after three hours 29 minutes.
Eleventh seed MichaelChang advanced comfortably over Spaniard Alex Calatrava in straight sets.
The 1989 champion cruised through in straight sets, winning 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.
HOW THE SEEDS FARED
Men8217;s singles 1st round: Mariano Zabaleta Arg bt 2-Petr Korda Czech Rep 6-0 6-2 3-6 4-6 6-3; 6-Filip Dewulf Bel bt Magnus Larsson Swe 7-6 7-0 7-5 7-6 7-5; 11-Michael Chang USA bt Alex Calatrava Spain 7-5 6-3 6-2; 16-Alberto Berasategui Spa bt Grant Stafford SA 4-6 7-6 9-7 6-3 6-1
2nd round: 3-Marcelo Rios Chi bt Emilio Alvarez Spa 6-4 6-2 6-2; 13-Albert Costa Spa bt Marc-Kevin Goellner Ger 6-4 6-3 6-1
Women8217;s singles 1st round: 2-Lindsay Davenport US bt Kimberly Po US 6-2 6-2; Patty Schnyder Swi bt 5-Amanda Coetzer SA 6-4 3-6 8-6 7-Conchita Martinez Spa bt Magalie Lamarre Fra 6-1 6-1; 11-Mary Pierce Fra bt Sabine Appelmans Bel 6-2 6-3; 14-Sandrine Testud Fra bt Samantha Reeves US 2-6 6-2 6-3; 15-Dominique van Roost Bel bt Magdalena Grzybowska Pol 7-5 3-66-4
2nd round: 1-Martina Hingis Swi bt Meike Babel Ger 6-1 6-2; 3-Jana Novotna Czech Rep bt Emilie Loit Fra 7-5 6-0; 8-Venus Williams US bt Ai Sugiyama Japan 6-0 6-2
OTHER RESULTS
Men8217;s singles: Olivier Delaitre Fra bt Arnaud di Pasquale Fra 2-6 7-5 7-6 7-4 1-6 6-0; Cedric Pioline Fra bt Marcelo Filippini Uru 6-1 3-6 7-5 6-7 4-7 6-4; Gerard Solves Fra bt Richey Reneberg US 6-4 6-2 3-6 6-7 5-7 8-6; John van Lottum Net bt Jan Siemerink Net 6-7 5-7 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-2; Jeff Tarango US bt Paul Haarhuis Net 6-4 6-1 7-6 7-4; Olivier Delaitre Fra bt Arnaud di Pasquale Fra 2-6 7-5 7-6 7-4 1-6 6-0; Julien Bowtter Fra bt Christian Vinck Ger 6-7 6-8 6-3 6-4 7-6 7-5; Cedric Pioline Fra bt Marcelo Filippini Uru 6-1 3-6 7-5 6-7 4-7 6-4; Marzio Martelli Ita bt Goran Ivanisevic Cro 7-6 7-3 7-6 8-6 7-6 7-2; Hicham Arazi Mor bt Jiri Novek Czech Rep 6-0 6-2 7-6 7-1; Rodolphe Gilberti Fra bt Albert Portas Spa 6-3 6-3 2-6 2-6 11-9;Jan Michael Gambill US bt Martin Rodrigues Arg 6-3 6-2 6-4; Francisco Clavet Spa bt Andrei Cehsnokov Rus 6-1 6-4 6-1; Juan Albert Viloca Spa bt Javier Sanchez Spa 7-6 8-6 3-6 5-7 6-4 6-3
2nd round: Fernando Meligeni Bra bt Vincent Spadea US 7-6 7-5 7-6 7-3 6-3; Johan van Herck Bel bt Jordi Mas Spa 6-3 7-6 7-4 7-5; Wayne Ferreira SA bt Magnus Norman Swe 6-4 6-4 6-4
Women8217;s singles: Els Callens Bel bt Lea Shirardi-Rubbi Fra 6-2 6-7 8-10 6-3; Paola Suarez Arg bt Radka Bobkova Czech Rep 3-6 7-6 7-1 9-7; Serena Williams US bt Jana Nejedly Can 6-2 1-6 6-4; Rita Grande Ita bt Janet Lee Tai 7-6 9-7 6-3; Liezel Horn SA bt Caroline Dhenin Fra 3-6 6-3 6-0; Magui Serna Spa bt Patricia Hy-Boulais Can 6-1 6-1; Gala Leon Garcia Spa bt Yayuk Basuki Ind 6-3 6-2; Silvia Farina Ita bt Shi-Ting Wang Tai 6-2 6-1; Mariana Diaz-Oliva Arg bt Fang Li Chi 7-6 10-8 6-1; Joannette Kruger SA bt Andrea Glass Ger 6-3 6-4; Elena Wanger Ger btNana Miyagi Jpn 3-6 6-0 6-1; Sung Hee Park SA bt Francesca Lubiani Ita 5-7 6-1 6-2
2nd round: Alexia Dechaume-Balleret Fra bt Adriana Gersi Czech Rep 6-2 5-7 6-1
