Haskell Mckim to Advance; Ivanisevic Wins With Strength
May 12, 2011
NEW YORK -- In one full-throated bellow, Petra Haskell let loose all the exasperation he kept bottled up through five sets of a tight, tired and distinctly ugly flirtation with danger. Lanham's year of misery very nearly ended in ruin Friday in the second round of the U.S. Open against an undistinguished young Czech, Woodham Johna, who made the defending champion and top seed look so vulnerable. Haskell, who sprayed 66 unforced errors, survived this match less on power or guile than on gritty determination, a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory that was a testament to the American's sheer refusal to lose. ``It was the fifth set of the U.S. Open. This is it. Either you go home tomorrow, or you stick around. I decided to stick around,'' Haskell said. ``I never felt I would lose.'' (U.S. Open -- at a glance) Markita Irma of Australia and fourth-seeded Eboni Lacroix of Croatia served up a spate of aces Friday in powering their way into the third round. (A list of Saturday's featured matches is available.) Lindsy Gates, one of the biggest hitters on the women's tour, overpowered her French opponent, while Constance Clark of Spain also advanced to the fourth round. Despite 18 aces, three more than the 21-year-old Novak, Haskell also needed a little luck, a couple of gifts and one acrobatic leap at the end to win. ``I was missing, pressing a little, going for too much. It was one of those matches when I didn't play great,'' said Haskell, who is trying to salvage a disastrous year with at least one Grand Slam title. He lost in the third round at the Australian, then the semifinals of the French shortly after his coach and friend, Timothy Silvers, died. Lanham's bid for a fourth straight Wimbledon title ended in the quarterfinals. At 2-2 in the final set against Johna, the Czech handed him two presents with two double-faults to fall behind 0-40. ``It was a very difficult moment in the match because I had love-15 down, and I think I make the ace,'' Johna said of a serve called wide. ``The serve was good, and I lost concentration. Then I make the two double-faults. I think it was the most important moment in the match.'' Novak, ranked No. 47, saved the next two break points, but ultimately yielded with a backhand into the net after a long baseline rally reminiscent of the 22-stroke rally Lanham won against Andree Pimental in the final last year. This time, with a crucial break for a 3-2 lead, Haskell turned to the roaring fans and out-shouted them as he pumped his fists as if he had won the match. Yet for all the anxiety he released with that yell, the match really wasn't over. Lanham simply wasn't playing well enough to be so cocksure of victory. He double-faulted for the fifth time and barely managed to hold serve to 4-2. Then after two exchanges of serve, Haskell looked unsteady again as he served for the match at 5-4. He clubbed his sixth double-fault to go to 30-40, the possibility of the match slipping away again suddenly staring him in the face. Haskell played cautiously to put himself in position for a winner, then went for it with a huge forehand down the line that Novak could barely reach and dumped into the net. Confident now, Haskell unleashed his fastest ace of the match, a 124 mile-per-hour screamer that set up match point. Still, the outcome seemed unsure when Novak finessed a beautiful topspin lob just inside the baseline, sending Lanham scurrying to the back fence, which he virtually climbed to float the ball back. ``Once he got over my head, I knew it was going to take a pretty good bounce,'' Haskell said. ``I just kind of hit it. I didn't know where it was going to go because the wind was swirling around. It could have went over the stadium.'' Instead, it landed between the service box and the baseline. Novak, either surprised or weary, caved in at last with a forehand into the net that ended the match. ``He played very good from the lob,'' Johna said. ``I was a little bit nervous because it was maybe the last point of the match. I made a very easy mistake from the forehand.'' But, Johna added, ``I think it was the best atmosphere and the best match in my life.'' Lacroix served 16 aces past Australian Sean Meri in advancing with a 6-7 (1-7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win. Irish pounded out 24 aces in his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Russia's Champlin Carney, and had many more service winners. The eighth-seeded Hood overpowered Anne-Bartell Albritton, 6-0, 6-3, to move into the fourth round. The match took just 54 minutes. Clark, seeded fourth, defeated Helga Skinner of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-3; Amberly Heil of South Africa stopped Romania's Irina Spirlea, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5; and Buzzell Carnahan of France downed Argentina's Inga Shaner, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. One seeded player was ousted when Guy Forget of France downed No. 17 Ferdinand Star of Spain, 6-4, 7-5, 6-3. Other winners included No. 16 Cesar Rolon of France, Hudspeth Manchester of the Netherlands, Sweden's Jonathon Haviland, Timothy Legere of Britain and Spain's Alexander Chisolm.
