Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 29, 1995 TAG: 9506290064
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND LENGTH: Medium
American Chanda Rubin endured a pulled stomach muscle, nausea and increasingly heavy legs to beat Canadian Patricia Hy-Boulais 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (7-5), 17-15 Wednesday in a 3-hour, 45-minute test of willpower and stamina.
It was a drama that upstaged a straight-sets victory by Pete Sampras and an upset of Mary Pierce by Nathalie Tauziat, though the match that excited British fans most was the triumph by Canadian-turned-Englishman Greg Rusedski over Guy Forget. (Scores in Scoreboard. B3)
Nothing on the show courts compared with the match on No.16. This match was special.
``It kept building up, the longer the match went on,'' Rubin said of the crowd on No.16. ``I guess maybe it made it that much harder to close the match out, but it was kind of nice just to have people there. I was amazed they were still there, because, you know, I would have walked away if I had the chance.''
Rubin had several chances to get off earlier, but each time Hy-Boulais dug in to prolong the duel. Then Hy-Boulais had her chances, and served for the match at 13-12 and at 15-14 of the third set.
Two hours into the final set, the two started Game 32. Hy-Boulais dropped the first point on a backhand into the net, double-faulted and hit a forehand wide - three errors that gave Rubin three match points. Rubin wasted only one, winning the match at last on another forehand into the net by Hy-Boulais.
The 58 games were the most ever for the most games in a women's Grand Slam singles match. The previous record was 56 games, set in 1972 when Kerry Mellville beat Pam Teegarden 9-7, 4-6, 16-14 in the French Open semifinals.
Pierce's first Wimbledon lasted two matches as she was beaten by Tauziat 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. It was a quick exit for Pierce, who had pulled out of Wimbledon at the last minute the past two years.
``Nathalie is a great player on grass and she has more experience than I do,'' Pierce said. ``She played a really good match and I made too many mistakes.''
In other women's play, defending champion Conchita Martinez eased into the third round with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Jana Kandarr; No.2 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario beat Mana Endo 7-5, 6-2; No.8 Gabriela Sabatini beat Silvia Farina 6-2, 6-2; and No.9 Anke Huber was a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) winner over Beate Reinstadler.
Sampras, the two-time defending men's champion, overcame a valiant challenge from Britain's Tin Henman to move into the third round with a 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) victory.
Sampras lost only three points on serve in the first set and two points in the second. But the 174th-ranked Henman, inspired by the support of the Court One crowd, played Sampras evenly in the third set.
Henman, a 20-year-old whose grandfather played three years at Wimbledon and whose parents are All-England Club members, later suffered the embarrassment of becoming the first player ever to be thrown out of the tournament in the Open era.
Henman lost a point during a doubles match, and in frustration whacked a ball that was in his hand. The ball hit the ear of a ball girl, who had run to pick up another ball. The girl fell, then ran back to her spot. Henman walked toward her, asked if she was all right, but found her in tears and holding her ear. A doctor and trainer were called to treat her, and Henman was automatically disqualified with partner Jeremy Bates for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Henman, close to tears himself afterward, called the injury an accident but took full responsibility.
Keywords:
TENNIS
by CNB