Saturday, August 11, 2001
Rafter wears down Rusedski in marathon
By Michael Perry
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — When Patrick Rafter fired a 105-mph ace, his match with Greg Rusedski finally was over. Both players looked like they wanted to fall over.
Patrick Rafter
(Ernest Coleman photos)
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Rafter and Rusedski battled for 2 hours, 47 minutes Friday in one of the best matches of the week at the Tennis Masters Series Cincinnati.
Rafter advanced to the semifinals here for the third time, with a grueling 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory that tied for the fifth-longest match in Cincinnati since the ATP started timing in 1991.
The sky darkened and thunder sounded in the distance as the final games were played.
Not much separated the two players all day. Rusedski fired 16 aces and saved 15 break points. Rafter had double-set point in the first set, but Rusedski aced him twice in a row. He would win 11 of 14 points to take that set.
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In the second set, Rusedski saved six set points before losing in a 7-5 tiebreaker.
“I had plenty of chances,” Rafter said. “I felt I was the better player throughout the match. I just wasn't taking my chances very well. It's very frustrating. After a while, something is going to happen.”
Afterward, Rafter needed more than an hour before he could meet the press. He was feeling dizzy and light-headed. He walked around to avoid cramping, consumed Gatorade, salt and forced down one banana that he said “didn't go down very well.”
Rusedski, who said Thursday that he'd be happy if he got to two tiebreakers with Rafter, said he was satisfied with his play.
Greg Rusedski
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“I thought Pat had to play well to win,” he said. “One double-fault cost me the second-set tiebreaker. ... I'm very disappointed with the result, that I lost to Rafter, but I'm pleased I competed well.”
Rusedski wasn't shy about saying an over-ruling by veteran chair umpire Norm Chryst early in the third set was costly.
Rusedski led the set 2-1 and was ahead 15-30 on Rafter's serve. He hit a slow slice over Rafter that landed inside the court. It was called good by the line judge but overruled by Chryst.
Rusedki won the next point, which would have given him the game. Rafter ended up winning the game, tying the set and winning the match.
“I don't see how Norm can sit up there and change the match,” Rusedski said. “It's happened twice now, against (Andre) Agassi in Los Angeles and here in Cincinnati. I think the chair umpires are taking too much control out there on big points.
“You cannot do those sort of things. I'm going to have a word with him. I still might have lost the match, but that could have ... changed things.”
Chair umpires are prohibited by the ATP from com menting. ATP supervisor Mark Darby said: “ATP umpires are professionals that umpire hundreds of matches every year. There are many judgment calls made by the chair umpire in each of those matches.”
Rafter could not lie. He said he saw the shot hit the court and thought he was in trouble.
“It was in,” he said. “It was an unfortunate call for Greg, no doubt about it.”
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