Tuesday, August 27, 2002
Emotional first night for U.S. Open
Kournikova's losing streak intact; U.S. Open notebook
By HAL BOCK
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK — The attack on the World Trade Center occurred less than 48 hours after last year's U.S. Open ended, and Monday night's opening ceremony was planned as a tribute to the heroes of that disaster.
Ending a six-year City Hall boycott, Mayor Michael Bloomberg agreed to address the opening-night crowd.
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani stopped attending the tournament in 1996 because he opposed a provision in the U.S. Tennis Association's 99-year lease negotiated by his tennis-loving predecessor, David Dinkins.
“This is always a terrific time in New York City with the last Grand Slam of the tennis season kicking off in Flushing, Queens,” Bloomberg said.
“This year's Open is special, It is another indication that our city is well on its way to recovery from the tragedy of Sept. 11.
“Welcome to New York City and welcome to the U.S. Open.”
Bloomberg's speech was part of a patriotic ceremony featuring entertainers Tony Bennett, Queen Latifah and Judd Hirsch. Four-time Open champions John McEnroe and Billie Jean King also participated in the ceremony.
A flag recovered from the World Financial Center and subsequently raised by U.S. Marines in Kandahar, Afghanistan, was to fly over Arthur Ashe Stadium during the “Salute to Heroes.”
The USTA also planned nightly tributes recalling the trade center attack between matches throughout the two-week tournament.
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LOSING STREAK INTACT: Anna Kournikova's return to the U.S. Open lasted one match.
Still without a tournament victory in her professional career, Kournikova lost on Monday 6-3, 6-0 to Angelique Widjaja.
“I didn't play well,” Kournikova said. “It was a very bad match for me. I played totally the wrong way. I was going for winners after the second shot. I just was not in the match.”
Kournikova missed last year's tournament because of injury and was looking forward to her return.
“It was fun coming back, being here again,” she said. “I didn't give myself a good show. I didn't expect it to be this way. I made a million mistakes. I set up the point and when I had to put it away, I was missing it. I didn't expect it to be that easy for her. I felt like I tried everything and nothing was going my way. It's not like I play like I played today all the time.”
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SHIFTING SPEEDS: French Open champion Albert Costa, a clay-court specialist, made a seamless switch to the speedier hard courts of the U.S. Open with a 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 first-round victory over Magnus Norman.
But Costa, ranked No. 8 in the world, will have a lot to prove if he wants to win a second major at the USTA National Tennis Center. He is only 5-7 on hard courts this year.
“I think the courts are completely fair. Sometimes when you came here ... they were unbelievably fast,” Costa said. “Now I think it's fair for everybody.”
The 27-year-old Spaniard, who skipped Wimbledon because he got married, won the French Open in June. That was the first time he got past the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam tournament.
On Monday, Costa won the first two sets easily. Norman came back with a steady performance in the third set, but Costa regained his momentum and closed out the match in the fourth by making few mistakes.
“I started to feel good in the fourth,” Costa said. “I think all the time the match was under control.”
For Norman, still seeking a return to form after hip surgery, it was a positive step. “I am happy with my serve, I am happy with my shots,” he said. “But there are things — big things — to improve.”
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ACES OUT: NCAA champion Bea Bielik, making her professional debut as a wild card at the Open, was in the midst of a rather ordinary first-round match at the U.S. Open against Renata Voracova when she suddenly took it to another level.
Bielik finished the 6-4, 6-4 victory with four straight aces.
“Being in that situation, to serve out the match, I knew that I wanted to put some pressure on her to come up with the winner,” she said. “I knew if I came up with some deep first serves that I would be on the offensive.
“Luckily, I didn't have to deal with returns.”
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STILL SWINGING: Michael Chang had one of his typical three-hour matches, defeating Francisco Clavet 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3).
Chang, playing in his 55th Grand Slam event, has not won a major since the 1989 French Open, when he was 17.
“For me, I'm through the first round,” Chang said. “It's one under the belt, so I feel good.
“I don't know if a whole lot of people expect me to win anymore. I realize I'm in the twilight of my career. We want to give it our last good run, our last good effort.”
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Emotional first night for U.S. Open
