previous - Back to Articles - News main - Home source: www.usopen.org Post Midnight Madness Again by John Walters Friday, September 7, 2001 Another night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, another unforgettable men's match that stretched into the midnight hour. And we haven't even made it to the semifinals yet. No. 4 Lleyton Hewitt outlasted Andy Roddick and a decidedly partisan crowd to advance to his second semifinal in as many years at Flushing Meadows 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in a three hour, 40-minute marathon which ended at 12:43 a.m. Hewitt , who leads the ATP Tour in victories in 2001, recorded his 62nd of the year but not without a struggle -- and a mite of controversy in which, unlike six days ago, he was only a peripheral agent. Last Friday Hewitt became the story of the tournament when his remarks, made to the chair umpire in the midst of his five-set win against American James Blake, insinuated that a sideline judge might be racially biased. Hewitt was upset for being called for two foot-faults, something that also occurred this evening. Thursday night's controversy also centered around an official's judgment call, but this time it was not about foot faults and it was not Hewitt who approached the chair umpire. Serving at 4-5 of the fifth set, Roddick hit a crossing shot that edged toward Hewitt's backhand sideline. Chair umpire Jorge Diaz, sitting across the court, overruled the backline judge, called, "Out!" The fiery 19 year-old slammed his racket down. He then approached the umpire's chair and launched into a minute-long splenetic outburst. "Are you an absolute moron?" he asked. When it was over Roddick, who was vying to become the first person to win the U.S Open junior singles title one year and the men's singles title the following year, came unglued. He committed two unforced errors before Hewitt's winner along the sideline won the match. "Do I feel that call had a lot with me getting getting broken in the last set?" asked Roddick, who acknowledged that he picked an inopportune moment to lose his cool. "For sure. But that was a pathetic call. No umpire in their right mind would make that call...If he can say that (he saw the ball clearly), he's a liar." It's too bad that call garnered so much attention, because for the second consecutive night the marquee match at the Open lived up to the hype. Wednesday night the thirtysomethings, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, had played their 32nd and most memorable match on this court. Thursday Hewitt and Roddick, two players whose Q ratings have surged higher than any others during this fortnight, dueled in a five-setter that was the most memorable of their nascent careers. Hewitt, 20, entered the evening accompanied by the infamy of his aforementioned comments. Roddick, whose 140-plus m.p.h. serve has gained him renown as America's men's tennis prodigy, was playing his fourth match of the tourney in Arthur Ashe Stadium, quite unusual for an 18 seed. Both youngsters wore white baseball caps backwards, looking as if they'd fit in quite well at the MTV Video Awards, which were taking place simultaneously 10 miles west in Manhattan in the Metropolitan Opera House. But on their own stage, both rising stars acquitted themselves well. The lean 5-11 Aussie made amazing lunges to return Roddick's booming serve throughout the evening, drawing grudging respect from the fans. "He handles my serves better than anybody in the world," said Roddick. The first set provided a harbinger to the type of evening it would be, as the set went to a tiebreaker. Roddick grabbed a 5-1 lead, but Hewitt stormed back to trail 5-6. But then the serve went to Roddick and he finished matters with a 136 m.p.h. ace. Hewitt came right back, however, breaking Roddick's serve in the second game of the following set. Down 30-40, A-Rod double-faulted, then slammed his racket in disgust. Hewitt won that set and then the following one. Roddick, who had to default due to injury the last time he played Hewitt, in the French Open, won the fourth set in cursory fashion, setting up the climactic final act. "It's been a great run," says Roddick, who captivated the men's draw for two weeks with his lightning serve and brashness. "I mean, I've had so much fun out here this weekend. A part of me is dying inside, but a part of me is, 'Okay, I can relax now'." |