NEW YORK, Sept 8: They came out of nowhere, mystery men. ambushing Jim Courier by day and Boris Becker by night tn this ztuiieat of US Opens, reports AP.
Most jans never heard of Cedric Piollne and Magnus Larsson, yet there they stood tn the quarterfinals while the No 1 Courier and No 4 Becker sulked away
No sooner was the Becker upset over than another curious match ended tn the grandstand. Andrei Medvedev, a 19-year-old Czech playing his first US Open, reached the quarterfinals by defeating the Netherlands Richard Krajicek 6-4. 3-6. 6-1. 7-6 (7-4).
Taking an unbelievable fall wax Australia's Jaime Morgan. In one of the Open's all-time collapse, Morgan blew a 5-0 lead in the fifth set, and match point at 5-1. In Ipslng to compatriot Wally Masur. Masur took the last seven games to ’win 3-6. 4-6, 6-3. 6-4. 7-5 and advance to the quarters.
Steffi Gfaf and Manuela Maleeva-Fragnlere advanced as expected, though Oraf had a struggle over Gabriela Sabatini.
The fans cheered Courier to defeat Tuesday. They rubbed It In with a loud, cruel cry — 'Bye. bye. Jimmy" — before the final point. Never did US Open fans seem so pleased to see an American lose and a Frenchman win.
They roared for the slender, smiling Piotine as h1s blistering backhands sent Courier scurrying corner to corner. They oohed and aahed at his dozen aces. They loved his touch volleys and overheads and his calmness under pressure.
And when It was over, when Courier and his snarling, cursing and racket-dropping had nowhere else to go Ptoline had a 7-5, 6-7 (7-4), 6-4, 6 4 victory over the world's top-ranked P^oura later. It was Beckers turn. He had the crowd behind ■ him. He seemed ready to make another trademark comeback from two sets down as he did tlhe first round and seven
es before. But his once mighty serve failed him in the end and he. too. was gone against, a stranger, losing to Sweden's Larsson 6 2, 8 3, 36, 7 5
Larsson, a clay specialist who played in only six hard-court tournaments this year, out-aced Becker 15-10. Becker double-faulted eight times to the Swede’s one.
Trailing 6-5 to the fourth set. Becker double-faulted to 15-30. TWo points later he was way long on a forehand. Then he hit his first serve long by five feet (15 metres) and finally knocked a forehand wide to lose.
If Becker's loss was stunning, Courier's was historic. The last time a Frenchman beat the No 1 seed at the US cham ptonshtps was 1927, when Rene Lacoste toppled Bill Tilden
Courier, who wtB lose Ms No I ranking if Pete Sampras reaches the Anal, dug htmeetf
Into trouble with his mistakes in this match as much as his arrogance toward the public.
Despite Courier's success this year — the Australian Open title, the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon — his Increasingly churlish behaviour on and off the court is endearing him to no one. He chalked up the crowd's cheers for the No 15 Ploltne to a typical American desire for an upset.
"Everybody loves the underdog." Courier said
But it seemed deeper and nastier than that. When Courier was down two sets to one. the crowd didn't get behind him. didn't try to lift him as It dkl Jimmy Connors or John McEnroe in the past or Martina Navratilova In her loss Monday This Open has been filled with upsets, but all the big names who have fallen were cheered to the end — except Courier.
Immediately after Plollne's victory, a brief thunder lightning storm struck, as If to punctuate the moment. When the storm passed, women's No 1 Graf shakily advanced to the semifinals with ■ 6-2. 5-7, 6-1 victory over 1990 champton and No 5 seed Sabatini.
Oraf appeared In good shape, serving to end the match at 5-3 In the second seL But Sabatini suddenly played more daringly. She broke, then
staved off match point on her own serve and took the set by Winning four straight games.
1 just didn't play aggressive enough." Graf said. T told myself to go for it In the third set.”
Sabatini won a fifth straight game when she broke to open the third set. Then came the turning point — a lob by Graf that Sabatini whacked between her legs. Graf volleyed the ball for a winner to break back. In noarly similar fashion two games later. Graf lobbed at break point, Sabatini lofted it back, but Graf drilled It with an overhead for a 3-1'lead. Graf completed a string of six straight games to close the match.
Graf, winner of the French Open and Wimbledon, wtll play Maleeva-Fragnlere. who beat Kimiko Date 7-5, 7-5.
Maleeva-Fragnlere, playing what she says will be her final Open at age 26. has been winning despite having chipped a bone in her pinky fast week in practice before her third-round match.
Wednesday's women's quarter-finals pit I2th seed Helena Sukova against Katerina Maleeva and second seed Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario against Natalia Zvereva.