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San Diego Union Tribune, CA
Sept 3 2004
Sargsian captures five-set marathon
Match is second-longest in Open history By Jerry Magee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
NEW YORK - They don't pass out gold medals at the U.S. Open, cash
being preferred, but Nicolas Massu of Chile, a gold medalist in
tennis at Athens, and Sargis Sargsian staged a match last night that
was truly Olympian.
Sargsian, from Armenia, finally won it, but only after he and Massu
had struggled through the second-longest match in Open history - 5
hours and 9 minutes.
The longest match on record at the Open was a 1992 men's semifinal
between Stefan Edberg of Sweden and Michael Chang that lasted 5
hours, 26 minutes. Edberg won 6-7, 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4.
Before the Sargsian-Massu match, the second-longest match also
occurred in 1992, with Ivan Lendl defeating Boris Becker 6-7, 6-2,
6-7, 6-3, 6-4 in 5:01 in the round of 16.
The Sargsian-Massu get-together was a stormy one, with Massu,
supported by a noisy, flag-waving contingent of Chileans, carrying on
several dialogues with the chair umpire, who twice warned him for
slamming his racket and later penalized him a game for another such
abuse.
"Three violations," Massu said. "The first two were OK. Nothing to
say. But the third one, I can't believe."
Massu did not dispute that he had thrown his rackets; he shattered
two of them. "Yeah, but normally all the players throw the racket,"
he said. "This umpire (Carlos Ramos) should not umpire anymore. He
unbelievable. He's never going to umpire me again."
Ted Schroeder of La Jolla, meantime, remembered that in the final of
the 1949 U.S. Championships, he and Pancho Gonzalez played a five-set
match that went on for 5 hours, 15 minutes. Schroeder said there were
no chairs on the court and changeovers had to be completed in 30
seconds.
In his three previous matches in that tournament, Schroeder said, he
had played five-setters on consecutive days against Gardnar Mulloy,
Frank Sedgman and Billy Talbert.
Massu being eliminated left the men's phase of the tournament without
any of the Athens medalists. Silver medalist Mardy Fish of the United
States failed yesterday against Michal Tabara, the player from the
Czech Republic winning 6-3, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. Bronze medalist
Fernando Gonzalez of Chile had been beaten in the opening round by
Robin Soderling of Sweden.
The women's field has lost bronze medalist Alicia Molik of Australia,
but gold medalist Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium and silver
medalist Amelie Mauresmo of France are still around.
Marathons aside, this week at the Open has been marked by
retirements, with first Todd Martin, then Wayne Ferreira saying
farewells. Andre Agassi, of their generation, presses on. He did
yesterday, gaining the tournament's third round when a muscle problem
in the left leg forced Florian Mayer of Germany to retire in the
fourth set. Agassi advanced 7-5, 2-6, 6-2, 1-0 (ret).
Agassi, 34, said he misses many of the players against whom he
competed when he was in his 20s.
"In some cases, these are guys you grew up with and competed with
since you were 8 years old," Agassi said. "So you do miss them; you
feel as if the game misses them."
Agassi said he has not made any plans after the Open. He said he may
play a full fall schedule, he may not. On one point, he was clear: He
has no plans to retire should he win the Open.
No. 3 seed Carlos Moya took last night's concluding match in Arthur
Ashe Stadium with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 conquest of American Amer
Delic. Earlier, French Open champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina fell
to Thomas Johansson of Sweden 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Sept 3 2004
Sargsian captures five-set marathon
Match is second-longest in Open history By Jerry Magee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
NEW YORK - They don't pass out gold medals at the U.S. Open, cash
being preferred, but Nicolas Massu of Chile, a gold medalist in
tennis at Athens, and Sargis Sargsian staged a match last night that
was truly Olympian.
Sargsian, from Armenia, finally won it, but only after he and Massu
had struggled through the second-longest match in Open history - 5
hours and 9 minutes.
The longest match on record at the Open was a 1992 men's semifinal
between Stefan Edberg of Sweden and Michael Chang that lasted 5
hours, 26 minutes. Edberg won 6-7, 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4.
Before the Sargsian-Massu match, the second-longest match also
occurred in 1992, with Ivan Lendl defeating Boris Becker 6-7, 6-2,
6-7, 6-3, 6-4 in 5:01 in the round of 16.
The Sargsian-Massu get-together was a stormy one, with Massu,
supported by a noisy, flag-waving contingent of Chileans, carrying on
several dialogues with the chair umpire, who twice warned him for
slamming his racket and later penalized him a game for another such
abuse.
"Three violations," Massu said. "The first two were OK. Nothing to
say. But the third one, I can't believe."
Massu did not dispute that he had thrown his rackets; he shattered
two of them. "Yeah, but normally all the players throw the racket,"
he said. "This umpire (Carlos Ramos) should not umpire anymore. He
unbelievable. He's never going to umpire me again."
Ted Schroeder of La Jolla, meantime, remembered that in the final of
the 1949 U.S. Championships, he and Pancho Gonzalez played a five-set
match that went on for 5 hours, 15 minutes. Schroeder said there were
no chairs on the court and changeovers had to be completed in 30
seconds.
In his three previous matches in that tournament, Schroeder said, he
had played five-setters on consecutive days against Gardnar Mulloy,
Frank Sedgman and Billy Talbert.
Massu being eliminated left the men's phase of the tournament without
any of the Athens medalists. Silver medalist Mardy Fish of the United
States failed yesterday against Michal Tabara, the player from the
Czech Republic winning 6-3, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. Bronze medalist
Fernando Gonzalez of Chile had been beaten in the opening round by
Robin Soderling of Sweden.
The women's field has lost bronze medalist Alicia Molik of Australia,
but gold medalist Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium and silver
medalist Amelie Mauresmo of France are still around.
Marathons aside, this week at the Open has been marked by
retirements, with first Todd Martin, then Wayne Ferreira saying
farewells. Andre Agassi, of their generation, presses on. He did
yesterday, gaining the tournament's third round when a muscle problem
in the left leg forced Florian Mayer of Germany to retire in the
fourth set. Agassi advanced 7-5, 2-6, 6-2, 1-0 (ret).
Agassi, 34, said he misses many of the players against whom he
competed when he was in his 20s.
"In some cases, these are guys you grew up with and competed with
since you were 8 years old," Agassi said. "So you do miss them; you
feel as if the game misses them."
Agassi said he has not made any plans after the Open. He said he may
play a full fall schedule, he may not. On one point, he was clear: He
has no plans to retire should he win the Open.
No. 3 seed Carlos Moya took last night's concluding match in Arthur
Ashe Stadium with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 conquest of American Amer
Delic. Earlier, French Open champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina fell
to Thomas Johansson of Sweden 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress