EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -The Hudson rivalry was renewed once again. If you could call it that with only a handful of familiar faces taking part in the first of a home-and-home. The rematch was set for Wednesday night across the Lincoln Tunnel at Madison Square Garden with different lineups expected.
Five months removed from a sweep of the archrival Rangers, the Devils took to the ice at Continental Airlines Arena under much different circumstances- dropping the home preseason opener 3-1 Tuesday night before 11,241.
With the Rangers opting to dress only a few vets as opposed to mostly rookies and second-year players, it looked every bit like a meaningless exhibition.
Though the Devils played Martin Brodeur for the first half of the action, the two-time Vezina winner wasn't sharp early on, letting in the game's first three goals just 8:17 in. In fact, the Rangers' three came in a 4:16 span. Blair Betts got it started when he took an Adam Hall feed and beat Brodeur with a backhand.
After Hall tallied unassisted at 7:50, rookie Brandon Dubinsky connected with a wrister from about 50 feet out only 27 seconds later to give New York a three-goal lead.
With not much happening for the Devils down three, there was a scrap less than a minute later between the Rangers' Francis Lessard and New Jersey's Nathan Perrot. Perrot is a former 1995 second round pick who is attempting a comeback from injury this preseason in hopes of making the final roster.
His fight seemed to awaken his teammates as only a couple of minutes later, Tuomas Pihlman took rookie defenseman Matt Corrente's pass and beat Al Montoya at 11:31 to cut the deficit to two. Former New Jersey 2001 first rounder Adrian Foster also picked up a helper.
It was the only chance they beat the Rangers' former 2004 first round selection on. The second-year pro was sharp in his half of action stopping 11 of 12 shots before giving way to veteran backup Stephen Valiquette.
Though the Devils weren't able to beat Valiquette (13 saves), after being outshot 11-8 in the first, they carried more of the play the final two periods outshooting their opponents 13-11 including only six Frank Doyle's way after he replaced Brodeur.
Outside of a scrap between Rangers enforcer Ryan Hollweg and Grant Marshall midway thru the game, it didn't resemble a real game. But more a contest of who could be sent to the penalty box more and not take advantage. The two teams combined to go 0-for-14 on the power play- Rangers (0-8) Devils (0-6).
It was more a reinforcement of the hooking, interference and delay of game calls which the league emphasized last season in an attempt to improve scoring.
Zajac Impresses: Though they didn't inch closer on the scoreboard, one new Devil coach Claude Julien had to be pleased with was Travis Zajac. The former 2004 first rounder who signed out of North Dakota this past Spring distinguished himself. Used primarily in a third line center role, Zajac was strong on the puck in 15:05 and registered three shots. The only drawback was his lack of success in the faceoff circle (2-8). Outside of that, he had a solid showing and could be one Devil newcomer to watch as this abbreviated preseason unfolds.
Notes: Along with Brodeur and Marshall, Devils' lineup also featured Scott Gomez, Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, Sergei Brylin, David Hale, Brad Lukowich, Dan McGillis along with unsigned center Erik Rasmussen due to the team's cap situation. Also taking part were second-year pros Pihlman, Barry Tallackson along with rookies Corrente, John Oduya and Tomas Harrant. Foster and career minor leaguer Justin Papineau rounded out the roster. ... After a three assist effort in a win at Boston in Lowell Sunday, 2006 first round pick Corrente continued to impress with another assist. ... John Madden sat out his second straight with a sore groin. ... Among regulars Rangers dressed Betts, Hall, Hollweg, Marcel Hossa, Jason Ward, Fedor Tyutin, Darius Kasparaitis, Aaron Ward and Karel Rachunek. Rookies who took part included Nigel Dawes, who assisted on Dubinsky's goal and former first rounders Lauri Korpikoski and Hugh Jessiman saw significant action up front while 2005 first rounder Marc Staal teamed with Ward on the blueline and finished +2 in 19:39. Ivan Baranka, Dwight Helminen and Lee Falardeau also took part as did vet Martin Richter and Lessard.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Baby Bombers Champions Again, Repeat As New York Penn League's Best
STATEN ISLAND, NY -Just call them champions again. Even with an extra day off along with a one hour 24-minute rain delay couldn't stop the inevitable when the Staten Island Yankees repeated as NY-Penn League champs by shutting out the Tri-City Valley Cats 2-0 in a winner take-all Game 3 before an enthusiastic 878 at Richmond County Bank Ball Park Friday night. It's the first time in 25 years a team has went on to win back-to-back NY-Penn League titles.
As has been their identity all season en route to the league's best record, the Baby Bombers won a lowscoring game with pitching, defense and timely hitting to claim their fourth title in the past seven years.
"They don't get any better than this," emotional skipper Gaylen Pitts told his club after being doused with champagne during a wild celebration inside the locker room. "I'll ride with you guys anywhere."
Led by starter George Kontos' brilliant six scoreless innings which included a season high 11 strikeouts, the Baby Bombers used the common formula along with two big RBI's from veteran DH Kyle Larsen to take home the hardware and celebrate in style before a raucous crowd.
"It feels great. It's the best feeling in the world," a jubilant Kontos said outside the dugout while fans chanted his name. "We came in here from Day 1 and we said we were going to do this, got it done and we feel great about it."
"It's been a fun ride with all these guys," leadoff hitter Seth Fortenberry added inside an emotionally charged room. "What more can you say? The guy went out and threw his heart out and pitched a great game. Shut it down for us."
Coming off a tough 9-2 Game 2 loss the other night, Staten Island jumped out of the gate much quicker and did something they couldn't Wednesday. Get an early lead and let solid pitching and D take over.
After Kontos worked around a first inning walk, the Bombers got to Tri-City starter Chris Salamida. The southpaw entered as the league's best pitcher during the regular season finishing 10-1 with a miniscule 1.06 ERA. He also picked up a postseason win against Auburn in the first round by tossing six scoreless. None of that mattered last night when Staten Island used a two out rally to give Kontos an early lead.
With the first two retired, third baseman Mitch Hilligoss' opposite field double kept the inning alive for Larsen. Behind in the count 0-2, he delivered a clutch RBI single into right to put the Bombers on top. After Colin Curtis followed with the third consecutive hit to put two on, Salamida limited the damage by getting second baseman Wilmer Pino to pop out to short.
"It's an amazing feeling," a pleased Larsen said after knocking in both runs on the night. "I can't even describe it. It's something I will never forget. Coming to this place especially with the front office and all the people here and the fans, it's been amazing. They deserve it...To get that run in the first was huge."
"The day off might have helped us more than people thought," Hilligoss noted. "That maybe we'd dwell on the loss but I think it was good for us to use it and relax. The guys did a great job."
Given a lead, Kontos got stronger and began a stretch of fanning at least two Valley Cats from the second through the fifth. After whiffing two in the second, he K'd two more in the third to keep his team ahead before they got a key insurance run. Shortstop Chris Kunda ledoff the home third with a double to left. His teammates used some little ball to get him in. A Hilligoss ground out to second got Kunda over to third and then Larsen followed with a sac fly to left which scored Kunda to make it 2-0.
"Winning the College World Series is a similar feeling," Kunda expressed after the shortstop got the team off to a good start in the field with a sparkling defensive gem for the game's first out. "Being able to make a play like that to begin things kind of give momentum on our side right away...The hit- I was trying to get something started when we had the guys coming up behind me. Kyle already had an RBI the first inning. I was just trying to create another opportunity."
Ahead two, Kontos served notice by striking out the side in the fourth in impressive fashion- getting Jordan Parraz and Max Sapp to chase fastballs before painting the outside corner to freeze James Van Ostrand. He would retire the next six Tri-City batters via K and seven of eight at one point.
"I felt good...Everything was working. I wasn't overthrowing. My fastball was good. It was moving. My slider was real tight and my curveball was breaking well. That's all I can ask for," Kontos pointed out. "Today was obviously a big game. [Salamida] has done great for them all year...It was kind of projection that everyone saw coming. My teammates picked me up big time and I just helped them stay ahead."
"Amazing. We knew. There was no one else in my mind that I want the ball in his hands," praised Larsen. "He's a warrior. He's a guy who fought for us all year and to come out and pitch the way he did is awesome. I'm so happy for him."
Though he also fanned the side in the fifth, Kontos worked around two hits by getting Tim Torres on a nasty breaking ball that caught the outside corner to strand both runners.
His final frame proved the most challenging. With one down in the sixth, Parraz singled to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. When Kontos cameback to freeze Sapp for the second out and his final strike out of the night, it looked like he would get out of it without a problem. But he lost Van Ostrand and then allowed an infield hit to Justin Tellam which suddenly loaded the bases. When he fell behind Chris Johnson 3-0, danger loomed.
After getting a fastball across the plate for 3-1, Kontos almost balked in a run. However, plate umpire Tripp Gibson mistakenly awarded Parraz home. Before Kontos stopped his delivery, Johnson asked for time. When the four umpires convened, they properly reversed the call reloading the bases. Still behind in the count, Kontos dug deep by throwing consecutive strikes and got Johnson to harmlessly pop out to Pino.
"I fell behind 3-0," the championship winning starter noted. "I was opening up and dragging my arm. That's why everything was up. I sat back, took a deep breath and got on top of the ball. So I took a little bit off of it. [Johnson] got a little on top of it and no runs scored."
With Kontos finally done, Pitts turned it over to the bullpen. Reliever Nick Peterson worked a 1-2-3 seventh and got the first two in the eighth to pull the Bombers within four outs of another title. But Tri-City wouldn't go down easily. After Sapp beat out an infield single to second, Van Ostrand walked to put the tying runs on forcing Pitts to call on closer Mark Melanchon to get a four out save. He got Tellam to ground out to Pino to end the threat.
After S.I. went quietly in the eighth, Melanchon got Johnson swinging and Aaron Bulkey to line out to Pino to pull within an out of their ultimate destiny. After a tough battle with Greg Buchanan, he finally got him to chase a high fastball, touching off a wild celebration on the field which invoked memories of last year's championship team.
Keeping with the theme in which they doused 2005 manager Andy Stankiwiecz, repeat winner Larsen helped Gatorade Pitts before everyone celebrated with the trophy on the field.
"There's nothing better than winning a championship. Especially with the Yankees," Peterson excitedly remarked. "I've never been a part of something like this."
"The enjoyment that we're having. Just the whole year what you look forward to. And then at the end of the year, just the kind of fulfillment that you have. It's unbelievable," center fielder Colin Curtis added. "After a little bit, I knew that we had it in us. I knew that we were going to make a good run at it."
Hilligoss summed up the special season perfectly:
"We're a close knit group all year. That's what it's all about. The chemistry of this team."
As has been their identity all season en route to the league's best record, the Baby Bombers won a lowscoring game with pitching, defense and timely hitting to claim their fourth title in the past seven years.
"They don't get any better than this," emotional skipper Gaylen Pitts told his club after being doused with champagne during a wild celebration inside the locker room. "I'll ride with you guys anywhere."
Led by starter George Kontos' brilliant six scoreless innings which included a season high 11 strikeouts, the Baby Bombers used the common formula along with two big RBI's from veteran DH Kyle Larsen to take home the hardware and celebrate in style before a raucous crowd.
"It feels great. It's the best feeling in the world," a jubilant Kontos said outside the dugout while fans chanted his name. "We came in here from Day 1 and we said we were going to do this, got it done and we feel great about it."
"It's been a fun ride with all these guys," leadoff hitter Seth Fortenberry added inside an emotionally charged room. "What more can you say? The guy went out and threw his heart out and pitched a great game. Shut it down for us."
Coming off a tough 9-2 Game 2 loss the other night, Staten Island jumped out of the gate much quicker and did something they couldn't Wednesday. Get an early lead and let solid pitching and D take over.
After Kontos worked around a first inning walk, the Bombers got to Tri-City starter Chris Salamida. The southpaw entered as the league's best pitcher during the regular season finishing 10-1 with a miniscule 1.06 ERA. He also picked up a postseason win against Auburn in the first round by tossing six scoreless. None of that mattered last night when Staten Island used a two out rally to give Kontos an early lead.
With the first two retired, third baseman Mitch Hilligoss' opposite field double kept the inning alive for Larsen. Behind in the count 0-2, he delivered a clutch RBI single into right to put the Bombers on top. After Colin Curtis followed with the third consecutive hit to put two on, Salamida limited the damage by getting second baseman Wilmer Pino to pop out to short.
"It's an amazing feeling," a pleased Larsen said after knocking in both runs on the night. "I can't even describe it. It's something I will never forget. Coming to this place especially with the front office and all the people here and the fans, it's been amazing. They deserve it...To get that run in the first was huge."
"The day off might have helped us more than people thought," Hilligoss noted. "That maybe we'd dwell on the loss but I think it was good for us to use it and relax. The guys did a great job."
Given a lead, Kontos got stronger and began a stretch of fanning at least two Valley Cats from the second through the fifth. After whiffing two in the second, he K'd two more in the third to keep his team ahead before they got a key insurance run. Shortstop Chris Kunda ledoff the home third with a double to left. His teammates used some little ball to get him in. A Hilligoss ground out to second got Kunda over to third and then Larsen followed with a sac fly to left which scored Kunda to make it 2-0.
"Winning the College World Series is a similar feeling," Kunda expressed after the shortstop got the team off to a good start in the field with a sparkling defensive gem for the game's first out. "Being able to make a play like that to begin things kind of give momentum on our side right away...The hit- I was trying to get something started when we had the guys coming up behind me. Kyle already had an RBI the first inning. I was just trying to create another opportunity."
Ahead two, Kontos served notice by striking out the side in the fourth in impressive fashion- getting Jordan Parraz and Max Sapp to chase fastballs before painting the outside corner to freeze James Van Ostrand. He would retire the next six Tri-City batters via K and seven of eight at one point.
"I felt good...Everything was working. I wasn't overthrowing. My fastball was good. It was moving. My slider was real tight and my curveball was breaking well. That's all I can ask for," Kontos pointed out. "Today was obviously a big game. [Salamida] has done great for them all year...It was kind of projection that everyone saw coming. My teammates picked me up big time and I just helped them stay ahead."
"Amazing. We knew. There was no one else in my mind that I want the ball in his hands," praised Larsen. "He's a warrior. He's a guy who fought for us all year and to come out and pitch the way he did is awesome. I'm so happy for him."
Though he also fanned the side in the fifth, Kontos worked around two hits by getting Tim Torres on a nasty breaking ball that caught the outside corner to strand both runners.
His final frame proved the most challenging. With one down in the sixth, Parraz singled to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. When Kontos cameback to freeze Sapp for the second out and his final strike out of the night, it looked like he would get out of it without a problem. But he lost Van Ostrand and then allowed an infield hit to Justin Tellam which suddenly loaded the bases. When he fell behind Chris Johnson 3-0, danger loomed.
After getting a fastball across the plate for 3-1, Kontos almost balked in a run. However, plate umpire Tripp Gibson mistakenly awarded Parraz home. Before Kontos stopped his delivery, Johnson asked for time. When the four umpires convened, they properly reversed the call reloading the bases. Still behind in the count, Kontos dug deep by throwing consecutive strikes and got Johnson to harmlessly pop out to Pino.
"I fell behind 3-0," the championship winning starter noted. "I was opening up and dragging my arm. That's why everything was up. I sat back, took a deep breath and got on top of the ball. So I took a little bit off of it. [Johnson] got a little on top of it and no runs scored."
With Kontos finally done, Pitts turned it over to the bullpen. Reliever Nick Peterson worked a 1-2-3 seventh and got the first two in the eighth to pull the Bombers within four outs of another title. But Tri-City wouldn't go down easily. After Sapp beat out an infield single to second, Van Ostrand walked to put the tying runs on forcing Pitts to call on closer Mark Melanchon to get a four out save. He got Tellam to ground out to Pino to end the threat.
After S.I. went quietly in the eighth, Melanchon got Johnson swinging and Aaron Bulkey to line out to Pino to pull within an out of their ultimate destiny. After a tough battle with Greg Buchanan, he finally got him to chase a high fastball, touching off a wild celebration on the field which invoked memories of last year's championship team.
Keeping with the theme in which they doused 2005 manager Andy Stankiwiecz, repeat winner Larsen helped Gatorade Pitts before everyone celebrated with the trophy on the field.
"There's nothing better than winning a championship. Especially with the Yankees," Peterson excitedly remarked. "I've never been a part of something like this."
"The enjoyment that we're having. Just the whole year what you look forward to. And then at the end of the year, just the kind of fulfillment that you have. It's unbelievable," center fielder Colin Curtis added. "After a little bit, I knew that we had it in us. I knew that we were going to make a good run at it."
Hilligoss summed up the special season perfectly:
"We're a close knit group all year. That's what it's all about. The chemistry of this team."
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Valley Cats Spoil Baby Bomber Party, Force Deciding Game For Championship
STATEN ISLAND, NY -They were ready to throw a party but the Valley Cats crashed it with a 9-2 rout of the Baby Bombers in Game 2 before 1,266 at Richmond County Ball Park Wednesday night to force a winner take all third game for all the marbles.
It's scheduled to take place Thursday night at St. George if it doesn't rain. As has been a recent trend, inclement weather could push the deciding game for the NY-Penn League Championship back to Friday or Saturday. Either way, they'll get it in eventually.
Aiming for a repeat after coming back to take Game 1 4-2 in Tri-City, not much went right for the Staten Island Yankees on this night. Right away, the Valley Cats got to losing starter Angel Reyes (0-1) by pushing across three to knock him out. When the southpaw missed badly on four straight pitches to walk leadoff hitter Greg Buchanan, trouble immediately arose. A couple batters later with two men on, Reyes lost the strike zone and consecutively walked Jordan Parraz and Jhon Florentino to give the Cats the lead.
It only got worse as Reyes' next delivery resulted in a wild pitch which allowed another run to score. When James Van Ostrand followed with an RBI single to right which scored Parraz to make it 3-0, Reyes' night was done. Edgar Soto limited the damage by retiring the final two batters on a strike out and a ground out.
With Soto keeping Tri-City scoreless the next three innings, it gave Staten Island a chance to get back into the game. They sliced the lead in half in the fourth to make things a little interesting.
With one man out, the Bombers strung together three consecutive hits which cut it to 4-1. After Colin Curtis and Francisco Cervelli singled, first baseman Kevin Smith drove in the first run with a single to center. With runners on the corners Tri-City starter Casey Hudspeth uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Cervelli to score and make it 4-2, moving Smith to second.
But a crucial play would be the turning point. Shortstop Chris Kunda lined out to Buchanan at second, who quickly doubled off Smith to turn it into an inning ending 4-6 twin killing.
Still trailing by two, right fielder Wilkins De La Rosa began the fifth with a single to end Hudspeth's night. Unfortunately for the Baby Bombers, it would pretty much end their chances of coming back. Tri-City reliever Douglas Arguello tossed the final five innings allowing just one hit, a walk while fanning four to pickup the win (1-0).
In fact, he retired the first six including K-ing those four before his teammates broke the close game open with a five-run seventh. Aaron Bulkley ledoff with a solo home run to left off Soto which increased Tri-City's lead to three. After Soto put three of the next four batters on including an intentional pass to Parraz, S.I. skipper Gaylen Pitts went to reliever Luke Trubee to get out of the jam. But after he got Florentino swinging, Van Ostrand delivered the big blow with a grand slam to erase any doubt.
Notes: The game lasted two hours and 33 minutes. ... In relief, Soto went six inning allowing five earned on four hits while walking four and striking out two. ... Staten Island's top four hitters Seth Fortenberry, Wilmer Pino, Mitch Hilligoss and Kyle Larsen were held to just one hit in 12 at bats while K-ing seven times. In sharp contrast, the final five batters Colin Curtis, Cervelli, Smith, Kunda and De La Rosa finished with six of the team's seven hits. ... The do-or-die game is set to take place Thursday night at 7 PM. George Kontos could get the start for the Baby Bombers.
It's scheduled to take place Thursday night at St. George if it doesn't rain. As has been a recent trend, inclement weather could push the deciding game for the NY-Penn League Championship back to Friday or Saturday. Either way, they'll get it in eventually.
Aiming for a repeat after coming back to take Game 1 4-2 in Tri-City, not much went right for the Staten Island Yankees on this night. Right away, the Valley Cats got to losing starter Angel Reyes (0-1) by pushing across three to knock him out. When the southpaw missed badly on four straight pitches to walk leadoff hitter Greg Buchanan, trouble immediately arose. A couple batters later with two men on, Reyes lost the strike zone and consecutively walked Jordan Parraz and Jhon Florentino to give the Cats the lead.
It only got worse as Reyes' next delivery resulted in a wild pitch which allowed another run to score. When James Van Ostrand followed with an RBI single to right which scored Parraz to make it 3-0, Reyes' night was done. Edgar Soto limited the damage by retiring the final two batters on a strike out and a ground out.
With Soto keeping Tri-City scoreless the next three innings, it gave Staten Island a chance to get back into the game. They sliced the lead in half in the fourth to make things a little interesting.
With one man out, the Bombers strung together three consecutive hits which cut it to 4-1. After Colin Curtis and Francisco Cervelli singled, first baseman Kevin Smith drove in the first run with a single to center. With runners on the corners Tri-City starter Casey Hudspeth uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Cervelli to score and make it 4-2, moving Smith to second.
But a crucial play would be the turning point. Shortstop Chris Kunda lined out to Buchanan at second, who quickly doubled off Smith to turn it into an inning ending 4-6 twin killing.
Still trailing by two, right fielder Wilkins De La Rosa began the fifth with a single to end Hudspeth's night. Unfortunately for the Baby Bombers, it would pretty much end their chances of coming back. Tri-City reliever Douglas Arguello tossed the final five innings allowing just one hit, a walk while fanning four to pickup the win (1-0).
In fact, he retired the first six including K-ing those four before his teammates broke the close game open with a five-run seventh. Aaron Bulkley ledoff with a solo home run to left off Soto which increased Tri-City's lead to three. After Soto put three of the next four batters on including an intentional pass to Parraz, S.I. skipper Gaylen Pitts went to reliever Luke Trubee to get out of the jam. But after he got Florentino swinging, Van Ostrand delivered the big blow with a grand slam to erase any doubt.
Notes: The game lasted two hours and 33 minutes. ... In relief, Soto went six inning allowing five earned on four hits while walking four and striking out two. ... Staten Island's top four hitters Seth Fortenberry, Wilmer Pino, Mitch Hilligoss and Kyle Larsen were held to just one hit in 12 at bats while K-ing seven times. In sharp contrast, the final five batters Colin Curtis, Cervelli, Smith, Kunda and De La Rosa finished with six of the team's seven hits. ... The do-or-die game is set to take place Thursday night at 7 PM. George Kontos could get the start for the Baby Bombers.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Baby Bombers Sweep Rival Cyclones, Go For Repeat
STATEN ISLAND, NY - The brooms were out in full force as the Staten Island Yankees used a six-run third and a brilliant pitching performance from Tim Norton to convincingly take Game Two 9-0- sweeping the rival Brooklyn Cyclones in the first round of the NY-Penn League playoffs before 1,614 energized fans at Richmond County Ball Park Sunday evening.
"We've played a lot of close games. It's nice to have a game like that," skipper Gaylen Pitts pointed out. "I thought it would be a good series. That game last night- the first game in a short series is one you want to win...We were able to do that and I think that set the tone."
"Rivalries are good in baseball. I don't think we have enough of them. And since I've been here, I've seen what this means to the fans, the players. It's a good clean rivalry."
"It is exciting," added reliever Nick Peterson. "We came out and played great ball tonight. Whatever it takes...The guys have been hitting the ball, fielding the ball, pitching well. When you put it all together, you're going to win ballgames. We've been able to do it all successfully and that's why we're winning."
Their reward is a place in the league championship series against either Tri-City or Auburn starting either Tuesday or Wednesday night on the road depending on who advances. Tri-City led the series 1-0 entering Sunday night. By clinching a berth, the Baby Bombers will have a chance to repeat as league champs and go for their fourth NY-Penn League title in seven years.
"It feels great," third baseman Mitch Hilligoss said after finishing with two hits including a clutch two-run single in the third which helped break the game open and key a big inning. "Especially against our rivals like the Cyclones. The crowd was great. A lot of energy on both sides. To jump on them early was nice."
Despite taking both games and outscoring Brooklyn 14-2 to move on, Hilligoss kept things in perspective.
"It wasn't easy. You look at last night's game 5-2 but we were scratching for runs. They helped us out and we probably helped them out a little. Today, we kind of put it together and got a couple of key hits and bunched them together instead of just getting one here there. We kind of played a little bigger ball today."
Retired in order the first two innings, they got to losing Brooklyn starter Todd Privett (0-1) by doing exactly what Hilligoss said to put together a huge third which decided the outcome.
After Francisco Cervelli and Chris Kunda singled to start it, Wilkins De La Rosa sacrificed them into scoring position. Left fielder Seth Fortenberry's sharp single to center plated Cervelli for the game's first run. Privett then plunked Wilmer Pino to load the bases for Hilligoss, who singled to left which scored two more. Brooklyn left fielder Dustin Martin's throwing error also allowed Pino to score clearing the bases. That's when Staten Island DH Kyle Larsen delivered the big blow. Already up four runs, he drove the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for a two-run home run to finally conclude the offensive outburst.
"I'm just starting to finally feel good again," Larsen mentioned after hitting a homer for the second consecutive game to derail the Cyclones. "My swing is relaxed. Definitely feeling good. So hopefully keep it going here for the second series."
"[Larsen] was telling me last night how he likes to play in the playoffs. Well, he's turned it up a notch," Pitts observed.
Making that six-run cushion stand up was Norton (1-0), who had Brooklyn batters off balance all night. The rating NY-Penn League pitcher of the week was so dominant that he took a no-hitter into the seventh. After getting the first two batters, he finally allowed a Dan Murphy single to right which broke it up and then got a deserved loud ovation from the crowd before coming back to strike out Elvis Cruz- ending his day with seven scoreless allowing just the one hit to go with three walks and four K's.
"It went well. I had a couple too many walks- three or four but my defense played well and I made pitches when I needed to," the winning starter remarked.
"I knew my pitches were getting up," he said in reference to the no-hit bid. "So I knew I'd be coming out soon and there's two out, no one on, 2-2 count and I kept coming with a fastball and [Murphy] hit it. So I tip my cap. It was good."
Staten Island tacked on insurance runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth to easily cruise to the 9-0 victory. Reliever Luke Trubee tossed the final two frames and concluded it fittingly by getting Martin looking on a belt high fastball which painted the outside corner to touch off a brief celebration on the field. However, they know the job isn't done.
"It feels real good," Norton added of getting the chance to play for the championship. "Now we get a day off and we're playing well. So we're excited about the next round and whoever we play."
Notes: The Baby Bombers outscored the Cyclones 9-0 and outhit them 12-2. They also were better in the field committing no errors while their opponents booted two. ... Hilligoss, Larsen and Kunda each finished with multihit games combining to go 7-for-12 with a dinger, four RBI's and six runs scored. ... The top five S.I. hitters each knocked in a run finishing with seven RBI's. ... Eight of nine batters finished with a hit. ... The game took only two hours and 20 minutes to complete.
"We've played a lot of close games. It's nice to have a game like that," skipper Gaylen Pitts pointed out. "I thought it would be a good series. That game last night- the first game in a short series is one you want to win...We were able to do that and I think that set the tone."
"Rivalries are good in baseball. I don't think we have enough of them. And since I've been here, I've seen what this means to the fans, the players. It's a good clean rivalry."
"It is exciting," added reliever Nick Peterson. "We came out and played great ball tonight. Whatever it takes...The guys have been hitting the ball, fielding the ball, pitching well. When you put it all together, you're going to win ballgames. We've been able to do it all successfully and that's why we're winning."
Their reward is a place in the league championship series against either Tri-City or Auburn starting either Tuesday or Wednesday night on the road depending on who advances. Tri-City led the series 1-0 entering Sunday night. By clinching a berth, the Baby Bombers will have a chance to repeat as league champs and go for their fourth NY-Penn League title in seven years.
"It feels great," third baseman Mitch Hilligoss said after finishing with two hits including a clutch two-run single in the third which helped break the game open and key a big inning. "Especially against our rivals like the Cyclones. The crowd was great. A lot of energy on both sides. To jump on them early was nice."
Despite taking both games and outscoring Brooklyn 14-2 to move on, Hilligoss kept things in perspective.
"It wasn't easy. You look at last night's game 5-2 but we were scratching for runs. They helped us out and we probably helped them out a little. Today, we kind of put it together and got a couple of key hits and bunched them together instead of just getting one here there. We kind of played a little bigger ball today."
Retired in order the first two innings, they got to losing Brooklyn starter Todd Privett (0-1) by doing exactly what Hilligoss said to put together a huge third which decided the outcome.
After Francisco Cervelli and Chris Kunda singled to start it, Wilkins De La Rosa sacrificed them into scoring position. Left fielder Seth Fortenberry's sharp single to center plated Cervelli for the game's first run. Privett then plunked Wilmer Pino to load the bases for Hilligoss, who singled to left which scored two more. Brooklyn left fielder Dustin Martin's throwing error also allowed Pino to score clearing the bases. That's when Staten Island DH Kyle Larsen delivered the big blow. Already up four runs, he drove the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for a two-run home run to finally conclude the offensive outburst.
"I'm just starting to finally feel good again," Larsen mentioned after hitting a homer for the second consecutive game to derail the Cyclones. "My swing is relaxed. Definitely feeling good. So hopefully keep it going here for the second series."
"[Larsen] was telling me last night how he likes to play in the playoffs. Well, he's turned it up a notch," Pitts observed.
Making that six-run cushion stand up was Norton (1-0), who had Brooklyn batters off balance all night. The rating NY-Penn League pitcher of the week was so dominant that he took a no-hitter into the seventh. After getting the first two batters, he finally allowed a Dan Murphy single to right which broke it up and then got a deserved loud ovation from the crowd before coming back to strike out Elvis Cruz- ending his day with seven scoreless allowing just the one hit to go with three walks and four K's.
"It went well. I had a couple too many walks- three or four but my defense played well and I made pitches when I needed to," the winning starter remarked.
"I knew my pitches were getting up," he said in reference to the no-hit bid. "So I knew I'd be coming out soon and there's two out, no one on, 2-2 count and I kept coming with a fastball and [Murphy] hit it. So I tip my cap. It was good."
Staten Island tacked on insurance runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth to easily cruise to the 9-0 victory. Reliever Luke Trubee tossed the final two frames and concluded it fittingly by getting Martin looking on a belt high fastball which painted the outside corner to touch off a brief celebration on the field. However, they know the job isn't done.
"It feels real good," Norton added of getting the chance to play for the championship. "Now we get a day off and we're playing well. So we're excited about the next round and whoever we play."
Notes: The Baby Bombers outscored the Cyclones 9-0 and outhit them 12-2. They also were better in the field committing no errors while their opponents booted two. ... Hilligoss, Larsen and Kunda each finished with multihit games combining to go 7-for-12 with a dinger, four RBI's and six runs scored. ... The top five S.I. hitters each knocked in a run finishing with seven RBI's. ... Eight of nine batters finished with a hit. ... The game took only two hours and 20 minutes to complete.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Repeat Division Champion Bombers Look Forward To Playoffs
STATEN ISLAND, NY -It's been another very successful season for the Baby Bombers. A year after winning their third New York-Penn League Championship, the Staten Island Yankees repeated as McNamara Division winners and took a 44-29 record into their final regular season game against Tri-City Thursday night with home field advantage throughout the playoffs on the line.
Regardless whether they won that final game, they're happy with what they've accomplished thus far and looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead in attempting to defend last year's championship.
"It feels good," first baseman Kevin Smith said regarding winning the division. "We've put a lot of effort in all year day in and day out. The team pulled together. Winning the division I think is great."
"Very excited about the playoffs and to see what that's like. And if we play like we have all year, we should have a good opportunity."
Setup man Jonathan Hovis was very excited regardless who they play in the first round starting Saturday.
"It feels great. It will be a lot of fun," he pointed out. "We get to travel that first game. Either Auburn, Aberdeen or Brooklyn. So it's going to be fun but we treat it just like any other game."
Second-year first baseman/DH Kyle Larsen who was an integral part of last year's championship knows what to expect.
"A lot of us have kind of been in postseason action in college and stuff," Larsen explained. "There's nothing really that you can say. You kind of got to experience it. And I think we have a lot of experience. So we should be good."
He'll also have a shot along with outfielder Jon Poterson at repeating. Something he'd love to be a part of.
"It would be sweet and definitely an honor to win this league twice. So hopefully we can do it."
For scheduled Sunday starter Tim Norton, it's a special time.
"I'm excited to give my team a chance to win. So I'm pretty pumped about it come Sunday," he said. "We've been playing pretty good ball and we're in a good spot and we got a good chance to take a run at this thing."
Third baseman Mitch Hilligoss was pleased with the position his team is in but also knew that not playing Friday could definitely help after a recent busy schedule which has seen the Bombers play two doubleheaders in a four-day span.
"We're real excited. We get a day off tomorrow which helps everybody kind of get caught up on rest and stuff," he said. "And then hopefully two games that first series and then a day off and two more games. That would be nice."
Regardless how they accomplish it, Hilligoss has his eye on the ultimate goal.
"Just got to go out and play and see what happens. Whatever it takes to get to the championship."
Three-run Eighth Gives Bombers Home Field: For the second straight year, Staten Island will have homefield throughout the entire postseason.
The Baby Bombers rallied from two runs down with a three-run eighth to get past Tri-City (43-31) and finish with a New York-Penn League best 45-29 record.
After stranding the tying runs on second and third with nobody out the previous inning, the Staten Island Yanks greeted Tri-City reliever Cory Lapinski (2-1) with three consecutive hits to tie the score. With Colin Curtis and Smith in scoring position, catcher Francisco Cervelli delivered a two-run single to left which suddenly made it 2-2.
After Jon Poterson sacrificed Cervelli into scoring position, Chris Kunda lined out to center for the second out setting the stage for leadoff man Seth Fortenberry to get the winning run in. With Cervelli replaced by pinch runner Wilkins De La Rosa, Fortenberry beat out an infield hit to short. Tim Torres' errant throw allowed De La Rosa to come around and score the go-ahead run- making a winner of reliever Nick Peterson (5-3).
Mark Melanchon notched his second save in two nights by retiring the Valley Cats in order, finishing it off fittingly with a strikeout of Nicholas Moresi to give the Bombers homefield.
Regardless whether they won that final game, they're happy with what they've accomplished thus far and looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead in attempting to defend last year's championship.
"It feels good," first baseman Kevin Smith said regarding winning the division. "We've put a lot of effort in all year day in and day out. The team pulled together. Winning the division I think is great."
"Very excited about the playoffs and to see what that's like. And if we play like we have all year, we should have a good opportunity."
Setup man Jonathan Hovis was very excited regardless who they play in the first round starting Saturday.
"It feels great. It will be a lot of fun," he pointed out. "We get to travel that first game. Either Auburn, Aberdeen or Brooklyn. So it's going to be fun but we treat it just like any other game."
Second-year first baseman/DH Kyle Larsen who was an integral part of last year's championship knows what to expect.
"A lot of us have kind of been in postseason action in college and stuff," Larsen explained. "There's nothing really that you can say. You kind of got to experience it. And I think we have a lot of experience. So we should be good."
He'll also have a shot along with outfielder Jon Poterson at repeating. Something he'd love to be a part of.
"It would be sweet and definitely an honor to win this league twice. So hopefully we can do it."
For scheduled Sunday starter Tim Norton, it's a special time.
"I'm excited to give my team a chance to win. So I'm pretty pumped about it come Sunday," he said. "We've been playing pretty good ball and we're in a good spot and we got a good chance to take a run at this thing."
Third baseman Mitch Hilligoss was pleased with the position his team is in but also knew that not playing Friday could definitely help after a recent busy schedule which has seen the Bombers play two doubleheaders in a four-day span.
"We're real excited. We get a day off tomorrow which helps everybody kind of get caught up on rest and stuff," he said. "And then hopefully two games that first series and then a day off and two more games. That would be nice."
Regardless how they accomplish it, Hilligoss has his eye on the ultimate goal.
"Just got to go out and play and see what happens. Whatever it takes to get to the championship."
Three-run Eighth Gives Bombers Home Field: For the second straight year, Staten Island will have homefield throughout the entire postseason.
The Baby Bombers rallied from two runs down with a three-run eighth to get past Tri-City (43-31) and finish with a New York-Penn League best 45-29 record.
After stranding the tying runs on second and third with nobody out the previous inning, the Staten Island Yanks greeted Tri-City reliever Cory Lapinski (2-1) with three consecutive hits to tie the score. With Colin Curtis and Smith in scoring position, catcher Francisco Cervelli delivered a two-run single to left which suddenly made it 2-2.
After Jon Poterson sacrificed Cervelli into scoring position, Chris Kunda lined out to center for the second out setting the stage for leadoff man Seth Fortenberry to get the winning run in. With Cervelli replaced by pinch runner Wilkins De La Rosa, Fortenberry beat out an infield hit to short. Tim Torres' errant throw allowed De La Rosa to come around and score the go-ahead run- making a winner of reliever Nick Peterson (5-3).
Mark Melanchon notched his second save in two nights by retiring the Valley Cats in order, finishing it off fittingly with a strikeout of Nicholas Moresi to give the Bombers homefield.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Baby Bombers Hold On To Edge Tigers
STATEN ISLAND, NY -The Staten Island Yankees took a step closer to wrapping up the McNamara Division by holding on for a 3-2 win over Oneonta (37-34) on Labor Day before 2,044 at Richmond County Ball Park.
With three games remaining, they improved to 43-28 and lead red hot Aberdeen (40-31) by three. They need either one win against Tri-City or one Aberdeen loss to officially clinch the division.
The Baby Bombers used a three-run second to overshadow 10 strikeouts in five innings by losing Tiger starter Brendan Wise (3-6).
Trailing by a run due to a Santo De Leon second inning RBI single, Staten Island immediately responded with three of their own. After the first two batters reached base, second baseman Wilmer Pino tied the game with an RBI single which scored Kyle Larsen and moved Colin Curtis to third.
After Wise fanned Kevin Smith, he opted to intentionally walk Jose Gil to load the bases and get to shortstop Chris Kunda. But the strategy backfired when Kunda delivered a two-run bloop single to right which ended up being the difference in the game.
Angel Reyes tossed six solid frames allowing just a run on four hits while striking out five to pickup his first win of the season.
After setup man Jonathan Hovis went two scoreless while K-ing two, manager Gaylen Pitts allowed lefty Mark Melanchon to close out it out. Giving closer Nick Peterson a night off, Melanchon gave up one run but retired the final three, notching his first save by striking out James Skelton swinging to end it.
Notes: In a game in which the Baby Bombers struck out 13 times, Wise fanned 10. By contrast, Staten Island pitchers combined to K eight Tigers- totaling 21 strikeouts between the two teams. Seven of the nine S.I. batters K'd with the exception of Larsen and Gil. ... Baby Bombers host Tri-City for the final three games of the regular season starting Tuesday night.
With three games remaining, they improved to 43-28 and lead red hot Aberdeen (40-31) by three. They need either one win against Tri-City or one Aberdeen loss to officially clinch the division.
The Baby Bombers used a three-run second to overshadow 10 strikeouts in five innings by losing Tiger starter Brendan Wise (3-6).
Trailing by a run due to a Santo De Leon second inning RBI single, Staten Island immediately responded with three of their own. After the first two batters reached base, second baseman Wilmer Pino tied the game with an RBI single which scored Kyle Larsen and moved Colin Curtis to third.
After Wise fanned Kevin Smith, he opted to intentionally walk Jose Gil to load the bases and get to shortstop Chris Kunda. But the strategy backfired when Kunda delivered a two-run bloop single to right which ended up being the difference in the game.
Angel Reyes tossed six solid frames allowing just a run on four hits while striking out five to pickup his first win of the season.
After setup man Jonathan Hovis went two scoreless while K-ing two, manager Gaylen Pitts allowed lefty Mark Melanchon to close out it out. Giving closer Nick Peterson a night off, Melanchon gave up one run but retired the final three, notching his first save by striking out James Skelton swinging to end it.
Notes: In a game in which the Baby Bombers struck out 13 times, Wise fanned 10. By contrast, Staten Island pitchers combined to K eight Tigers- totaling 21 strikeouts between the two teams. Seven of the nine S.I. batters K'd with the exception of Larsen and Gil. ... Baby Bombers host Tri-City for the final three games of the regular season starting Tuesday night.
Godzilla Invades Staten Island, Participates In BP Session
STATEN ISLAND, NY -Godzilla invaded Staten Island. Well not literally. But rehabbing Yankee left fielder Hideki Matsui took part in a full batting practice session with the Baby Bombers at Richmond County Ball Park on Labor Day.
Due to his early arrival, gates opened at a special time of 3 PM for any fan who purchased a ticket to take in Matsui's hacks along with the rest of the McNamara Division-leading Staten Island Yankees, who later went on to edge Oneonta 3-2 to improve to 43-28.
The two-time All Star has been out since May 11 with a broken left wrist, which was suffered on an attempted diving catch against Boston. Before the injury, the 32 year-old Japanese star hadn't missed a game with the Yankees in three-plus years and had produced three consecutive 100 RBI seasons- becoming a reliable offense source.
Attempting to comeback from a serious injury, Matsui swung the bat well in the cage and took his first big step back.
"I felt fine. I hit pretty well," Matsui said at a conference call before about 20 reporters including a vast majority from back home who follow him all year long.
In particular, he was impressed with the ballpark's surroundings along with the spectators who came out to check out the slugger's BP.
"I'm very happy. It's a nice ballpark. Great view. And fans also came early to watch me. It was nice."
As for where he felt he was after his first session, Matsui definitely felt optimistic about getting close to finally returning in Pinstripes after a three and a half layoff.
"I wouldn't say it's perfect but I think I'm getting there little by little working my way up there."
Matsui is scheduled to take part in another BP session Tuesday in St. George before joining Double A Trenton Wednesday for a playoff game.
If all continues to go well, he should be back in the Bronx soon.
Due to his early arrival, gates opened at a special time of 3 PM for any fan who purchased a ticket to take in Matsui's hacks along with the rest of the McNamara Division-leading Staten Island Yankees, who later went on to edge Oneonta 3-2 to improve to 43-28.
The two-time All Star has been out since May 11 with a broken left wrist, which was suffered on an attempted diving catch against Boston. Before the injury, the 32 year-old Japanese star hadn't missed a game with the Yankees in three-plus years and had produced three consecutive 100 RBI seasons- becoming a reliable offense source.
Attempting to comeback from a serious injury, Matsui swung the bat well in the cage and took his first big step back.
"I felt fine. I hit pretty well," Matsui said at a conference call before about 20 reporters including a vast majority from back home who follow him all year long.
In particular, he was impressed with the ballpark's surroundings along with the spectators who came out to check out the slugger's BP.
"I'm very happy. It's a nice ballpark. Great view. And fans also came early to watch me. It was nice."
As for where he felt he was after his first session, Matsui definitely felt optimistic about getting close to finally returning in Pinstripes after a three and a half layoff.
"I wouldn't say it's perfect but I think I'm getting there little by little working my way up there."
Matsui is scheduled to take part in another BP session Tuesday in St. George before joining Double A Trenton Wednesday for a playoff game.
If all continues to go well, he should be back in the Bronx soon.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Agassi Takes Final Bow In Emotional Third Round Loss To Becker
It had to end some time. Andre Agassi's brilliant 20-year tennis career came to an end Sunday when a kid by the name of Becker from Germany did what Marcos Baghdatis couldn't four days earlier in a memorable second round match. He became the answer to a trivia question and beat the New York crowd favorite in front of over 20,000 screaming fans in four hard fought sets, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5 in front of an emotional Ashe Stadium Sunday.
While it wasn't the same Becker who won several slams over a similar storied career, the 112th ranked qualifier Benjamin was good and tough enough to finish off the 36 year-old tennis legend who won two U.S. Opens five years apart ('94, 99) and took home eight slams including the 1999 French Open to become only the fifth man to ever complete the Career Grand Slam.
But all that didn't matter when a back which has given him way too much pain and discomfort the past year along with Becker were too much to overcome during what turned out to be his final tennis match.
Despite a noticeable limp after three anti-inflammatory injections, Agassi didn't go out with a wimper. Instead, even when he wasn't close to 100 percent, the former rebel made his 11-year younger opponent earn the win in four competitive sets. Though he fell short, he could take solace knowing that Becker needed every one of his 27 aces and 82 winners to pull it off and advance to a Round of 16 match-up against Andy Roddick Monday.
When Becker had completed the victory, that's when the real emotions came out for Agassi, his adoring legions of supporters and even his conqueror himself.
"The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what it is I've found," a teary Agassi informed the ultrasupportive crowd during a moving postmatch interview with CBS' Mary Joe Fernandez. "Over the last 21 years, I've found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I have found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed sometimes even in my lowest moments."
"It was a tough moment, an emotional moment for me, too," Becker told the AP. "I was happy, obviously. At the same time, I was sad."
It concluded 21 consecutive years at The Open of what once was a teenager with long bleached blonde hair and denim shorts who was every bit the rebel he portrayed in those Minolta Image Is Everything promos. But something unique happened to that person. He grew up before our eyes and developed into a clean shaven baldheaded man who personified everything good about the sport- erasing his image of not being the hardest worker by morphing into the ultimate professional who never took a point off or ever gave up. Most importantly, he's donated tons to charity and opened up his own Academy for troubled kids back home. That kind of generosity along with being so media and fan friendly is what's made him mean so much to not just tennis but life.
After making a special run to the final here last year before falling to Roger Federer in four sets, Agassi had nothing more to prove. But despite a back which continued to get worse, forcing him to miss the Australian and French Open and only take part in seven tournaments including Wimbledon where he fell to Rafael Nadal the same round, the Las Vegas native wanted this to be his final tournament before calling it a career and finally settling down with Grand Slam women's champion and wife Steffi Graf along with their kids.
All for the four minute emotional standing tribute from everyone at Ashe in the biggest city. Worth its weight in gold.
"It felt amazing. Nothing I've ever experienced before. I was overwhelmed with how they embraced me at the end," Agassi later expressed of the "Thank You Andre" chants he received and thunderous cheers from so many when he walked off the court for the final time. "They saw me through my career. They've seen me through this, as well."
Does that sound like a man who was in so much pain that he could barely stand? Instead, he leaves the game with no regrets despite the extreme lengths he went just to be out there for three matches when most normal players would've just given up. But not Agassi.
"If I wanted to quit, I would have done that a long time ago," he explained. "I didn't come here to quit...I just credit the doctors that I was able to get out there today. It's been such a day-by-day battle. Sure enough, it was real early where I wasn't feeling so good. That all doesn't matter anymore."
Maybe not. But nobody will soon forget what he brought to tennis. The eight slams. The 60 career titles. 870 wins. The inside out textbook groundstrokes which changed the way the game was played. The best return of serve arguably ever. And of course, the showman-like traditional four bows which became Agassi's trademark. All that along with the unforgettable rivalry against Pete Sampras to the memorable epic quarterfinal against James Blake last year. To his final two wins just to reach the third round.
"I'm going to wake up tomorrow and start with not caring how I feel. That's going to feel great."
Perhaps Roddick put it best.
"Every person in the draw, with the exception of if you're 33 years old, probably idolized Andre at some point," he said. "It's got to be similar to what the NBA rookies were like playing (Michael) Jordan in his last year. I mean, he's just revolutionized the sport...He's irreplaceable."
Roddick Prevails In Five: While Sunday turned out to be his idol's final match, Roddick needed five sets to advance to a fourth round meeting against Becker on Labor Day. The ninth seeded 24 year-old American eliminated fiesty Spaniard Fernando Verdasco (22) 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2.
Also easily moving into the Round of 16 was top seed and two-time defending champ Roger Federer, who posted a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 victory over American Vince Spadea at Louis Armstrong Stadium. He'll next face Frenchman Marc Gicquel after he knocked out 21st seed Argentine Gaston Gaudio 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3).
Andy Murray and Nikolay Davydenko also setup a fourth round encounter. Murray (17) cameback to beat 10th seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 while seventh seeded Davydenko handled Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 6-1, 6-1.
Former 2001 winner Lleyton Hewitt (15) moved into the Round of 16 with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Novak Djokovic (20). He'll next face Frenchman Richard Gasquet. The 25th seed defeated Marco Chiudinelli 7-6 (2), 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2).
Second seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal cruised into the fourth round with a 6-4, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) win over Wesley Moodie. He'll next face Czech Jiri Novak, who eliminated Xavier Malisse in four sets 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Also into the Round of 16 were Tommy Robredo (6), Tomas Berdych (12) and Mikhail Youzhny, who upset David Ferrer (11) in four sets 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.
Meanwhile, fifth seeded American James Blake needed four sets to eliminate Spaniard Carlos Moya 6-4, 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3. He'll next face Berdych.
In men's second round action, former 2000 champ Marat Safin upset fourth seeded Argentine David Nalbandian 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 7-6 (6). He'll next face Olivier Rochus after the 26th seeded Belgian went five before beating American Ryan Sweeting 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Serena Sets Up Round of 16 Clash With Mauresmo: Highlighting the women's action was unseeded two-time champion Serena Williams ousting 16th seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 6-4 to setup an intriguing Round of 16 match against top seed Amelie Mauresmo. Mauresmo also advanced but needed three sets to eliminate Italian Mara Santangelo 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
Also into the fourth round was third seeded Russian Maria Sharapova after a routine 6-3, 6-2 victory over countrywoman Elena Likhovtseva (32). She'll next face China's Li Na after the 24th seed cameback to beat 2005 runner-up Mary Pierce (13) 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.
Former 1998 champ American Lindsay Davenport (10) advanced in three close sets over Katarina Srebotnik (22) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5). She'll next meet seventh seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder, who eliminated Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli (26) 0-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Meanwhile, Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin (27) knocked off fifth seeded Russian Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-3. She'll play Russian Anna Chakvetadze (23), who defeated Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-3.
Also reaching a fourth round meeting were Dinara Safina and Virginie Razzano. Safina (12) ousted Jarmila Gajdosova 6-3, 6-0 while Razzano, who upset Martina Hingis a round earlier continued her run by besting Kaja Kanepi 7-5, 6-2.
While it wasn't the same Becker who won several slams over a similar storied career, the 112th ranked qualifier Benjamin was good and tough enough to finish off the 36 year-old tennis legend who won two U.S. Opens five years apart ('94, 99) and took home eight slams including the 1999 French Open to become only the fifth man to ever complete the Career Grand Slam.
But all that didn't matter when a back which has given him way too much pain and discomfort the past year along with Becker were too much to overcome during what turned out to be his final tennis match.
Despite a noticeable limp after three anti-inflammatory injections, Agassi didn't go out with a wimper. Instead, even when he wasn't close to 100 percent, the former rebel made his 11-year younger opponent earn the win in four competitive sets. Though he fell short, he could take solace knowing that Becker needed every one of his 27 aces and 82 winners to pull it off and advance to a Round of 16 match-up against Andy Roddick Monday.
When Becker had completed the victory, that's when the real emotions came out for Agassi, his adoring legions of supporters and even his conqueror himself.
"The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what it is I've found," a teary Agassi informed the ultrasupportive crowd during a moving postmatch interview with CBS' Mary Joe Fernandez. "Over the last 21 years, I've found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I have found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed sometimes even in my lowest moments."
"It was a tough moment, an emotional moment for me, too," Becker told the AP. "I was happy, obviously. At the same time, I was sad."
It concluded 21 consecutive years at The Open of what once was a teenager with long bleached blonde hair and denim shorts who was every bit the rebel he portrayed in those Minolta Image Is Everything promos. But something unique happened to that person. He grew up before our eyes and developed into a clean shaven baldheaded man who personified everything good about the sport- erasing his image of not being the hardest worker by morphing into the ultimate professional who never took a point off or ever gave up. Most importantly, he's donated tons to charity and opened up his own Academy for troubled kids back home. That kind of generosity along with being so media and fan friendly is what's made him mean so much to not just tennis but life.
After making a special run to the final here last year before falling to Roger Federer in four sets, Agassi had nothing more to prove. But despite a back which continued to get worse, forcing him to miss the Australian and French Open and only take part in seven tournaments including Wimbledon where he fell to Rafael Nadal the same round, the Las Vegas native wanted this to be his final tournament before calling it a career and finally settling down with Grand Slam women's champion and wife Steffi Graf along with their kids.
All for the four minute emotional standing tribute from everyone at Ashe in the biggest city. Worth its weight in gold.
"It felt amazing. Nothing I've ever experienced before. I was overwhelmed with how they embraced me at the end," Agassi later expressed of the "Thank You Andre" chants he received and thunderous cheers from so many when he walked off the court for the final time. "They saw me through my career. They've seen me through this, as well."
Does that sound like a man who was in so much pain that he could barely stand? Instead, he leaves the game with no regrets despite the extreme lengths he went just to be out there for three matches when most normal players would've just given up. But not Agassi.
"If I wanted to quit, I would have done that a long time ago," he explained. "I didn't come here to quit...I just credit the doctors that I was able to get out there today. It's been such a day-by-day battle. Sure enough, it was real early where I wasn't feeling so good. That all doesn't matter anymore."
Maybe not. But nobody will soon forget what he brought to tennis. The eight slams. The 60 career titles. 870 wins. The inside out textbook groundstrokes which changed the way the game was played. The best return of serve arguably ever. And of course, the showman-like traditional four bows which became Agassi's trademark. All that along with the unforgettable rivalry against Pete Sampras to the memorable epic quarterfinal against James Blake last year. To his final two wins just to reach the third round.
"I'm going to wake up tomorrow and start with not caring how I feel. That's going to feel great."
Perhaps Roddick put it best.
"Every person in the draw, with the exception of if you're 33 years old, probably idolized Andre at some point," he said. "It's got to be similar to what the NBA rookies were like playing (Michael) Jordan in his last year. I mean, he's just revolutionized the sport...He's irreplaceable."
Roddick Prevails In Five: While Sunday turned out to be his idol's final match, Roddick needed five sets to advance to a fourth round meeting against Becker on Labor Day. The ninth seeded 24 year-old American eliminated fiesty Spaniard Fernando Verdasco (22) 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2.
Also easily moving into the Round of 16 was top seed and two-time defending champ Roger Federer, who posted a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 victory over American Vince Spadea at Louis Armstrong Stadium. He'll next face Frenchman Marc Gicquel after he knocked out 21st seed Argentine Gaston Gaudio 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3).
Andy Murray and Nikolay Davydenko also setup a fourth round encounter. Murray (17) cameback to beat 10th seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 while seventh seeded Davydenko handled Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 6-1, 6-1.
Former 2001 winner Lleyton Hewitt (15) moved into the Round of 16 with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Novak Djokovic (20). He'll next face Frenchman Richard Gasquet. The 25th seed defeated Marco Chiudinelli 7-6 (2), 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2).
Second seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal cruised into the fourth round with a 6-4, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) win over Wesley Moodie. He'll next face Czech Jiri Novak, who eliminated Xavier Malisse in four sets 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Also into the Round of 16 were Tommy Robredo (6), Tomas Berdych (12) and Mikhail Youzhny, who upset David Ferrer (11) in four sets 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.
Meanwhile, fifth seeded American James Blake needed four sets to eliminate Spaniard Carlos Moya 6-4, 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3. He'll next face Berdych.
In men's second round action, former 2000 champ Marat Safin upset fourth seeded Argentine David Nalbandian 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 7-6 (6). He'll next face Olivier Rochus after the 26th seeded Belgian went five before beating American Ryan Sweeting 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Serena Sets Up Round of 16 Clash With Mauresmo: Highlighting the women's action was unseeded two-time champion Serena Williams ousting 16th seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 6-4 to setup an intriguing Round of 16 match against top seed Amelie Mauresmo. Mauresmo also advanced but needed three sets to eliminate Italian Mara Santangelo 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
Also into the fourth round was third seeded Russian Maria Sharapova after a routine 6-3, 6-2 victory over countrywoman Elena Likhovtseva (32). She'll next face China's Li Na after the 24th seed cameback to beat 2005 runner-up Mary Pierce (13) 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.
Former 1998 champ American Lindsay Davenport (10) advanced in three close sets over Katarina Srebotnik (22) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5). She'll next meet seventh seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder, who eliminated Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli (26) 0-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Meanwhile, Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin (27) knocked off fifth seeded Russian Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-3. She'll play Russian Anna Chakvetadze (23), who defeated Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-3.
Also reaching a fourth round meeting were Dinara Safina and Virginie Razzano. Safina (12) ousted Jarmila Gajdosova 6-3, 6-0 while Razzano, who upset Martina Hingis a round earlier continued her run by besting Kaja Kanepi 7-5, 6-2.
Baby Bombers Shutout Oneonta In Second Game, Split Doubleheader
STATEN ISLAND, NY -The timing couldn't have been better. After dropping the first game of a doubleheader 4-2 to lose their fourth in five to give red hot second place Aberdeen life, the Baby Bombers bounced back to take the second game 5-0 over Oneonta (37-33) before 2,879 at Richmond County Ball Park Sunday night.
Tim Norton along with ace relievers Jonathan Hovis and Nick Peterson combined on a seven inning three-hit shutout to get Staten Island (42-28) back on track. The victory kept them 2.5 ahead of Aberdeen, who won their fifth straight over Vermont Lake to improve to 40-31 and make this final week interesting. A week prior, a crucial game between the Bombers and IronBirds was rained out. Now, it could mean something if Staten Island doesn't take care of business, which is why getting the second game meant so much.
"Big time," said skipper Gaylen Pitts. "Aberdeen's playing like they're not going to lose the rest of the year...If we take care of business, we're alright. If we don't, we're going to be struggling but that was a big time performance by Norton after we lose the first one. Step up and set the tone that second game."
"It was good to bounceback in the second game of the doubleheader. We were a little sluggish the first game. Everybody looked kind of tired. It seems like we played better in the second game," first baseman Kevin Smith said after smashing a two-run home run to deep right in the eighth for the final margin and erase any doubts.
With the game scoreless in the fifth, the Bombers mounted a two out rally and pushed across two. After Wilkins De La Rosa walked, he advanced to third on a Seth Fortenberry single to right and came around to score on Brennan Boesch's throwing error. Mitch Hilligoss followed with a sharp single to left to plate the second run.
Sailing along through the first five, Norton (3-3) ran into trouble in the sixth by walking two of the first three batters before departing. Hovis came in and got the next two hitters to ground out to Hilligoss to end the threat.
"The job there is to come in and get a double play ball. Get ground balls and limit the damage in the inning," Hovis said. "I threw a couple of sinkers and got them to roll over it and we got out of there without giving up a run."
Staten Island tacked on three in the sixth. Again benefiting slightly from an error, they made the Tigers pay. After Wilmer Pino singled and stole second with one out, Tim O'Brien's routine grounder was booted by shortstop Scott Sizemore which allowed Pino to score. After new Oneonta reliever Chris Krawczyk fanned Jose Gil, the first pitch he delivered to Smith was tattooed into the water to make it 5-0.
"It's good cause I haven't had that all year," Smith pointed out about his first dinger at St. George. The other came on the road earlier this season. "It's good to finally start hitting some home runs. Everybody's been putting the effort in all year and been doing a good job."
"[Krawcyk] gave me a change up and one of the guys who played with him told me and said he likes to throw the change up a lot. So I went up there and I got a change up. It was just lucky I guess."
"They're all big now," Pitts added. "I told the team from Day One if we're good enough to still be standing at the end, then we'll go onto the next level. If we're not good enough, we'll go home."
"If we take care of business, we're going to be fine."
Notes: In the first game, a Deik Scram RBI single scored Louis Ott to break a 2-2 tie in the fifth and spark the Tigers to a 4-2 win- making a winner of reliever Randor Bierd (4-0). In a losing effort, George Kontos went six allowing three earned runs while striking out five to fall to 7-3 and suffer the hardluck defeat. ... With yesterday's rainout being made up, both games were played over seven instead of the full nine. The first game took two hours and 12 minutes while the second needed just two hours to complete. ... Rehabbing Yankee left fielder Hideki Matsui will be participating in batting practice the next two days with gates opening at a special time of 3 PM on Labor Day. ... Baby Bombers conclude three-game set with Tigers Tuesday night before finishing with three against Tri-City at St. George.
Tim Norton along with ace relievers Jonathan Hovis and Nick Peterson combined on a seven inning three-hit shutout to get Staten Island (42-28) back on track. The victory kept them 2.5 ahead of Aberdeen, who won their fifth straight over Vermont Lake to improve to 40-31 and make this final week interesting. A week prior, a crucial game between the Bombers and IronBirds was rained out. Now, it could mean something if Staten Island doesn't take care of business, which is why getting the second game meant so much.
"Big time," said skipper Gaylen Pitts. "Aberdeen's playing like they're not going to lose the rest of the year...If we take care of business, we're alright. If we don't, we're going to be struggling but that was a big time performance by Norton after we lose the first one. Step up and set the tone that second game."
"It was good to bounceback in the second game of the doubleheader. We were a little sluggish the first game. Everybody looked kind of tired. It seems like we played better in the second game," first baseman Kevin Smith said after smashing a two-run home run to deep right in the eighth for the final margin and erase any doubts.
With the game scoreless in the fifth, the Bombers mounted a two out rally and pushed across two. After Wilkins De La Rosa walked, he advanced to third on a Seth Fortenberry single to right and came around to score on Brennan Boesch's throwing error. Mitch Hilligoss followed with a sharp single to left to plate the second run.
Sailing along through the first five, Norton (3-3) ran into trouble in the sixth by walking two of the first three batters before departing. Hovis came in and got the next two hitters to ground out to Hilligoss to end the threat.
"The job there is to come in and get a double play ball. Get ground balls and limit the damage in the inning," Hovis said. "I threw a couple of sinkers and got them to roll over it and we got out of there without giving up a run."
Staten Island tacked on three in the sixth. Again benefiting slightly from an error, they made the Tigers pay. After Wilmer Pino singled and stole second with one out, Tim O'Brien's routine grounder was booted by shortstop Scott Sizemore which allowed Pino to score. After new Oneonta reliever Chris Krawczyk fanned Jose Gil, the first pitch he delivered to Smith was tattooed into the water to make it 5-0.
"It's good cause I haven't had that all year," Smith pointed out about his first dinger at St. George. The other came on the road earlier this season. "It's good to finally start hitting some home runs. Everybody's been putting the effort in all year and been doing a good job."
"[Krawcyk] gave me a change up and one of the guys who played with him told me and said he likes to throw the change up a lot. So I went up there and I got a change up. It was just lucky I guess."
"They're all big now," Pitts added. "I told the team from Day One if we're good enough to still be standing at the end, then we'll go onto the next level. If we're not good enough, we'll go home."
"If we take care of business, we're going to be fine."
Notes: In the first game, a Deik Scram RBI single scored Louis Ott to break a 2-2 tie in the fifth and spark the Tigers to a 4-2 win- making a winner of reliever Randor Bierd (4-0). In a losing effort, George Kontos went six allowing three earned runs while striking out five to fall to 7-3 and suffer the hardluck defeat. ... With yesterday's rainout being made up, both games were played over seven instead of the full nine. The first game took two hours and 12 minutes while the second needed just two hours to complete. ... Rehabbing Yankee left fielder Hideki Matsui will be participating in batting practice the next two days with gates opening at a special time of 3 PM on Labor Day. ... Baby Bombers conclude three-game set with Tigers Tuesday night before finishing with three against Tri-City at St. George.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Federer Pulls Off New Trick, Straight Sets Henman
They don't call him The Maestro for nothing. Roger Federer continued to dominate in Friday's day session at the U.S. Open by defeating Tim Henman in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 to move into the third round. The 25 year-old Swiss world number one is attempting to become the first man to three-peat in Flushing since Ivan Lendl (1985-87).
Though it was business as usual for the eight-time slam winner, he went to his new bag of tricks to unveil a shot that even had his opponent laughing and the capacity Ashe Stadium crowd stirring. During the middle of a point in the second set, Federer hit a ball between his legs surprising Henman, who volleyed it before the Open favorite ripped a backhand winner up the line to take the point. Both players managed to have a chuckle over it.
But ultimately, it was another win for Federer in the end.
"Rarely do you try this type of shot in a match," he explained to the AP. "In practice, it happens all the time. But to come and pull it off on center court, you have to make sure you're not doing something totally stupid or you don't look like an idiot."
"There's not a lot you can say at that stage, apart from laugh," a defeated Henman said.
And who could disagree at this point?
While Federer was doing his part to make the third round, fifth seeded American James Blake unveiled a surprise of his own by taking the court in an old Andre Agassi outfit from 1990 which included a bright pink shirt along with a white bandana. The atire didn't affect the affable Yonkers native's play one bit as he cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over Teimuraz Gabashvili.
"I just wanted to do it once," Blake said paying homage to his hero who got the best of him in an epic five set quarterfinal here last year. "I know Andre, how he probably doesn't want a ton of fanfare. Andre knows we all do care about him, we all appreciate everything he's done. I think the statement was made. Now it's back to business at hand."
"I wanted to do something just to show kind of how much he's meant to the sport. I'm happy it came on a day after that unbelievable night match last night when everyone has him, for sure, at the front of their minds," Blake pointed out.
"We're looking at his section of the draw, see when he plays next. That's the match we want to stay home for and maybe miss dinner for."
The bigger question at this point is how much the retiring 36 year-old two-time Open champion will have left in the tank when he takes the court for his third round match against German qualifier Benjamin Becker.
A day after another grinding win which had plenty of players and fans talking, Agassi didn't practice today and was given an anti-inflammatory injection for his stiff back in hopes that he could recover in time for what's scheduled to be a night match Saturday. However, with rain washing away tonight's night session which included Lindsay Davenport and a match between David Nalbandian and former Open winner Marat Safin, it's uncertain when Agassi could take the court. It's expected to rain most of Saturday which could cancel the entire Day Six session.
An extra day of rest could be what the doctor ordered for Agassi but also, if he were to advance to the Round of 16 where he could meet Andy Roddick, it would mean possibly having to go back-to-back days.
Also advancing to Round 3 was 2005 semifinalist Robby Ginepri. The 18th seeded American easily defeated Paul Goldstein 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 to setup an intriguing third round match against 14th seeded German Tommy Haas. Haas was a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 winner over Raemon Sluiter.
Setting up another interesting third round clash was Fernando Gonzalez and Andy Murray. The 10th seeded Gonzalez eliminated Jan Hajek 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 while the 17th seeded Murray easily dispatched of Alessio Di Mauro 6-0, 6-1, 6-1.
Also advancing was seventh seeded Nikolay Davydenko 6-0 over Nicolas Mahut before he retired. Tomas Berdych (12) was a four set winner over Florian Mayer 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
There were two upsets. American Vince Spadea took out veteran Jonas Bjorkman (29) 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2 and Frenchman Marc Gicquel ousted Juan Carlos Ferrero (16) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
Other men who made it to Round 3 included Gaston Gaudio (21), Dmitry Tursunov (23), Carlos Moya and Lukasz Kubot.
Henin-Hardenne Comes Back To Win In Three: Justine Henin-Hardenne had a bit of a scare but woke up in time unlike Martina Hingis to comeback and beat Ai Sugiyama (28) in three sets 4-6, 6-1, 6-0.
The second seeded Belgian who is one of the favorites jumped out to a doublebreak 4-1 lead in the opening set but then had trouble with her fiesty opponent and the windy conditions and suddenly dropped the final five games to lose the set before digging deep to take 12 of the final 13 games and move into a Round of 16 match-up against Israel's Shahar Peer.
"I didn't have the feeling that I was moving well at the time, and I lost a little bit my intensity," Henin-Hardenne admitted to reporters afterwards. "The conditions were pretty difficult. When I lost the first set, I understood I had no more choice than winning the next two, and so to be very focused on every point. Then I played very, very solid tennis at that time."
Meanwhile, Peer (21) ousted 14th seeded Francesca Schiavone in three tough sets 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3).
Also moving into the Round of 16 was 2004 runner-up Elena Dementieva. The 24 year-old fourth seeded Russian posted a 7-5, 6-3 victory over countrywoman Vera Zvonareva (33) to setup a fourth round match against Aravane Rezai. The Frenchwoman upset Russian Maria Kirilenko (20) 6-3, 6-1.
Two other women who advanced to a fourth round showdown were 2004 winner Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic. The sixth seeded Kuznetsova easily took care of countrywoman Anastassia Rodionova 6-3, 6-0. She'll next face 19th seeded Serbian Jankovic, who cameback from a set down to upset 17 year-old ninth seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.
Third round women's action continues Saturday weather permitting and features unseeded American Serena Williams taking on Ana Ivanovic (16). Davenport (10) also has to play Katarina Srebotnik (22) and Patty Schnyder (7) and Marion Bartoli (26) will also try to get their postponed match in.
Though it was business as usual for the eight-time slam winner, he went to his new bag of tricks to unveil a shot that even had his opponent laughing and the capacity Ashe Stadium crowd stirring. During the middle of a point in the second set, Federer hit a ball between his legs surprising Henman, who volleyed it before the Open favorite ripped a backhand winner up the line to take the point. Both players managed to have a chuckle over it.
But ultimately, it was another win for Federer in the end.
"Rarely do you try this type of shot in a match," he explained to the AP. "In practice, it happens all the time. But to come and pull it off on center court, you have to make sure you're not doing something totally stupid or you don't look like an idiot."
"There's not a lot you can say at that stage, apart from laugh," a defeated Henman said.
And who could disagree at this point?
While Federer was doing his part to make the third round, fifth seeded American James Blake unveiled a surprise of his own by taking the court in an old Andre Agassi outfit from 1990 which included a bright pink shirt along with a white bandana. The atire didn't affect the affable Yonkers native's play one bit as he cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over Teimuraz Gabashvili.
"I just wanted to do it once," Blake said paying homage to his hero who got the best of him in an epic five set quarterfinal here last year. "I know Andre, how he probably doesn't want a ton of fanfare. Andre knows we all do care about him, we all appreciate everything he's done. I think the statement was made. Now it's back to business at hand."
"I wanted to do something just to show kind of how much he's meant to the sport. I'm happy it came on a day after that unbelievable night match last night when everyone has him, for sure, at the front of their minds," Blake pointed out.
"We're looking at his section of the draw, see when he plays next. That's the match we want to stay home for and maybe miss dinner for."
The bigger question at this point is how much the retiring 36 year-old two-time Open champion will have left in the tank when he takes the court for his third round match against German qualifier Benjamin Becker.
A day after another grinding win which had plenty of players and fans talking, Agassi didn't practice today and was given an anti-inflammatory injection for his stiff back in hopes that he could recover in time for what's scheduled to be a night match Saturday. However, with rain washing away tonight's night session which included Lindsay Davenport and a match between David Nalbandian and former Open winner Marat Safin, it's uncertain when Agassi could take the court. It's expected to rain most of Saturday which could cancel the entire Day Six session.
An extra day of rest could be what the doctor ordered for Agassi but also, if he were to advance to the Round of 16 where he could meet Andy Roddick, it would mean possibly having to go back-to-back days.
Also advancing to Round 3 was 2005 semifinalist Robby Ginepri. The 18th seeded American easily defeated Paul Goldstein 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 to setup an intriguing third round match against 14th seeded German Tommy Haas. Haas was a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 winner over Raemon Sluiter.
Setting up another interesting third round clash was Fernando Gonzalez and Andy Murray. The 10th seeded Gonzalez eliminated Jan Hajek 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 while the 17th seeded Murray easily dispatched of Alessio Di Mauro 6-0, 6-1, 6-1.
Also advancing was seventh seeded Nikolay Davydenko 6-0 over Nicolas Mahut before he retired. Tomas Berdych (12) was a four set winner over Florian Mayer 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
There were two upsets. American Vince Spadea took out veteran Jonas Bjorkman (29) 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2 and Frenchman Marc Gicquel ousted Juan Carlos Ferrero (16) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
Other men who made it to Round 3 included Gaston Gaudio (21), Dmitry Tursunov (23), Carlos Moya and Lukasz Kubot.
Henin-Hardenne Comes Back To Win In Three: Justine Henin-Hardenne had a bit of a scare but woke up in time unlike Martina Hingis to comeback and beat Ai Sugiyama (28) in three sets 4-6, 6-1, 6-0.
The second seeded Belgian who is one of the favorites jumped out to a doublebreak 4-1 lead in the opening set but then had trouble with her fiesty opponent and the windy conditions and suddenly dropped the final five games to lose the set before digging deep to take 12 of the final 13 games and move into a Round of 16 match-up against Israel's Shahar Peer.
"I didn't have the feeling that I was moving well at the time, and I lost a little bit my intensity," Henin-Hardenne admitted to reporters afterwards. "The conditions were pretty difficult. When I lost the first set, I understood I had no more choice than winning the next two, and so to be very focused on every point. Then I played very, very solid tennis at that time."
Meanwhile, Peer (21) ousted 14th seeded Francesca Schiavone in three tough sets 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3).
Also moving into the Round of 16 was 2004 runner-up Elena Dementieva. The 24 year-old fourth seeded Russian posted a 7-5, 6-3 victory over countrywoman Vera Zvonareva (33) to setup a fourth round match against Aravane Rezai. The Frenchwoman upset Russian Maria Kirilenko (20) 6-3, 6-1.
Two other women who advanced to a fourth round showdown were 2004 winner Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic. The sixth seeded Kuznetsova easily took care of countrywoman Anastassia Rodionova 6-3, 6-0. She'll next face 19th seeded Serbian Jankovic, who cameback from a set down to upset 17 year-old ninth seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.
Third round women's action continues Saturday weather permitting and features unseeded American Serena Williams taking on Ana Ivanovic (16). Davenport (10) also has to play Katarina Srebotnik (22) and Patty Schnyder (7) and Marion Bartoli (26) will also try to get their postponed match in.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Agassi Outlasts Baghdatis In Five Set Classic, Career Survives One More Night
We've seen this movie script before. Maybe that's how Andre Agassi likes it. After coming back to beat Andrei Pavel in a four set three and a half hour epic Monday, the two-time 36 year-old U.S. Open champion upset eighth seeded Marcos Baghdatis in an even better five set encore 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 before over 23,000 screaming fans at Ashe Stadium Thursday night. The retiring Agassi lived for another night.
In an unpredictable match which also lasted three hours and forty eight minutes, Agassi prevailed over the 21 year-old Baghdatis, who was a runner-up at the Australian Open and a semifinalist at Wimbledon earlier this year.
A couple of days after receiving a cortisone shot just so he could walk out onto the court without limping, Agassi continued to defy logic by playing the electric brand of tennis that's made him such a fan favorite.
Slugging it out from the baseline with his opponent who was 15 years younger, the eight-time slam winner got the better of the points early on. After each player held serve for three all in the first set, it was Agassi that got the first break of the match in the seventh game. He was able to hold twice more and took the set when Baghdatis netted a shot leaving the 21-year Open veteran to pump his fist.
The second set was virtually identical. Both players once again held for three apiece but when Baghdatis served for 4-3, a funny thing happened as Agassi once again pounced to break the Cypriot. After each player held for 5-4, he served out the set to own the first two.
But Baghdatis wasn't ready to go home early. Instead, he fought back hard in the third set to reclaim the momentum. When an Agassi backhand missed just wide, he finally had broken. Serving for it at 5-3 would prove to be tougher than it looked. After he setup three set points, Agassi saved each to force a Deuce before Baghdatis served one of his 23 aces to reach his fourth set point. When another Agassi groundstroke narrowly missed, the Cypriot emphatically shouted and pumped his fist to his corner. He finally had life.
But if he thought he had the momentum, Agassi quickly erased it with consecutive breaks to jump out to a two break 4-0 lead. Ironically, in his first round win over Pavel, Agassi fought back from the same deficit to comeback and take a crucial third set tiebreak. This time, Baghdatis turned the tables on his older foe and mounted one of the best comebacks by breaking him three times in four service games to miraculously fight back and square the match at two sets apiece.
Playing more aggressively and mixing an array of drop shots with depth groundstrokes, the Cypriot took four straight games before Agassi held for 5-4. After leveling it at five, he connected with a backhand winner smack on the line to suddenly surge ahead 6-5. When he served out the set, the fiery Baghdatis pointed to his heart and looked at his corner.
At the beginning of the final set, the Ashe Stadium crowd which earlier did the wave in the second set during a Baghdatis service game which drew a smile this time went into a "Let's Go Andre" chant.
But when their hero dropped serve in the opening game of the fifth set and slowly walked to his chair, it looked like it very well could be the final chapter of his storybook career.
"Would I have been disappointed if I had lost? Sure," Agassi admitted later to the AP. "But at the same time, how can you be disappointed when it's all sort of surreal?"
However, in a set which had more twists and turns in it than a rollercoaster, Baghdatis who earlier had injured his wrist began to cramp and needed to be treated by a trainer before the second game. A few minutes after they returned on court, Agassi immediately broke his cramping opponent to get back on serve. When Baghdatis lunged for a half volley and netted it, it was one all and the popular American pumped his fist and looked at his box.
Even with both players looking weary, each courageously held serve until a wild ninth game which featured eight deuces, four break points and an even more hurting Baghdatis. With the match even two sets and four all, the tiring Cypriot suddenly pulled up during a point. Already treated for a cramp earlier in the set, he couldn't be seen until the remarkable game concluded.
Continuing to stretch it out before returning serve, he showed tremendous heart by setting up a couple of break points with clean return winners. But everytime it looked like the injured player would somehow break to get within a game of serving it out, Agassi did just enough to save all four break chances and finally escaped the lengthy game when Baghdatis committed one of his 86 unforced errors. By comparison, Agassi made just 47 for the entire match. While he made a ton more errors, Baghdatis also finished with 49 more winners than Agassi- 83-34.
Still in pain, somehow with his back to the wall, Baghdatis managed to hold for five all and stay alive. When he hit a clean forehand winner during an extended point on the full run, he screamed in delight much to the pro-Agassi crowd's dismay as some even booed the player who wouldn't give up.
"I just wanted to fight," Baghdatis told USA Network's John McEnroe in a postmatch interview afterwards. "I wanted to stay on the court. I'll do anything to win."
After Agassi held in more conventional fashion for 6-5, he finally reached match point on Baghdatis' serve. When Baghdatis sent a backhand five feet long, the hard fought victory was finally his in what had become another memorable match they won't soon forget at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Just as Agassi and James Blake had done after a similar five set epic last year, the two competitors warmly embraced at the net before a thunderous ovation.
But just as he had done last year, it was the elder Agassi who had won the battle of attrition and took in another fitting tribute from over 23,000 still standing and cheering at almost 1 AM.
"Tonight has been another example of moments you're not guaranteed," he appropriately admitted to McEnroe after Baghdatis had earlier wished him luck the rest of the way.
How right he was. For one more day, he had survived once more. Now he'll next "face a B. Becker from Germany," McEnroe jokingly remarked in the third round with a possible Round of 16 showdown with just turned 24 year-old American Andy Roddick awaiting. No. Not that Becker. It's qualifier Benjamin Becker who yesterday advanced by knocking out Sebastien Grosjean (30) in straight sets 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-2.
For one more day at least, Agassi has another match Saturday night. Will it continue to produce a similar result? Just wait and see.
While the latest Agassi triumph highlighted Day Four on the men's side, second seeded Rafael Nadal also advanced in four sets over Luis Horna 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Other seeded winners included Tommy Robredo (6), David Ferrer (11), Lleyton Hewitt (15), Novak Djokovic (20), Fernando Verdasco (22) and Richard Gasquet (25).
Meanwhile, 27th seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils fell in four sets to Wesley Moodie 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4).
Hingis Upset: On the women's side, former 1997 Open champ Martin Hingis' return to New York wasn't pleasant.
Making her first appearance in four years and a day removed from a tough three set opening round win over Peng Shuai, Hingis struggled to find the range in a straight sets loss to Virginie Razzano 6-2, 6-4 to sustain her quickest Open exit ever.
Unable to hold serve and outslugged from the baseline, Hingis never was able to recover from a tough first set which saw her hold serve just once. When Razzano jumped out to a doublebreak 4-0 second set lead, the writing was on the wall. Though Hingis fought back to pull within 4-5, Razzano served it out the second time to eliminate the popular former Swiss world No. 1.
"I think after yesterday I didn't have much more to give," Hingis admitted. "Yesterday, I was able to dig in deep, and today, you know, [Razzano] had a better answer.
"I mean, we have to say definitely she played a great match. She was very solid from both sides. There wasn't much I could do sometimes."
While it wasn't a good day for Hingis, 2005 runner-up Mary Pierce (13) moved into Round 3 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Eva Birnerova.
Also advancing to a third round showdown with unseeded American Serena Williams was 16th seeded Ana Ivanovic. Ironically, the Serbian fought back similarly to how Williams did against Daniela Hantuchova and posted an identical 7-5, 6-3 comeback victory over Aiko Nakamura. Like Williams, Ivanovic crawled out of a break hole in which her opponent served for the first set before taking control. It should setup an intriguing third round match in two days.
In an unpredictable match which also lasted three hours and forty eight minutes, Agassi prevailed over the 21 year-old Baghdatis, who was a runner-up at the Australian Open and a semifinalist at Wimbledon earlier this year.
A couple of days after receiving a cortisone shot just so he could walk out onto the court without limping, Agassi continued to defy logic by playing the electric brand of tennis that's made him such a fan favorite.
Slugging it out from the baseline with his opponent who was 15 years younger, the eight-time slam winner got the better of the points early on. After each player held serve for three all in the first set, it was Agassi that got the first break of the match in the seventh game. He was able to hold twice more and took the set when Baghdatis netted a shot leaving the 21-year Open veteran to pump his fist.
The second set was virtually identical. Both players once again held for three apiece but when Baghdatis served for 4-3, a funny thing happened as Agassi once again pounced to break the Cypriot. After each player held for 5-4, he served out the set to own the first two.
But Baghdatis wasn't ready to go home early. Instead, he fought back hard in the third set to reclaim the momentum. When an Agassi backhand missed just wide, he finally had broken. Serving for it at 5-3 would prove to be tougher than it looked. After he setup three set points, Agassi saved each to force a Deuce before Baghdatis served one of his 23 aces to reach his fourth set point. When another Agassi groundstroke narrowly missed, the Cypriot emphatically shouted and pumped his fist to his corner. He finally had life.
But if he thought he had the momentum, Agassi quickly erased it with consecutive breaks to jump out to a two break 4-0 lead. Ironically, in his first round win over Pavel, Agassi fought back from the same deficit to comeback and take a crucial third set tiebreak. This time, Baghdatis turned the tables on his older foe and mounted one of the best comebacks by breaking him three times in four service games to miraculously fight back and square the match at two sets apiece.
Playing more aggressively and mixing an array of drop shots with depth groundstrokes, the Cypriot took four straight games before Agassi held for 5-4. After leveling it at five, he connected with a backhand winner smack on the line to suddenly surge ahead 6-5. When he served out the set, the fiery Baghdatis pointed to his heart and looked at his corner.
At the beginning of the final set, the Ashe Stadium crowd which earlier did the wave in the second set during a Baghdatis service game which drew a smile this time went into a "Let's Go Andre" chant.
But when their hero dropped serve in the opening game of the fifth set and slowly walked to his chair, it looked like it very well could be the final chapter of his storybook career.
"Would I have been disappointed if I had lost? Sure," Agassi admitted later to the AP. "But at the same time, how can you be disappointed when it's all sort of surreal?"
However, in a set which had more twists and turns in it than a rollercoaster, Baghdatis who earlier had injured his wrist began to cramp and needed to be treated by a trainer before the second game. A few minutes after they returned on court, Agassi immediately broke his cramping opponent to get back on serve. When Baghdatis lunged for a half volley and netted it, it was one all and the popular American pumped his fist and looked at his box.
Even with both players looking weary, each courageously held serve until a wild ninth game which featured eight deuces, four break points and an even more hurting Baghdatis. With the match even two sets and four all, the tiring Cypriot suddenly pulled up during a point. Already treated for a cramp earlier in the set, he couldn't be seen until the remarkable game concluded.
Continuing to stretch it out before returning serve, he showed tremendous heart by setting up a couple of break points with clean return winners. But everytime it looked like the injured player would somehow break to get within a game of serving it out, Agassi did just enough to save all four break chances and finally escaped the lengthy game when Baghdatis committed one of his 86 unforced errors. By comparison, Agassi made just 47 for the entire match. While he made a ton more errors, Baghdatis also finished with 49 more winners than Agassi- 83-34.
Still in pain, somehow with his back to the wall, Baghdatis managed to hold for five all and stay alive. When he hit a clean forehand winner during an extended point on the full run, he screamed in delight much to the pro-Agassi crowd's dismay as some even booed the player who wouldn't give up.
"I just wanted to fight," Baghdatis told USA Network's John McEnroe in a postmatch interview afterwards. "I wanted to stay on the court. I'll do anything to win."
After Agassi held in more conventional fashion for 6-5, he finally reached match point on Baghdatis' serve. When Baghdatis sent a backhand five feet long, the hard fought victory was finally his in what had become another memorable match they won't soon forget at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Just as Agassi and James Blake had done after a similar five set epic last year, the two competitors warmly embraced at the net before a thunderous ovation.
But just as he had done last year, it was the elder Agassi who had won the battle of attrition and took in another fitting tribute from over 23,000 still standing and cheering at almost 1 AM.
"Tonight has been another example of moments you're not guaranteed," he appropriately admitted to McEnroe after Baghdatis had earlier wished him luck the rest of the way.
How right he was. For one more day, he had survived once more. Now he'll next "face a B. Becker from Germany," McEnroe jokingly remarked in the third round with a possible Round of 16 showdown with just turned 24 year-old American Andy Roddick awaiting. No. Not that Becker. It's qualifier Benjamin Becker who yesterday advanced by knocking out Sebastien Grosjean (30) in straight sets 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-2.
For one more day at least, Agassi has another match Saturday night. Will it continue to produce a similar result? Just wait and see.
While the latest Agassi triumph highlighted Day Four on the men's side, second seeded Rafael Nadal also advanced in four sets over Luis Horna 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Other seeded winners included Tommy Robredo (6), David Ferrer (11), Lleyton Hewitt (15), Novak Djokovic (20), Fernando Verdasco (22) and Richard Gasquet (25).
Meanwhile, 27th seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils fell in four sets to Wesley Moodie 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4).
Hingis Upset: On the women's side, former 1997 Open champ Martin Hingis' return to New York wasn't pleasant.
Making her first appearance in four years and a day removed from a tough three set opening round win over Peng Shuai, Hingis struggled to find the range in a straight sets loss to Virginie Razzano 6-2, 6-4 to sustain her quickest Open exit ever.
Unable to hold serve and outslugged from the baseline, Hingis never was able to recover from a tough first set which saw her hold serve just once. When Razzano jumped out to a doublebreak 4-0 second set lead, the writing was on the wall. Though Hingis fought back to pull within 4-5, Razzano served it out the second time to eliminate the popular former Swiss world No. 1.
"I think after yesterday I didn't have much more to give," Hingis admitted. "Yesterday, I was able to dig in deep, and today, you know, [Razzano] had a better answer.
"I mean, we have to say definitely she played a great match. She was very solid from both sides. There wasn't much I could do sometimes."
While it wasn't a good day for Hingis, 2005 runner-up Mary Pierce (13) moved into Round 3 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Eva Birnerova.
Also advancing to a third round showdown with unseeded American Serena Williams was 16th seeded Ana Ivanovic. Ironically, the Serbian fought back similarly to how Williams did against Daniela Hantuchova and posted an identical 7-5, 6-3 comeback victory over Aiko Nakamura. Like Williams, Ivanovic crawled out of a break hole in which her opponent served for the first set before taking control. It should setup an intriguing third round match in two days.
Unseeded Serena Advances Into Third Round
She might be unseeded but Serena Williams served notice in an impressive second round win over 17th seeded Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-3 at Ashe Stadium Thursday.
Having entered just her fourth tournament of the season due to a barrage of injuries, the two-time former U.S. Open champion looked in solid form avenging an Australian Open straight set loss in the same round to Hantuchova back in January.
But early on, Hantuchova jumped up an early break with some splendid hitting from the baseline to go ahead 3-0. Serving well and taking control of points early, it looked like she would take the first set from Williams. But trailing 2-5, the 24 year-old American raised her level and took five unanswered games to comeback and claim the set.
"Was I down 5-2? I didn't even know it," she told USA Network's Michael Barkann during a postmatch interview. "I just started focusing. She was doing everything right."
After holding for 3-5 to stay alive, she took advantage of a loose ninth game by her opponent. In it, Hantuchova made four unforced errors, including two missed drop shots and two costly double faults which put the set back on serve.
Given new life, Williams quickly held for five apiece. Starting to play more aggressively, she setup two break points in the 11th game. After Hantuchova saved one with a forehand winner, the 23 year-old Slovak served another untimely double to give Serena her second consecutive break for 6-5.
With another steady hold, the seven-time slam winner finished off the set in style with a forehand winner down the line.
Continuing to play well, Williams went up an early break in the second before cruising to the straight set triumph with her fourth break of the match when a Hantuchova shot sailed long.
The road probably won't get any easier as she'll most likely play 16th seeded Ana Ivanovic next. Ivanovic was a set up on Japan's Aiko Nakamura in the second round.
In other second round women's action, third seeded Russian Maria Sharapova advanced easily with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Emelie Loit. She'll next take on countrywoman Elena Likhovtseva (32), who moved into Round 3 with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Nicole Pratt.
Meanwhile, 10th seeded American Lindsay Davenport cruised over Jelena Kostanic 6-0, 6-0.
"Some days, everything just seems to be working," she expressed to the AP afterwards. "These days don't happen that often, so you have to be happy when they come your way."
The former 1998 Open champ will next face 22nd seeded Katarina Srebotnik after she eliminated Ekaterina Bychkova in three sets 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
Also moving into the third round was former 2003 winner Justine Henin-Hardenne. The second seeded Belgian ousted American teenager Vania King 6-1, 6-2 to setup a match against Japan's Ai Sugiyama (28), who was a three set victor over Tathiana Garbin 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2.
Former 2004 runner-up Elena Dementieva setup an all Russian third round with Vera Zvonareva. The fourth seed eliminated Emma Laine 6-4, 6-0 while Zvonareva (33) defeated American Jill Craybas 6-3, 7-5.
Top seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo also was victorious over American Meghann Shaughnessy 6-4, 6-3. The match was much closer than the score would indicate. A highly entertaining affair, both players traded heavy groundstrokes from the baseline during some extended rallies. The difference was that rating Australian and Wimbledon champion Mauresmo saved 11 of 12 break points.
It was enough to carry her into a third round match-up against Mara Santangelo, who earlier got the better of Sybille Bammer 6-3, 6-1.
Other Round 2 seeded women's winners included Nadia Petrova (5), Svetlana Kuznetsova (6), Patty Schnyder (7), Nicole Vaidisova (9), Dinara Safina (12), Francesca Schiavone (14), Jelena Jankovic (19), Maria Kirilenko (20), Shahar Peer (21), Anna Chakvetadze (23), Li Na (24), Marion Bartoli (26) and Tatiana Golovin (27).
Having entered just her fourth tournament of the season due to a barrage of injuries, the two-time former U.S. Open champion looked in solid form avenging an Australian Open straight set loss in the same round to Hantuchova back in January.
But early on, Hantuchova jumped up an early break with some splendid hitting from the baseline to go ahead 3-0. Serving well and taking control of points early, it looked like she would take the first set from Williams. But trailing 2-5, the 24 year-old American raised her level and took five unanswered games to comeback and claim the set.
"Was I down 5-2? I didn't even know it," she told USA Network's Michael Barkann during a postmatch interview. "I just started focusing. She was doing everything right."
After holding for 3-5 to stay alive, she took advantage of a loose ninth game by her opponent. In it, Hantuchova made four unforced errors, including two missed drop shots and two costly double faults which put the set back on serve.
Given new life, Williams quickly held for five apiece. Starting to play more aggressively, she setup two break points in the 11th game. After Hantuchova saved one with a forehand winner, the 23 year-old Slovak served another untimely double to give Serena her second consecutive break for 6-5.
With another steady hold, the seven-time slam winner finished off the set in style with a forehand winner down the line.
Continuing to play well, Williams went up an early break in the second before cruising to the straight set triumph with her fourth break of the match when a Hantuchova shot sailed long.
The road probably won't get any easier as she'll most likely play 16th seeded Ana Ivanovic next. Ivanovic was a set up on Japan's Aiko Nakamura in the second round.
In other second round women's action, third seeded Russian Maria Sharapova advanced easily with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Emelie Loit. She'll next take on countrywoman Elena Likhovtseva (32), who moved into Round 3 with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Nicole Pratt.
Meanwhile, 10th seeded American Lindsay Davenport cruised over Jelena Kostanic 6-0, 6-0.
"Some days, everything just seems to be working," she expressed to the AP afterwards. "These days don't happen that often, so you have to be happy when they come your way."
The former 1998 Open champ will next face 22nd seeded Katarina Srebotnik after she eliminated Ekaterina Bychkova in three sets 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
Also moving into the third round was former 2003 winner Justine Henin-Hardenne. The second seeded Belgian ousted American teenager Vania King 6-1, 6-2 to setup a match against Japan's Ai Sugiyama (28), who was a three set victor over Tathiana Garbin 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2.
Former 2004 runner-up Elena Dementieva setup an all Russian third round with Vera Zvonareva. The fourth seed eliminated Emma Laine 6-4, 6-0 while Zvonareva (33) defeated American Jill Craybas 6-3, 7-5.
Top seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo also was victorious over American Meghann Shaughnessy 6-4, 6-3. The match was much closer than the score would indicate. A highly entertaining affair, both players traded heavy groundstrokes from the baseline during some extended rallies. The difference was that rating Australian and Wimbledon champion Mauresmo saved 11 of 12 break points.
It was enough to carry her into a third round match-up against Mara Santangelo, who earlier got the better of Sybille Bammer 6-3, 6-1.
Other Round 2 seeded women's winners included Nadia Petrova (5), Svetlana Kuznetsova (6), Patty Schnyder (7), Nicole Vaidisova (9), Dinara Safina (12), Francesca Schiavone (14), Jelena Jankovic (19), Maria Kirilenko (20), Shahar Peer (21), Anna Chakvetadze (23), Li Na (24), Marion Bartoli (26) and Tatiana Golovin (27).
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Agassi Extends Career With Comeback Win Over Pavel
Andre Agassi wasn't ready to call it a career. In his final grand slam event, the two-time U.S. Open champion showed nerves of steel in a hard fought four set comeback victory over Andrei Pavel 6-7 (4), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (6), 6-2 before an electric capacity Ashe Stadium crowd Monday night.
In fact, the 23,736 who attended became the largest audience to ever attend an Open night session which also featured a special ceremony honoring tennis legend Billie Jean King in the renaming of the National Tennis Center for her. The prematch ceremony featured guest speakers John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert.
In a well played first round match which saw each player exchange heavy groundstrokes from the baseline during long rallies, it took three and a half hours just for the 36 year-old Agassi to move into an even tougher second round match with eighth seeded Marcos Baghdatis. The Australian Open runner-up was a 7-6 (1), 7-6 (7), 6-3 winner over German Alexander Waske.
"You want it to be everything you hope it is," Agassi told the AP. "It was perfect."
After he dropped the opening set tiebreak and was deep into another seesaw breaker in the second, it looked like it would be anything but. But the eight-time slam winner fought through to post a 10-8 tiebreak, squaring the match to the crowd's delight after Pavel pushed a backhand long. A giddy Agassi pumped his fist and then hopped and skipped back to the court for an unpredictable third set.
Just as quickly as he regained the momentum, suddenly the veteran who was appearing in his 21st successive Open had lost it and fell behind two breaks to a rejuvenated Pavel. With the set seeming over after Pavel held for 4-0, Agassi changed rackets before getting a crucial service hold to get on the board.
Shortly after, a cramping Pavel was visited by a trainer. Suddenly with not as much zip on his serve and not moving as fluidly, he let Agassi back in the set. In a role reversal, the Las Vegas native broke twice and held to reel off five consecutive games and pull within one of going up a set. But his fiesty opponent wouldn't fold. Instead, the 32 year-old who hadn't played a hard court match since March held twice to stay alive and force a third straight tiebreak which proved pivotal.
In it, Agassi seemed in control up a minibreak. When he reached 6-3 to setup three set points, it looked like he would roll. But instead, Pavel held his serve twice and then struck a perfect backhand return winner down the line on an Agassi second serve to fight off all three and level it at six.
But Agassi took his next service point to setup a fourth set point. Similar to how he closed out James Blake in that epic five set quarterfinal last year, the gutsy American went for broke on a Pavel second serve, ripping a perfect inside out forehand winner crosscourt out of his opponent's reach to capture the set.
"It was a really tough match," Pavel admitted. "In the end, I was tired. I run left and right, and he did the same. He's still one of the fittest guy on tour. He's amazing."
That seemed to take the fight out of his winded opponent. The fourth set would prove to be easier for Agassi, who cruised to a doublebreak victory and then took his traditional four bows to an excited crowd which gave him the kind of overwhelming support which was expected.
"He's the man right now," Pavel said. "I wish him well. I hope he can go all the way. He deserves it."
"I want to be here real bad, for the whole two weeks," Agassi told USA's John McEnroe during a postmatch interview to a thunderous ovation. "I really want to leave my best stuff on the court...I'm very proud of this day, and I'm glad it gets to happen again."
While Agassi was victorious, earlier on Day One, ninth seeded American Andy Roddick continued to impress under the tutelage of Connors with an easy straight sets win over Florent Serra 6-2, 6-1, 6-3. The former 2003 Open winner mixed in some different serves and even served and volleyed effectively en route to erasing the memories of last year's first round disappointment against Gilles Muller.
"I'm really, really confident right now," Roddick said. "It felt clean."
Other seeded men's winners included Tommy Robredo (6), David Ferrer (11), Novak Djokovic (20), Richard Gasquet (25),
In one big upset, third seeded Croat Ivan Ljubicic fell in straight sets to Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 3-6, 3-6, 3-6.
Also eliminated on Day One were Jarkko Nieminen (13), Dominik Hrbaty (19), Jose Acasuso (24) and Juan Ignacio Chela (31).
On the women's side, seeded winners who moved into Round 2 included American Lindsay Davenport. The 10th seed posted a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Czech Klara Zakopalova.
Also into the second round were Justin Henin-Hardenne (2), Elena Dementieva (4), Svetlana Kuznetsova (6), Patty Schnyder (7), Nicole Vaidisova (9), Francesca Schiavone (14), Jelena Jankovic (19), Maria Kirilenko (20), Shahar Peer (21), Katarina Srebotnik (22), Marion Bartoli (26), Ai Sugiyama (28), Jie Zheng (29) and Vera Zvonareva (33).
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (15) fell to Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai in three sets 2-6, 6-0, 6-4.
In fact, the 23,736 who attended became the largest audience to ever attend an Open night session which also featured a special ceremony honoring tennis legend Billie Jean King in the renaming of the National Tennis Center for her. The prematch ceremony featured guest speakers John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert.
In a well played first round match which saw each player exchange heavy groundstrokes from the baseline during long rallies, it took three and a half hours just for the 36 year-old Agassi to move into an even tougher second round match with eighth seeded Marcos Baghdatis. The Australian Open runner-up was a 7-6 (1), 7-6 (7), 6-3 winner over German Alexander Waske.
"You want it to be everything you hope it is," Agassi told the AP. "It was perfect."
After he dropped the opening set tiebreak and was deep into another seesaw breaker in the second, it looked like it would be anything but. But the eight-time slam winner fought through to post a 10-8 tiebreak, squaring the match to the crowd's delight after Pavel pushed a backhand long. A giddy Agassi pumped his fist and then hopped and skipped back to the court for an unpredictable third set.
Just as quickly as he regained the momentum, suddenly the veteran who was appearing in his 21st successive Open had lost it and fell behind two breaks to a rejuvenated Pavel. With the set seeming over after Pavel held for 4-0, Agassi changed rackets before getting a crucial service hold to get on the board.
Shortly after, a cramping Pavel was visited by a trainer. Suddenly with not as much zip on his serve and not moving as fluidly, he let Agassi back in the set. In a role reversal, the Las Vegas native broke twice and held to reel off five consecutive games and pull within one of going up a set. But his fiesty opponent wouldn't fold. Instead, the 32 year-old who hadn't played a hard court match since March held twice to stay alive and force a third straight tiebreak which proved pivotal.
In it, Agassi seemed in control up a minibreak. When he reached 6-3 to setup three set points, it looked like he would roll. But instead, Pavel held his serve twice and then struck a perfect backhand return winner down the line on an Agassi second serve to fight off all three and level it at six.
But Agassi took his next service point to setup a fourth set point. Similar to how he closed out James Blake in that epic five set quarterfinal last year, the gutsy American went for broke on a Pavel second serve, ripping a perfect inside out forehand winner crosscourt out of his opponent's reach to capture the set.
"It was a really tough match," Pavel admitted. "In the end, I was tired. I run left and right, and he did the same. He's still one of the fittest guy on tour. He's amazing."
That seemed to take the fight out of his winded opponent. The fourth set would prove to be easier for Agassi, who cruised to a doublebreak victory and then took his traditional four bows to an excited crowd which gave him the kind of overwhelming support which was expected.
"He's the man right now," Pavel said. "I wish him well. I hope he can go all the way. He deserves it."
"I want to be here real bad, for the whole two weeks," Agassi told USA's John McEnroe during a postmatch interview to a thunderous ovation. "I really want to leave my best stuff on the court...I'm very proud of this day, and I'm glad it gets to happen again."
While Agassi was victorious, earlier on Day One, ninth seeded American Andy Roddick continued to impress under the tutelage of Connors with an easy straight sets win over Florent Serra 6-2, 6-1, 6-3. The former 2003 Open winner mixed in some different serves and even served and volleyed effectively en route to erasing the memories of last year's first round disappointment against Gilles Muller.
"I'm really, really confident right now," Roddick said. "It felt clean."
Other seeded men's winners included Tommy Robredo (6), David Ferrer (11), Novak Djokovic (20), Richard Gasquet (25),
In one big upset, third seeded Croat Ivan Ljubicic fell in straight sets to Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 3-6, 3-6, 3-6.
Also eliminated on Day One were Jarkko Nieminen (13), Dominik Hrbaty (19), Jose Acasuso (24) and Juan Ignacio Chela (31).
On the women's side, seeded winners who moved into Round 2 included American Lindsay Davenport. The 10th seed posted a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Czech Klara Zakopalova.
Also into the second round were Justin Henin-Hardenne (2), Elena Dementieva (4), Svetlana Kuznetsova (6), Patty Schnyder (7), Nicole Vaidisova (9), Francesca Schiavone (14), Jelena Jankovic (19), Maria Kirilenko (20), Shahar Peer (21), Katarina Srebotnik (22), Marion Bartoli (26), Ai Sugiyama (28), Jie Zheng (29) and Vera Zvonareva (33).
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (15) fell to Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai in three sets 2-6, 6-0, 6-4.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Baby Bombers Edge Cyclones, Close In On Division
STATEN ISLAND, NY -A couple of hits were enough for Staten Island (40-24) to move a step closer to clinching the McNamara Division. That's precisely what happened in their 1-0 shutout of Brooklyn (34-30) before an energized crowd of 4,641 at Richmond County Ball Park Monday night.
The victory pulled them six clear of the Cyclones, who slipped to third place a half game behind Aberdeen. It also reduced their magic number for clinching the division to six.
"About as tight as it gets. Quick game," skipper Gaylen Pitts remarked of the well pitched game which lasted only two hours and 18 minutes. "We don't get too many of those...A good game to watch. A good game for TV."
In a classic pitcher's duel, the Baby Bombers got the only two hits they needed in the home seventh to make a hardluck loser out of Nelson Portillo (3-4). Portillo no-hit them for the first 6.2 innings but the Cyclones couldn't get him a lead thanks in large part to Staten Island's George Kontos. The righthander matched zeroes with Portillo, tossing 6.2 innings of scoreless ball while allowing five hits and fanning six to get a no decision.
"You know, it's real tough," Kontos said. "Everyone's putting up zeroes. I'm throwing well. He's throwing well. The whole year, I've been lucky enough to have them give me some run support. They've picked me up all year. So I tried to battle and keep us in the game."
"Definitely this was a big game after last game where things got a little rowdy and things kind of got out of hand. This was a definitely a good game to set the tone. This is not a joke anymore."
Having had no success at all against Portillo, S.I. finally broke through when first baseman Kyle Larsen singled to left with two outs to knock out the Brooklyn starter. With Portillo gone, Josh De La Torre came on to try to get the last out of the inning. Instead, the Bombers caught a little break when Colin Curtis' double was misplayed by Brooklyn right fielder Jesus Gamero which scored Larsen all the way from first for the game's only run.
"That was a tough one," Larsen said. "[Portillo] pitched a great game. My hat's off to that guy. Six and two thirds without giving up a hit. That's tremendous. To come up with the win is exciting."
"Whenever George pitches, it seems like we're always in the game," he added. "He's done a tremendous job this year. Definitely when we're not hitting, it motivates you. You know you have a shot to win."
The one run held up thanks to splendid relief work from the combo of Justin Keadle (1.1 scoreless) and Nick Peterson, who worked around a two out walk in the ninth to close it out for his 14th save.
Notes: Baby Bombers finish up the regular season series with the Cyclones later tonight at Key Span Park as part of a four-game road trip with a three-game stop at Lowell. They've won the last four against Brooklyn and lead the series 9-4. ... Staten Island improved to a league best 21-10 at home. They return to St. George Saturday to host Oneonta as part of a six-game homestand which concludes the regular season.
The victory pulled them six clear of the Cyclones, who slipped to third place a half game behind Aberdeen. It also reduced their magic number for clinching the division to six.
"About as tight as it gets. Quick game," skipper Gaylen Pitts remarked of the well pitched game which lasted only two hours and 18 minutes. "We don't get too many of those...A good game to watch. A good game for TV."
In a classic pitcher's duel, the Baby Bombers got the only two hits they needed in the home seventh to make a hardluck loser out of Nelson Portillo (3-4). Portillo no-hit them for the first 6.2 innings but the Cyclones couldn't get him a lead thanks in large part to Staten Island's George Kontos. The righthander matched zeroes with Portillo, tossing 6.2 innings of scoreless ball while allowing five hits and fanning six to get a no decision.
"You know, it's real tough," Kontos said. "Everyone's putting up zeroes. I'm throwing well. He's throwing well. The whole year, I've been lucky enough to have them give me some run support. They've picked me up all year. So I tried to battle and keep us in the game."
"Definitely this was a big game after last game where things got a little rowdy and things kind of got out of hand. This was a definitely a good game to set the tone. This is not a joke anymore."
Having had no success at all against Portillo, S.I. finally broke through when first baseman Kyle Larsen singled to left with two outs to knock out the Brooklyn starter. With Portillo gone, Josh De La Torre came on to try to get the last out of the inning. Instead, the Bombers caught a little break when Colin Curtis' double was misplayed by Brooklyn right fielder Jesus Gamero which scored Larsen all the way from first for the game's only run.
"That was a tough one," Larsen said. "[Portillo] pitched a great game. My hat's off to that guy. Six and two thirds without giving up a hit. That's tremendous. To come up with the win is exciting."
"Whenever George pitches, it seems like we're always in the game," he added. "He's done a tremendous job this year. Definitely when we're not hitting, it motivates you. You know you have a shot to win."
The one run held up thanks to splendid relief work from the combo of Justin Keadle (1.1 scoreless) and Nick Peterson, who worked around a two out walk in the ninth to close it out for his 14th save.
Notes: Baby Bombers finish up the regular season series with the Cyclones later tonight at Key Span Park as part of a four-game road trip with a three-game stop at Lowell. They've won the last four against Brooklyn and lead the series 9-4. ... Staten Island improved to a league best 21-10 at home. They return to St. George Saturday to host Oneonta as part of a six-game homestand which concludes the regular season.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
U.S. Open Set To Kick Off Monday, Federer Aims For Three-Peat While Sharapova Goes For First
In a year where Andre Agassi will finally call it a career, the storylines for the 2006 U.S. Open couldn't be more different for the two fields.
While Agassi will try to give New Yorkers one last thrill, men's world number one Roger Federer is aiming for a three-peat. The recently turned 25 year-old Swiss Maestro has continued to be the most dominant player in the game- having captured two more slams (Australian, Wimbledon) and fallen to Rafael Nadal at the French Open final.
That's now eight for his career which is starting to rival career slam holder Pete Sampras. If Federer can capture his third U.S. Open in a row, he'll be only five short of Sampras' record 14. The last man to win three straight in New York was Ivan Lendl (1985-87).
Standing in his path could be a familiar rival in Andy Roddick. After struggling for much of the season, the ninth seeded American has hit his stride by making one final this summer and winning in Cincinnati recently to capture his first title of the year. Coached by his brother John, Roddick has also been working with former U.S. Open favorite Jimmy Connors. There has been a marked improvement in his game.
"They've only been working together this summer, but I've already seen huge strides in Andy's game," CBS analyst Patrick McEnroe recently said.
"His first tournament in Indianapolis he made the final there, lost in a great match to James Blake, and then Andy was injured for a couple of weeks and came back in Cincinnati and after a first round scare he played as well as I've seen him play in a while. He seems to be playing more aggressively. He's stepping into the court a lot more, trying to return a little bigger off second serves, come into net a lot more. His mindset is very positive, and I think Jimmy has had a huge impact there, sort of positive reinforcement."
If Roddick could go on and win here, it would be similar to his run three years ago which resulted in his only slam with a straight set conquest over Juan Carlos Ferrero.
While familiar names are expected to compete for the men's title, the women's field will be without defending champion Kim Clijsters. The second ranked Belgian suffered a wrist injury at a tournament in Montreal which forced her to withdraw.
With her absent from the field, it leaves a wide open draw with a potential new winner about to emerge. The question becomes who will step up? Maria Sharapova certainly could add a second major if she plays to form. Her draw isn't too tough and it could be a perfect opportunity for the 19 year-old Russian to capture her first slam since a surprising 2004 Wimbledon at the age of 17.
"Sharapova, on form," CBS analyst Mary Joe Fernandez pointed out. "Has played really, really well. Looking at her draw, she's on the top half. I expect her to get through that."
Maybe Czech riser Nicole Vaidisova comes to forefront and makes a push for her first slam. Former finalist Elena Dementieva is always a threat on the hard court but it all depends on if her serve holds up.
Can Australian Open and Wimbledon winner Amelie Mauresmo continue her breakthrough year by adding a third slam as the top seed? If so, she could face comebacking Serena Williams in the Round of 16.
"Serena has played nine matches in her comeback, been in two semis," Fernandez noted. "I like the way she was playing. I think she was still a little rusty, a little match-shy, but I think she was playing, serving well, and she's gonna be a threat."
"She actually looked a lot fitter than the last time I saw her which was in Australia. She was running a lot of balls down. She was actually pretty patient, which was a good sign for me...She's playing a lot better than when we saw her in Australia."
Former winner Lindsay Davenport will also be attempting a comeback but might not come in 100 percent. So it's unclear how far the 10th seed can go.
Or does a former champion from the past a la Svetlana Kuznetsova, Justine Henin-Hardenne or Martina Hingis rise up to add another slam?
That remains to be seen.
Let's pick the final four for each field and see who we like to capture the trophies:
Women's Final Four
(1) Amelie Mauresmo vs (3) Maria Sharapova
(9) Nicole Vaidisova vs (2) Justine Henin-Hardenne
Final: Sharapova vs Henin-Hardenne
2006 Winner: Sharapova
Men's Final Four
(1) Roger Federer vs (17) Andy Murray
(9) Andy Roddick vs (2) Rafael Nadal
Final: Federer vs Roddick
2006 Winner: Federer
While Agassi will try to give New Yorkers one last thrill, men's world number one Roger Federer is aiming for a three-peat. The recently turned 25 year-old Swiss Maestro has continued to be the most dominant player in the game- having captured two more slams (Australian, Wimbledon) and fallen to Rafael Nadal at the French Open final.
That's now eight for his career which is starting to rival career slam holder Pete Sampras. If Federer can capture his third U.S. Open in a row, he'll be only five short of Sampras' record 14. The last man to win three straight in New York was Ivan Lendl (1985-87).
Standing in his path could be a familiar rival in Andy Roddick. After struggling for much of the season, the ninth seeded American has hit his stride by making one final this summer and winning in Cincinnati recently to capture his first title of the year. Coached by his brother John, Roddick has also been working with former U.S. Open favorite Jimmy Connors. There has been a marked improvement in his game.
"They've only been working together this summer, but I've already seen huge strides in Andy's game," CBS analyst Patrick McEnroe recently said.
"His first tournament in Indianapolis he made the final there, lost in a great match to James Blake, and then Andy was injured for a couple of weeks and came back in Cincinnati and after a first round scare he played as well as I've seen him play in a while. He seems to be playing more aggressively. He's stepping into the court a lot more, trying to return a little bigger off second serves, come into net a lot more. His mindset is very positive, and I think Jimmy has had a huge impact there, sort of positive reinforcement."
If Roddick could go on and win here, it would be similar to his run three years ago which resulted in his only slam with a straight set conquest over Juan Carlos Ferrero.
While familiar names are expected to compete for the men's title, the women's field will be without defending champion Kim Clijsters. The second ranked Belgian suffered a wrist injury at a tournament in Montreal which forced her to withdraw.
With her absent from the field, it leaves a wide open draw with a potential new winner about to emerge. The question becomes who will step up? Maria Sharapova certainly could add a second major if she plays to form. Her draw isn't too tough and it could be a perfect opportunity for the 19 year-old Russian to capture her first slam since a surprising 2004 Wimbledon at the age of 17.
"Sharapova, on form," CBS analyst Mary Joe Fernandez pointed out. "Has played really, really well. Looking at her draw, she's on the top half. I expect her to get through that."
Maybe Czech riser Nicole Vaidisova comes to forefront and makes a push for her first slam. Former finalist Elena Dementieva is always a threat on the hard court but it all depends on if her serve holds up.
Can Australian Open and Wimbledon winner Amelie Mauresmo continue her breakthrough year by adding a third slam as the top seed? If so, she could face comebacking Serena Williams in the Round of 16.
"Serena has played nine matches in her comeback, been in two semis," Fernandez noted. "I like the way she was playing. I think she was still a little rusty, a little match-shy, but I think she was playing, serving well, and she's gonna be a threat."
"She actually looked a lot fitter than the last time I saw her which was in Australia. She was running a lot of balls down. She was actually pretty patient, which was a good sign for me...She's playing a lot better than when we saw her in Australia."
Former winner Lindsay Davenport will also be attempting a comeback but might not come in 100 percent. So it's unclear how far the 10th seed can go.
Or does a former champion from the past a la Svetlana Kuznetsova, Justine Henin-Hardenne or Martina Hingis rise up to add another slam?
That remains to be seen.
Let's pick the final four for each field and see who we like to capture the trophies:
Women's Final Four
(1) Amelie Mauresmo vs (3) Maria Sharapova
(9) Nicole Vaidisova vs (2) Justine Henin-Hardenne
Final: Sharapova vs Henin-Hardenne
2006 Winner: Sharapova
Men's Final Four
(1) Roger Federer vs (17) Andy Murray
(9) Andy Roddick vs (2) Rafael Nadal
Final: Federer vs Roddick
2006 Winner: Federer
Forever A Rebel, Agassi To Finish Storybook Career At Ashe
It's been much anticipated. Since he announced prior to Wimbledon that the U.S. Open would be his final Grand Slam tournament, Andre Agassi has hardly been able to stay on the court in what amounts to his final summer on the ATP Tour before finally calling it a career here in New York.
It's why despite the aching back which has made the last year of the 36 year-old American's brilliant career tough, the two-time Open champion will get overwhelming support from an emotional crowd when the two week tournament of this year's final slam gets underway Monday.
Always a fan favorite, the charasmatic Agassi has never missed an Open in the 21 years he's entered- making it the only slam he's never pulled out of. From the American Rebel Image is Everything days with the long blonde hair, beard and baggy pants to the clean cut and shaven player who has tranformed over the years into a workman-like player who never gives away a point, New Yorkers have been blessed to watch this tennis great reinvent himself and capture two titles and finish runner-up four times including last year to repeat champion Roger Federer.
In 1994, he became the first unseeded player in 28 years to win the championship over Michael Stich- marking an incredible comeback from wrist surgery and a run which eventually got him to No. 1 in the world and took his rivalry with Pete Sampras to new heights.
"Andre announcing his retirement is truly the end of an era," Sampras said recently. "He was one of the best players I competed against and in turn made me a better player. His longevity and desire to compete at the highest level have been remarkable. He has brought a huge amount to our sport and will be missed."
Five years later, he would capture his second Open when he bested American Todd Martin in five sets. It also was the year he went on to win the French and became only the fifth man to ever win a career Grand Slam. That same year, he also reached the Wimbledon final but fell to archrival Sampras. He would finish the season ranked Number 1.
While he's been a great player on the court who could produce go for broke winners and thrill capacity crowds with his hustle, part of what's made him special is how he's been able to connect with those who come out to see him. Who could forget at the beginning of his special run to last year's final when he admitted to the audience afterwards he was nervous because they took time out of their busy schedules to see him? That kind of understanding has made the Las Vegas native showman very popular. That's why this final tour of duty is going to be something to behold no matter how long it lasts.
"I don't think there's anyone that's meant more in the last 20 years from how [Agassi] grew up as sort of a kid that didn't really- you know, obviously had the great talent in the game, but didn't really have an understanding of the history of the sport and the traditions and what it means," CBS tennis studio analyst Patrick McEnroe said during last week's conference call.
"To then basically be, you know, every time he says something, we all hang on the edge of our seats to hear what he has to say. He's really become the ultimate spokesperson for the game. The players respect him like nobody else. I think everyone in the game does."
That kind of recognition is what's personified Agassi's career. It's why analysts who cover the sport as well as his opponents have the ultimate respect for what he's accomplished.
"We're losing a legend," James Blake admitted of the player who's won 60 career titles and delivered over 800 wins including a memorable quarterfinal comeback last year from two sets down against the current fifth seed.
"Andre transcended tennis. We all owe him a great debt of gratitude for what he's done for the sport. He's left his mark on tennis, but he's also done so much through his foundation and starting a school in Las Vegas that's very inspirational."
For Agassi, it will be tough to duplicate last year's success. If he gets through first round opponent Andrei Pavel, the husband of Steffi Graf will have to deal with fiery Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. The eighth seeded Baghdatis was a surprise Australian Open runner-up and also made the Wimbledon semifinals. With powerful groundstrokes similar to Agassi and plenty of speed, he could prove to be a difficult foe for the American legend if it comes to fruition.
"Baghdatis plays a very similar style to Andre, and that's why I think it's a difficult matchup," McEnroe concluded. "He's very good off both sides. He can take the ball early and go up the line pretty easily. I think Andre likes to play someone at this stage that can't make him move that quickly, and Baghdatis has the ability to take the ball early and make Andre change direction quickly. So I think if Baghdatis is on and healthy and fit, I think that's a very tough match for Andre to win right now."
No matter what, he's impacted so many.
"[Agassi] revolutionized the game," CBS analyst Mary Joe Fernandez noted. "He has brought so much exposure. I just think he's a great person...He's given so much to the sport. For someone that good to be away from the sport, to have the injuries, to start from the bottom, I mean, he started the challenger level to work his way back and really dedicate himself all over again, is so impressive. He's a great role model for everyone of every age."
"You know, watching the video, you get the goosebumps. I can't imagine anyone who's not going to watch every single point of his matches at the US Open. I cannot wait to watch him."
Neither can anyone else.
It's why despite the aching back which has made the last year of the 36 year-old American's brilliant career tough, the two-time Open champion will get overwhelming support from an emotional crowd when the two week tournament of this year's final slam gets underway Monday.
Always a fan favorite, the charasmatic Agassi has never missed an Open in the 21 years he's entered- making it the only slam he's never pulled out of. From the American Rebel Image is Everything days with the long blonde hair, beard and baggy pants to the clean cut and shaven player who has tranformed over the years into a workman-like player who never gives away a point, New Yorkers have been blessed to watch this tennis great reinvent himself and capture two titles and finish runner-up four times including last year to repeat champion Roger Federer.
In 1994, he became the first unseeded player in 28 years to win the championship over Michael Stich- marking an incredible comeback from wrist surgery and a run which eventually got him to No. 1 in the world and took his rivalry with Pete Sampras to new heights.
"Andre announcing his retirement is truly the end of an era," Sampras said recently. "He was one of the best players I competed against and in turn made me a better player. His longevity and desire to compete at the highest level have been remarkable. He has brought a huge amount to our sport and will be missed."
Five years later, he would capture his second Open when he bested American Todd Martin in five sets. It also was the year he went on to win the French and became only the fifth man to ever win a career Grand Slam. That same year, he also reached the Wimbledon final but fell to archrival Sampras. He would finish the season ranked Number 1.
While he's been a great player on the court who could produce go for broke winners and thrill capacity crowds with his hustle, part of what's made him special is how he's been able to connect with those who come out to see him. Who could forget at the beginning of his special run to last year's final when he admitted to the audience afterwards he was nervous because they took time out of their busy schedules to see him? That kind of understanding has made the Las Vegas native showman very popular. That's why this final tour of duty is going to be something to behold no matter how long it lasts.
"I don't think there's anyone that's meant more in the last 20 years from how [Agassi] grew up as sort of a kid that didn't really- you know, obviously had the great talent in the game, but didn't really have an understanding of the history of the sport and the traditions and what it means," CBS tennis studio analyst Patrick McEnroe said during last week's conference call.
"To then basically be, you know, every time he says something, we all hang on the edge of our seats to hear what he has to say. He's really become the ultimate spokesperson for the game. The players respect him like nobody else. I think everyone in the game does."
That kind of recognition is what's personified Agassi's career. It's why analysts who cover the sport as well as his opponents have the ultimate respect for what he's accomplished.
"We're losing a legend," James Blake admitted of the player who's won 60 career titles and delivered over 800 wins including a memorable quarterfinal comeback last year from two sets down against the current fifth seed.
"Andre transcended tennis. We all owe him a great debt of gratitude for what he's done for the sport. He's left his mark on tennis, but he's also done so much through his foundation and starting a school in Las Vegas that's very inspirational."
For Agassi, it will be tough to duplicate last year's success. If he gets through first round opponent Andrei Pavel, the husband of Steffi Graf will have to deal with fiery Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. The eighth seeded Baghdatis was a surprise Australian Open runner-up and also made the Wimbledon semifinals. With powerful groundstrokes similar to Agassi and plenty of speed, he could prove to be a difficult foe for the American legend if it comes to fruition.
"Baghdatis plays a very similar style to Andre, and that's why I think it's a difficult matchup," McEnroe concluded. "He's very good off both sides. He can take the ball early and go up the line pretty easily. I think Andre likes to play someone at this stage that can't make him move that quickly, and Baghdatis has the ability to take the ball early and make Andre change direction quickly. So I think if Baghdatis is on and healthy and fit, I think that's a very tough match for Andre to win right now."
No matter what, he's impacted so many.
"[Agassi] revolutionized the game," CBS analyst Mary Joe Fernandez noted. "He has brought so much exposure. I just think he's a great person...He's given so much to the sport. For someone that good to be away from the sport, to have the injuries, to start from the bottom, I mean, he started the challenger level to work his way back and really dedicate himself all over again, is so impressive. He's a great role model for everyone of every age."
"You know, watching the video, you get the goosebumps. I can't imagine anyone who's not going to watch every single point of his matches at the US Open. I cannot wait to watch him."
Neither can anyone else.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
IronBirds Trip Up Baby Bombers, Halt Home Streak At Six
STATEN ISLAND, NY -It had to end sometime. The Ironbirds came into St. George and halted the Baby Bombers' six-game home winning streak- defeating them by a score of 7-2 before 2,203 at Richmond County Ball Park Saturday night.
It was the Bombers' first home defeat since a 9-6 loss against Lowell back on August 6. Despite the defeat, Staten Island (39-34) still leads second place Brooklyn by five games in the McNamara Division. The Cyclones fell at home to the Renegades 3-1. Combined with the Birds' victory, the Cyclones lead Aberdeen (34-30) by just half a game.
Unable to put together a big inning against Ironbird starter Fernando De Nabal (2-3), the Bombers' best chance came in the fourth when they loaded the bases with one out for Jon Poterson but the DH grounded into a 4-6-3 twin killing to end the threat. De Nabal tossed five scoreless innings before giving way to the pen.
With the game still scoreless, Aberdeen struck first with two runs in the fifth off Staten Island starter Grant Duff (0-1). In his first start since coming over from Charleston, the southpaw who kept the Birds off the scoreboard the first four frames ran out of gas. After putting the first two runners on via a walk and double, he left the game after fanning Danny Figueroa.
Interim manager Carlos Chantres opted to bring in Edgar Omana. But on a full count to Pedro Florimon Jr., the lefty reliever uncorked a wild pitch which scored the first run. A batter later, a Miguel Abreu sac fly put the Birds in front by two.
A two out seventh inning rally by the Birds allowed them to double their lead. After retiring the first two batters, reliever Michael Dunn walked the bases loaded before allowing a two-run single to Kieron Pope.
Lately, the Baby Bombers have made a habit of coming back late. They tried to again with two of their own in the home seventh. With runners on second and third, Seth Fortenberry reached on Pope's error allowing both Jose Gil and Poterson to cross home suddenly cutting it to 4-2. But Mitch Hilligoss grounded out to end it.
After giving up two unearned runs, the Birds responded by taking advantage of three S.I. miscues to push across three unearned of their own and go up by five runs. With two runners on thanks to a Wilmer Pino error and a walk, Florimon Jr. singled in one. After a Fortenberry throwing error moved Florimon to third, he scored on an Abreu RBI fielder's choice to make it 6-2. A Chris Vinyard sac fly concluded the ugly inning.
The margin held up to give Aberdeen the first of the two-game series which concludes Sunday afternoon at St. George.
Notes: The game lasted three hours and 15 minutes. Each team combined for five errors and five unearned runs. ... Duff went 4.1 innings giving up two earned on two hits with four walks and three K's. ... Of the Bombers' six hits, only shortstop Chris Kunda finished with more than one hit going 2-for-4 in a losing effort. ... After concluding the series with Aberdeen, Staten Island will host Brooklyn Monday for the first of a home-and-home. It's the final two times they will meet during the regular season. Bombers' Magic Number to clinch the division is eight.
It was the Bombers' first home defeat since a 9-6 loss against Lowell back on August 6. Despite the defeat, Staten Island (39-34) still leads second place Brooklyn by five games in the McNamara Division. The Cyclones fell at home to the Renegades 3-1. Combined with the Birds' victory, the Cyclones lead Aberdeen (34-30) by just half a game.
Unable to put together a big inning against Ironbird starter Fernando De Nabal (2-3), the Bombers' best chance came in the fourth when they loaded the bases with one out for Jon Poterson but the DH grounded into a 4-6-3 twin killing to end the threat. De Nabal tossed five scoreless innings before giving way to the pen.
With the game still scoreless, Aberdeen struck first with two runs in the fifth off Staten Island starter Grant Duff (0-1). In his first start since coming over from Charleston, the southpaw who kept the Birds off the scoreboard the first four frames ran out of gas. After putting the first two runners on via a walk and double, he left the game after fanning Danny Figueroa.
Interim manager Carlos Chantres opted to bring in Edgar Omana. But on a full count to Pedro Florimon Jr., the lefty reliever uncorked a wild pitch which scored the first run. A batter later, a Miguel Abreu sac fly put the Birds in front by two.
A two out seventh inning rally by the Birds allowed them to double their lead. After retiring the first two batters, reliever Michael Dunn walked the bases loaded before allowing a two-run single to Kieron Pope.
Lately, the Baby Bombers have made a habit of coming back late. They tried to again with two of their own in the home seventh. With runners on second and third, Seth Fortenberry reached on Pope's error allowing both Jose Gil and Poterson to cross home suddenly cutting it to 4-2. But Mitch Hilligoss grounded out to end it.
After giving up two unearned runs, the Birds responded by taking advantage of three S.I. miscues to push across three unearned of their own and go up by five runs. With two runners on thanks to a Wilmer Pino error and a walk, Florimon Jr. singled in one. After a Fortenberry throwing error moved Florimon to third, he scored on an Abreu RBI fielder's choice to make it 6-2. A Chris Vinyard sac fly concluded the ugly inning.
The margin held up to give Aberdeen the first of the two-game series which concludes Sunday afternoon at St. George.
Notes: The game lasted three hours and 15 minutes. Each team combined for five errors and five unearned runs. ... Duff went 4.1 innings giving up two earned on two hits with four walks and three K's. ... Of the Bombers' six hits, only shortstop Chris Kunda finished with more than one hit going 2-for-4 in a losing effort. ... After concluding the series with Aberdeen, Staten Island will host Brooklyn Monday for the first of a home-and-home. It's the final two times they will meet during the regular season. Bombers' Magic Number to clinch the division is eight.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Baby Bombers Come From Behind To Beat Renegades
STATEN ISLAND, NY - Last year, the Staten Island Yankees made a habit of coming back late to win games en route to their third NY-Penn League championship. Lately, that's become the trend for this year's squad which sits atop the McNamara Division after another late rally to post a 5-4 victory over the Renegades (25-37) before 2,967 at Richmond County Ball Park Friday night.
"Another close one. Yesterday the same thing," Jon Poterson said after finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI ground rule double in the second which tied the score. "We know when we're down, we know we got a shot no matter what."
A night removed from another late comeback win at Hudson Valley, the Baby Bombers (39-23) pulled another magic rabit out of their hat. After the Renegades pushed three across in the top of the seventh to untie the game, the Bombers immediately responded with a two out rally to tie it.
After the first two batters struck out, left fielder Brian Aragon reached on Hudson Valley shortstop Jairo de la Rosa's error. After Chris Kunda singled, Ben Rulon came in for Jeremy Hellickson and walked Wilkins De La Rosa to load the bases to set the stage for NY-Penn League leading hitter Wilmer Pino. The second baseman delivered with a bases clearing double to tie it. Rulon finally K'd Mitch Hilligoss looking to end the inning.
With the game knotted, pitching coach Carlos Chantres opted to bring in closer Nick Peterson to pitch the eighth. He worked in and out of trouble stranding three before his teammates scratched out the go-ahead run on a Aragon sac fly which scored Colin Curtis.
"In that situation, you just want to put the ball in play," Aragon said. "It was a great win. We had a good crowd and a tie ballgame late in the game, it was good enough to wrap it up."
"The boys battled out there all night long," Chantres said. "We never give up. You got to keep going and swing the bat. [Pino] came up with a clutch hit. That was big for us right there. Tied the game up."
"We never give up. That's what we teach these guys. We play till the last out."
Given a one-run lead, Peterson (4-3) made it stand up by impressively striking out the side to give Staten Island its sixth consecutive home win.
Notes: Chantres managed the team in place of Gaylen Pitts, who was serving a suspension stemming from a recent incident at Brooklyn in which the already ejected skipper cameback out to argue over a third S.I. Yankee batter being plunked in their blowout win. ... In his first start for Staten Island, Angel Reyes went 4.2 innings on one run (unearned), three hits while fanning six. ... The game took three hours and 11 minutes to play. After it was completed, Fireworks were on display and then a special concert was performed as part of Merenge Night. ... Baby Bombers host Aberdeen later tonight.
"Another close one. Yesterday the same thing," Jon Poterson said after finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI ground rule double in the second which tied the score. "We know when we're down, we know we got a shot no matter what."
A night removed from another late comeback win at Hudson Valley, the Baby Bombers (39-23) pulled another magic rabit out of their hat. After the Renegades pushed three across in the top of the seventh to untie the game, the Bombers immediately responded with a two out rally to tie it.
After the first two batters struck out, left fielder Brian Aragon reached on Hudson Valley shortstop Jairo de la Rosa's error. After Chris Kunda singled, Ben Rulon came in for Jeremy Hellickson and walked Wilkins De La Rosa to load the bases to set the stage for NY-Penn League leading hitter Wilmer Pino. The second baseman delivered with a bases clearing double to tie it. Rulon finally K'd Mitch Hilligoss looking to end the inning.
With the game knotted, pitching coach Carlos Chantres opted to bring in closer Nick Peterson to pitch the eighth. He worked in and out of trouble stranding three before his teammates scratched out the go-ahead run on a Aragon sac fly which scored Colin Curtis.
"In that situation, you just want to put the ball in play," Aragon said. "It was a great win. We had a good crowd and a tie ballgame late in the game, it was good enough to wrap it up."
"The boys battled out there all night long," Chantres said. "We never give up. You got to keep going and swing the bat. [Pino] came up with a clutch hit. That was big for us right there. Tied the game up."
"We never give up. That's what we teach these guys. We play till the last out."
Given a one-run lead, Peterson (4-3) made it stand up by impressively striking out the side to give Staten Island its sixth consecutive home win.
Notes: Chantres managed the team in place of Gaylen Pitts, who was serving a suspension stemming from a recent incident at Brooklyn in which the already ejected skipper cameback out to argue over a third S.I. Yankee batter being plunked in their blowout win. ... In his first start for Staten Island, Angel Reyes went 4.2 innings on one run (unearned), three hits while fanning six. ... The game took three hours and 11 minutes to play. After it was completed, Fireworks were on display and then a special concert was performed as part of Merenge Night. ... Baby Bombers host Aberdeen later tonight.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Hilligoss Enjoying Life In New York, Rivalry With Cyclones
STATEN ISLAND, NY -Mitch Hilligoss continued to impress. The third baseman delivered a walkoff hit with the bases loaded to give the Baby Bombers a 2-1 extra inning victory over their Verrazano rivals the Cyclones Sunday at St. George.
His clutch hit staked the Bombers to a perfect four-game homestand and increased their McNamara Division lead to three games over Brooklyn.
"The rivalry is great," an excited Hilligoss expressed after his second walkoff hit against the Cyclones in 12 days. "The fans love it. It's a big league atmosphere when we play them. It's what I expected. New York Yankees and Mets games or Yankees and Red Sox games- you know the same calibre playing minor league baseball."
One of six Staten Island players to represent them at last Tuesday's All Star Game in Aberdeen, the former University of Purdue star has been one of the ballclub's best players this season. Selected in the sixth round of this past June's MLB Draft, the 21 year-old Windsor Illinois native has made a smooth transition from college to the pros.
After starting the year at shortstop, he's adjusted well to playing at the hot corner. While the versatile Hilligoss has played steady D all season, he's also swung a good bat for the Baby Bombers. Entering tonight's game at Brooklyn, he was hitting .318 with a home run and 31 RBI's. A solid line drive lefty hitter who can drive the ball into the gaps, he takes advantage of what pitchers give him.
Also very disciplined, he's drawn 22 walks to hike his on-base percentage to a team high .390. Also possessing good speed, he's a threat to run and has stolen eight bases while only being caught once.
That kind of overall game is what's helped him have success this summer. He's also enjoyed his first season under first-year skipper Gaylen Pitts.
"[Pitts] is a great guy," the offensive star of the AL's 4-1 recent win over the NL in the NY-Penn League All Star Game said. "He just tells us to go out and have fun and play baseball hard. The way it should be and we've responded and I think we've played well for him."
While he's enjoyed his time on the field, Hilligoss has also had fun off it when he and teammates have gotten a chance to check out New York.
"Actually, we go to Manhattan on our off days," he said. "Sometimes like tonight, we may go when we have time. It's a great place to visit. I don't know how much you want to live here with the people and stuff cause I'm from a small town but I love Manhattan. It's a great place."
While some of his teammates prefer another area, one spot in particular stands out for the first-year player.
"I really like Times Square," he noted. "A lot of the guys like Canal Street because you can get some cheap stuff there but I'm a big fan of Times Square."
If he continues to progress well at the minor league level, maybe one day Hilligoss will get to see a lot more of it in the future.
His clutch hit staked the Bombers to a perfect four-game homestand and increased their McNamara Division lead to three games over Brooklyn.
"The rivalry is great," an excited Hilligoss expressed after his second walkoff hit against the Cyclones in 12 days. "The fans love it. It's a big league atmosphere when we play them. It's what I expected. New York Yankees and Mets games or Yankees and Red Sox games- you know the same calibre playing minor league baseball."
One of six Staten Island players to represent them at last Tuesday's All Star Game in Aberdeen, the former University of Purdue star has been one of the ballclub's best players this season. Selected in the sixth round of this past June's MLB Draft, the 21 year-old Windsor Illinois native has made a smooth transition from college to the pros.
After starting the year at shortstop, he's adjusted well to playing at the hot corner. While the versatile Hilligoss has played steady D all season, he's also swung a good bat for the Baby Bombers. Entering tonight's game at Brooklyn, he was hitting .318 with a home run and 31 RBI's. A solid line drive lefty hitter who can drive the ball into the gaps, he takes advantage of what pitchers give him.
Also very disciplined, he's drawn 22 walks to hike his on-base percentage to a team high .390. Also possessing good speed, he's a threat to run and has stolen eight bases while only being caught once.
That kind of overall game is what's helped him have success this summer. He's also enjoyed his first season under first-year skipper Gaylen Pitts.
"[Pitts] is a great guy," the offensive star of the AL's 4-1 recent win over the NL in the NY-Penn League All Star Game said. "He just tells us to go out and have fun and play baseball hard. The way it should be and we've responded and I think we've played well for him."
While he's enjoyed his time on the field, Hilligoss has also had fun off it when he and teammates have gotten a chance to check out New York.
"Actually, we go to Manhattan on our off days," he said. "Sometimes like tonight, we may go when we have time. It's a great place to visit. I don't know how much you want to live here with the people and stuff cause I'm from a small town but I love Manhattan. It's a great place."
While some of his teammates prefer another area, one spot in particular stands out for the first-year player.
"I really like Times Square," he noted. "A lot of the guys like Canal Street because you can get some cheap stuff there but I'm a big fan of Times Square."
If he continues to progress well at the minor league level, maybe one day Hilligoss will get to see a lot more of it in the future.
Hilligoss Walks Off Against Cyclones In 10
STATEN ISLAND, NY -Mitch Hilligoss finally made the Cyclones pay. In his first game back after missing the prior two due to a sore lower back from being plunked, the Staten Island third baseman delivered a walkoff hit with the bases loaded in the 10th to lift the first place Baby Bombers (35-22) over Brooklyn (32-25) 2-1 before 4,641 at Richmond County Ball Park Sunday afternoon.
Their fourth consecutive win allowed them to finish perfect on the homestand and pull three games up in the McNamara Division on the suddenly slumping Cyclones, who dropped its fifth in a row.
With the game tied at one, Bomber first baseman Kevin Smith ledoff the 10th with an opposite field single and was sacrificed to second by Chris Kunda. Brooklyn reliever Josh De La Torre (0-1) opted to intentionally walk Wilkins De La Rosa for the second time in three innings. This time, he didn't get a chance to get out of the jam.
Instead, German Marte came in and threw a wild pitch to move both runners into scoring position. They then intentionally walked Seth Fortenberry to load the bases for Hilligoss. In a similar situation, he grounded out to short to end the eighth. Hitless in his first four at bats, he came through with a sharp single past shortstop Luis Rivera to give Staten Island it's latest thrilling walkoff victory.
"That situation with two outs is a little different situation. You intentionally walk, eventually it's going to have to kill you," the latest hero pointed out.
"Unbelievable pitching. Soto, Trubee and Hovis were lights out for us and have been. And these are good games because they're in our division. Now we're three games up on these guys and there's a couple of weeks left."
Hilligoss was referring to the tandem of starter Edgar Soto and relievers Luke Trubee and Jonathan Hovis, who combined to allow just one run on three hits while fanning six in the game.
Soto went the first six giving up only one run in the second on a Jeremy Hambrice RBI ground out which scored Jesus Gamero to put the Cyclones up a run.
After Trubee tossed a scoreless seventh, the Baby Bombers took advantage of left fielder Dustin Martin's two-base error which allowed Hilligoss to reach. After a Kyle Larsen ground out to the right side moved him over, Hilligoss scored the tying run on a Colin Curtis sac fly.
The game stayed that way till the 10th.
Notes: Baby Bombers head to PNC Park against Brooklyn for the second game of a home-and-home later tonight to start a four-day road trip with stops in Aberdeen and Hudson Valley before returning home at St. George to host the Renegades this Friday.
Their fourth consecutive win allowed them to finish perfect on the homestand and pull three games up in the McNamara Division on the suddenly slumping Cyclones, who dropped its fifth in a row.
With the game tied at one, Bomber first baseman Kevin Smith ledoff the 10th with an opposite field single and was sacrificed to second by Chris Kunda. Brooklyn reliever Josh De La Torre (0-1) opted to intentionally walk Wilkins De La Rosa for the second time in three innings. This time, he didn't get a chance to get out of the jam.
Instead, German Marte came in and threw a wild pitch to move both runners into scoring position. They then intentionally walked Seth Fortenberry to load the bases for Hilligoss. In a similar situation, he grounded out to short to end the eighth. Hitless in his first four at bats, he came through with a sharp single past shortstop Luis Rivera to give Staten Island it's latest thrilling walkoff victory.
"That situation with two outs is a little different situation. You intentionally walk, eventually it's going to have to kill you," the latest hero pointed out.
"Unbelievable pitching. Soto, Trubee and Hovis were lights out for us and have been. And these are good games because they're in our division. Now we're three games up on these guys and there's a couple of weeks left."
Hilligoss was referring to the tandem of starter Edgar Soto and relievers Luke Trubee and Jonathan Hovis, who combined to allow just one run on three hits while fanning six in the game.
Soto went the first six giving up only one run in the second on a Jeremy Hambrice RBI ground out which scored Jesus Gamero to put the Cyclones up a run.
After Trubee tossed a scoreless seventh, the Baby Bombers took advantage of left fielder Dustin Martin's two-base error which allowed Hilligoss to reach. After a Kyle Larsen ground out to the right side moved him over, Hilligoss scored the tying run on a Colin Curtis sac fly.
The game stayed that way till the 10th.
Notes: Baby Bombers head to PNC Park against Brooklyn for the second game of a home-and-home later tonight to start a four-day road trip with stops in Aberdeen and Hudson Valley before returning home at St. George to host the Renegades this Friday.
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