Sargsian survives against Massu
By THE JOURNAL NEWS

The Journal News.com, NY
Sept 3 2004

It took Sargis Sargsian 5 hours and 10 minutes to beat No. 10 Nicolas
Massu 6-7 (6), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4, the second-longest match in
U.S. Open history. The first set alone lasted 83 minutes. Michael
Chang and Stefan Edberg hold the record with their 5:26 match in the
1992 Open. … In a matchup between two Grand Slam winners, 2002
Australian Open champ Thomas Johansson defeated this year’s French
Open winner, No. 9 Gaston Gaudio, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. 2004 French
Open winner Anastasia Myskina also was eliminated yesterday. …
Louis Armstrong Stadium was filled to capacity while Maria Sharapova
and Jelena Jankovic were still warming up for their second-round
match. Latecomers were turned away. Sharapova needed 2:07 to defeat
Jankovic, the same amount of time she needed to win her first-round
match. It’s probably just a coincidence. … How hard is it to
complete a calendar-year Grand Slam? Consider this: Eleven horses
have won the Triple Crown, but only five tennis players have won the
Big Four in a calendar year, including Rod Laver, who did it twice.
… American Mardy Fish lost to Michal Tabara 6-3, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3,
6-3, and failed to advance past the second round for the fifth time
in as many U.S. Open appearances. Fish, however, did hit a home run
when he took batting practice at Shea Stadium on Wednesday. Tabara
advanced to the third round despite being out-aced 54-9 in his first
two matches. … Playing in her 13th U.S. Open, Chanda Rubin advanced
to the third round with a straight-set win over Antonella Serra
Zanetti. Rubin, 28, has made it to the third round in four of her
last five U.S. Opens, but has never made it past the fourth round.
… Eight of the 15 Russian women have advanced to the third round.
… No. 5 Tim Henman turns 30 on Monday. “It doesn’t seem quite right
to me,” he said. … Gov. Olene S. Walker of Utah showed up for the
day session Wednesday. “Arrested Development” star Jason Bateman
watched the night session. … You know you’re getting old when your
third-round opponent is young enough to list you as a tennis idol.
Eighteen-year-old Vera Douchevina faces her role model, No. 8
Jennifer Capriati, in the third round today.