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Paes fails to qualify for US Open singles

Shailesh Soni

Leander Paes failed to qualify for the US Open men's singles tournament. The Indian ace, ranked No. 1 in doubles, lost in the first round of the singles qualifiers yesterday to Michael Hill of Australia 3-6, 6-7(4-7).

The match started with Paes dropping serve in the second game and falling behind 0-3. He did get a few break chances in the fourth game, at 30-40 and then at advantage out, but could not capitalise on them as Hill extended his lead to 4-1.

Paes then went through a couple of deuces before holding serve at 2-4. Both players traded love games before Hill wrapped up the set at 6-3.

In the first game of the second set, Paes, after going 30-0 up, suddenly faced a break attempt at 30-40, and after three more attempts at advantage out, fell behind 0-1 after six deuces. He tried to fight back, and had Hill at 0-40 immediately, but wasted three break chances, as Hill held serve to go up 2-0.

Paes was again down 30-40 and in a serious trouble, but suddenly came to life to hold serve. In the very next game he levelled the score 2-2, finally converting a break point. Then again in the fifth game he had two more break chances, but did not convert. He served three very easy games thereafter to go 5-4 up.

Then it was Hill who went down 0-30, but he fought off a set point at 30-40 and held serve. By this time Paes was probably disheartedned and was down 0-30 on his serve and once again in trouble. He managed to hold after four deuces and one break attempt to take the match into the tie-breaker.

In the tie-breaker, Paes was down a mini break at 0-2, but then took two points off Hill's serve, and was up 4-3. However, Hill won the last four points to finish it off and extend the Indian's misery in the singles.

Paes was a bit unlucky with a couple of bad calls early in the first set when he was broken in the second game. That perhaps affected him throughout. He kept having trouble with his forehand returns and in the end screamed "it is bound to happen", when Hill won the last four points after Paes was up a mini break in the tie-breaker.

Paes's losing streak in singles has reached five matches and ten sets in a row. But this isn't the first time he has lost so many matches in a row. In March-April 1997, he went through a six-match losing streak - to Knowles, Etlis, Norman, Blanco, Sinner and Koenig (the last one was to a qualifier in a Challenger) - but he bounced back. One hopes he will do that again. But for that he should take a good break all by himself down in Orlando, with his phone and everything else off the hook.

Now India's only hope at the US Open singles is Nirupama Vaidyanathan, who faces Katalin Marosi of Hungry in the second round today.

Meanwhile, Mahesh Bhupathi and Wayne Ferreira pulled off a tough win - 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 - over Silcock/Taino in the first round doubles match at the $325,000 Hamlet Cup at Commack, Long Island.