TENNIS: It had been billed as a grudge match, but if animosity ever really existed between Justine Henin-Hardenne, the number five seed, and Lindsay Davenport, the champion here three years ago, they were too exhausted to prolong any verbal arguments after a fourth-round match which lasted three hours and 13 minutes and ended with the Belgian, having fallen to the ground with cramp at 7-7 in the third set, winning 7-5, 5-7, 9-7 to reach tomorrow's quarter-finals.
"I thought I was going to die," said Henin.
It was perhaps an exaggeration, but there was no doubt she was in considerable pain and in danger of defaulting. She had already received treatment for blisters when her left thigh became troublesome in the third set, and she was treated again after keeling over with cramp while serving.
Although it was all strictly within the rules, there are those who believe that those rules are unfair. Davenport, who had squandered a 4-1 third-set lead, had to wait at a crucial moment while Henin recovered.
Ironically, the last time they met Henin had accused Davenport of faking injury and thus winning the match. Davenport had never lost in their five previous meetings, and though she admitted after yesterday's game that the Belgian had "played more consistent tennis than any time I played her in the past", she managed a mild dig: "I never thought I would be more fresh after a three-hour match than my opponent."
Immediately on the restart Henin, 0-15 on her serve, came up with a second service ace.
"What can you do?" said Davenport, the Wimbledon champion in 1999 and US Open champion the year before. "Just shake your head and say: 'Too good.' She came up with some great shots, but after you lose a match by a couple of points there's no reason to beat yourself up over it."
After undergoing knee surgery last year and missing three of the slams, the 26-year-old Davenport has worked hard to get back into contention in what may be her last year. Henin, the beaten Wimbledon finalist in 2001, is six years her junior and is brimming with ambition, and her greater determination may have given her the edge in the end.
The Belgian's recent marriage has certainly left her more relaxed and secure, although her long-time coach, Carlos Rodriguez, claimed she would have won the match in the second set "if she had a different head on her shoulders".
Henin has been inclined to lose from winning positions and this victory may be pivotal.
"Physically it was really hard because there were a lot of tough rallies, but to win was great for my confidence," she said.
It remains to be seen whether she can recover in time for her quarter-final against Spain's Virginia Ruano Pascual, who defeated Denisa Chladkova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3 to reach her second grand slam quarter-final, the first being eight years ago on her French Open debut. Assuming Henin's thigh problem is not serious, however, she is the clear favourite.
As expected, Venus Williams eased into the last eight with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Australia's Nicole Pratt, and she will play the Slovakian eighth seed Daniela Hantuchova, who beat Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 7-5, 6-3. Hantuchova (19), has now reached the quarter-finals of the past three grand slams. She lost in the third round to Williams here last year.
Only Anna Kournikova is more adored by the photographers, but unlike the Russian Hantuchova already has a singles title. Williams will be on her guard, but there is potential for an upset if the teenager can raise her game another notch. "She'll definitely be motivated to get a win against me," said Williams, "because she hasn't been able to yet."
France's Sebastien Grosjean, who is based in Boca Raton, Florida, will be the next man to try to take the ageing but still dancing feet from under the 32-year-old Andre Agassi, whose progress towards his fourth Australian Open final becomes more compelling after every round.
Yesterday the American number two seed's energy levels were preserved to the full here when the Argentinian Guillermo Coria, trailing 6-1, 3-1, retired with blisters, while Grosjean endured a gruelling five-setter against Spain's Felix Mantilla.
Agassi, despite being thankful for needing only half-a-day's work, was not impressed by Coria's excuses. "I could sit at home and watch all my opponents default. That's great and I'll have the trophy. But it's not what we are here for. You always want to play and you always want to finish."
It appeared that Coria (21), was beaten before he began. In 2001 he shot up the rankings to the top 30 but then failed a drugs test and was suspended, and his progress has stalled. Blisters can obviously be extremely painful but they rarely warrant retirement. There was much shrugging, gesticulating and apologising from Coria, but his excuses appeared pretty feeble.
By pulling out, he became the eighth man to retire during this year's tournament, a figure which excludes the withdrawal of Russia's Marat Safin at the start of the day with a wrist injury. The record number of retirements in any grand slam is nine, in last year's US Open, and that mark now looks threatened.
"Tennis is becoming too physical and everyone is getting injured. We play too much," said Safin. It is an old cry, and one that neither the players nor the authorities have ever done much to resolve, mainly because the sport is driven by money.
Agassi's longevity owes much to a career containing fallow periods which have enabled him to recharge and regroup. Currently he appears as fresh as a daisy, and it is hard to imagine Grosjean, for all his stickability, ending the run.
That said, the Frenchman has won two of their four meetings. "Sebastien is a phenomenally talented player who is one of the best shot-makers in the game," said Agassi.
