Ivan Lendl, steady as a rock, has taken his annual spot in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
This time, the tournament's fifth seed did it by outlasting No. 12 Goran Ivanisevic 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday."It was the hardest match so far for me in this tournament, even though in the first one I saved two match points," Lendl said. "I thought this one was harder. I had to play better, and I did."
Lendl was in the U.S. Open final a record-tying eight consecutive years, from 1982 through 1989, winning three straight titles beginning in 1985. This is his 10th consecutive year in the quarterfinals.
The Lendl-Ivanisevic battle pitted two sluggers battling from the baseline.
"I would have come in more if I had a chance," Lendl said, "but he was hitting the ball really heavy. I found it real hard."
Ivanisevic, a left-hander from Yugoslavia who combines a huge serve, strong groundstrokes and a sure volley, also stayed back.
"I played too defensive to beat him, you know," Ivanisevic said. "You cannot play against Lendl like that."
The two traded groundstrokes from the beginning, probing, trying to find a weakness. And that came unexpectantly in the 11th game of the opening set when Ivanisevic called for trainer Bill Norris and had his back wrapped. He said it affected his play.
"I have pain in the back and I couldn't serve in the middle of the third set," Ivanisevic said. "I was throwing the ball lower. Every time I throw higher, I had unbelievable plain and then I started to make a lot of errors on my serve, double-faults, because I was rushing."
Lendl saw it differently.
"I think he just got tired," Lendl said, referring to the fourth set.
"The only time I noticed that he was doing anything different, it was at 5-1, that he started serving softly. But I don't think it mattered at that stage.'