Serena’s out!
NEW YORK — Unfairly, unbelievably, Serena Williams was robbed of a point by an umpire’s mistake at the U.S. Open, just like her sister was at Wimbledon.
It happened in the opening game of the third set between Williams and Jennifer Capriati, who went on to win their Open quarterfinal 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 Tuesday night.
“I’m very angry and bitter right now. I felt cheated. Shall I go on? I just feel robbed,” a composed Williams said, laughing a bit. “At first, I thought it was another Wimbledon conspiracy.”
The match was tight and testy, the way it almost always has been during their 17 matches: contested calls, spiked rackets, some gamesmanship and strokes pounded with power. A lot of power.
Capriati played superbly, without a doubt, but what always will be remembered is the miscue by chair umpire Mariana Alves of Portugal. She awarded the point to Capriati after Williams hit a backhand that landed in — and was ruled good by the line judge.
“I don’t need to see the replay. I know my shots. Not only was it in, it wasn’t even near the line,” said Williams, who couldn’t defend her 2002 Open title last year because of left knee surgery that forced her to miss eight months. “But I’m not making excuses. I didn’t lose because of that. I probably should have closed her out in the second set.”
Williams wound up losing that pivotal game, and though she did break right back, she was broken again to 2-1 and never recovered. TV replays also appeared to show at least two other incorrect calls that went against Williams in the final game, when Capriati needed three match points to serve it out.
“I didn’t even, like, look at it. It was close. I was just going to what the umpire said,” Capriati told the crowd afterward, drawing some boos and murmurs.
“Believe me, I’ve had things go against me many times, plenty of times. I deserve to get a call once in a while.”
In the semifinals, the eighth-seeded Capriati will face No. 6 Elena Dementieva, who outlasted No. 2 Amelie Mauresmo 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1) in a match marred by 24 double-faults, 82 unforced errors, 36 break points, and 14 service breaks. Mauresmo would have clinched the No. 1 ranking if she had won.
After all the theater of Capriati-Williams, defending men’s champion Andy Roddick assembled a matter-of-fact 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over No. 18 Tommy Robredo to reach the quarterfinals. Roddick’s next foe is No. 28 Joachim Johansson, who beat Michael Llodra 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.
Earlier, 2001 Open winner Lleyton Hewitt beat Karol Beck 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 for his 14th consecutive win, and Tommy Haas beat Tomas Berdych 7-6 (6), 6-1, 7-5, erasing three set points in the tiebreaker.
“I’m playing pretty solid tennis, day in, day out,” said Hewitt, who like Roddick has yet to drop a set.
Williams hadn’t either until Tuesday, but she was broken to start the second set when Capriati hit a deep return that forced a forehand wide.
“I fought hard, and I prevailed because of that,” said Capriati, who lost 6-1, 6-1 to Williams at Wimbledon but on Tuesday narrowed her head-to-head deficit to 10-7. “One point, I don’t think, changed the match.”
It was their third straight quarterfinal at a Slam, and much like Venus Williams’ loss to Lindsay Davenport in the fourth round Monday, this one could have been for the title.
For the first time since 1998, both Williams sisters will end a season without a single Grand Slam title between them.
Serena Williams has won six majors — including two at the U.S. Open — and Capriati has won three — though she’s never been to the final at Flushing Meadows.