Sharapova sets up Mirza showdown, Hewitt through

By Bill Barclay

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Top seed Maria Sharapova dallied a
little longer on court at the U.S. Open on Friday before
reaching the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first
time.

The Russian beat German Julia Schruff 6-2, 6-4 in match
lasting over an hour on Arthur Ashe Court. She had lost only
three games in the first two rounds combined and can expect an
even tougher test in the last 16 against fast-rising Indian
Sania Mirza.

Australian third seed Lleyton Hewitt eased through to the
third round of the men’s singles but Russian sixth seed Nikolay
Davydenko and 1998 semi-finalist Carlos Moya of Spain suffered
surprise losses.

Schruff, ranked 87, won only one point in the first three
games but put up a fight in the second set, recovering from a
break down to level at 4-4 before slipping to defeat.

Sharapova’s preparations for the tournament were limited by
a pectoral muscle injury and she said: “I felt pretty good. I
haven’t had that many matches coming to the Open so it’s good
to get three matches in before the tough ones come.

“So far so good. When the tougher matches come I’m going to
put more power into my shots.”

Mirza became the first Indian woman to reach the fourth
round of a grand slam when she knocked out France’s Marion
Bartoli 7-6, 6-4.

The 18-year-old employed her heavy forehand to great effect
to surpass her run at the Australian Open, where she lost in
round three.

GLOBAL PHENOMENON

Mirza has a huge following among the one-billion-strong
population of India and her match with Sharapova, herself a
global tennis phenomenon, promises to be one of the highlights
of the tournament.

“I just came here thinking I wanted to win one round and
won three,” said Mirza who is ranked 42. “I’m very happy about
it.”

Hewitt, the 2001 champion, showed great opportunism to
defeat Argentina’s Jose Acasuso 7-6, 7-6, 6-2.

The Australian had to save a set point in the first set
tiebreak against world number 44 Acasuso.

Clay specialist Acasuso lost his concentration following a
dispute over a line call just before the second set tiebreak
and never recovered.

Hewitt’s faces a third-round meeting with American Taylor
Dent, the 25th seed.

Unseeded Thai Paradorn Srichaphan, ranked 51, upset
Davydenko 6-4, 7-5, 6-3. He will next play Italian David
Sanguinetti, who ousted 31st-seed Moya 3-6, 6-1 6-2, 6-4.