Australia may be giants in the tennis world but one of their biggest hitters was beaten yesterday by an unheralded player from tiny Armenia.
Sargis Sargsian silenced a partisan Rod Laver Arena crowd and sent hometown boy Mark Philippoussis reeling from the Australian Open, prevailing 5-7 7-5 6-0 6-4.
The success means Sargsian, who practices with Andre Agassi, is in the last 16 of a grand slam for the first time in his career.
“It was like a disease. I lost count of how many times I got to the third round and never got through,” he said.
“To do it in front of such a good crowd and against such a good player, it’s probably my best win.”
Philippoussis has only just returned from an knee injury, however, and today some of the rust showed.
Agassi stayed in contention for a fourth Australian title with a triumph over Nicolas Escude.
With the match tied at one set apiece, Escude forced 13 break points but converted only the first as Agassi dug deep time and again. He eventually won 6-2 3-6 6-3 6-4.
“The third set was pretty fortunate for me all the way around, to be quite honest,” Agassi said.
“I was down many breakpoints throughout the whole set. I felt like it was 0-30 or 15-40 every time I went to serve.”
Agassi faces Guillermo Coria, who continued his fine form to beat Jarkko Nieminen 7-5 6-2 6-2. The big shock of the day was the exit of French Open champion Albert Costa, who was beaten by compatriot Felix Mantilla in five sets.
Mantilla, ranked 73 in the world, twice forced his way back into the match from a set down before clinching the last to win 3-6 6-3 4-6 6-1 6-3.
Second seed Venus Williams struggled to hold serve against Germany’s Anca Barna but still had too much firepower and won through to the last 16 without expending too much energy.
Barna forced 12 break points in the match but converted only two as Williams secured a 6-1 6-4 win.
The American was broken to love in the first game but then won six games on the spin to see out the first set in double-quick time.
The wobbles returned as Barna moved into a 4-1 lead and held three break points to be in a position to serve for the set.
But the sixth game proved the turning point as Williams raised the standard, saved all three points to reduce Barna’s lead to 4-2 and then won the next four games to seal victory.
“I just wasn’t too keen on losing that game,” she said. “I was able to come through. I think at 4-1 down I decided to miss a lot less than what I had and it helped.”
Fifth seed Justine Henin-Hardenne came through in straight sets against Katarina Srebotnik and will face American Lindsay Davenport in an enticing last 16 tie.
Henin-Hardenne ended up winning 6-2 6-0 in exactly an hour, exposing the 21-year-old with 22 winners in a dominant display.
“I was a bit nervous before the match because I didn’t know her at all. You know, she’s almost in the top 30 so she’s a good player,” she said. Davenport was in prime form as she buried memories of a tortuous display in the last round to beat Tatiana Panova 6-2 6-1. “It was a great match for me to play,” she said. “I played exactly the way I wanted to play, which was attacking a lot of balls.”
Marlene Weingartner’s memorable Open campaign was ended by Virginia Ruano Pascual.
Jennifer Capriati’s conqueror lost 6-1 4-6 6-4 to the Spaniard.
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