Straight Sets: U.S. Open 2011: Double Faults That Turned Tide

The most memorable serving is often the worst — the heart-breaking double faults, the serves at crucial moments that land a few inches long or wide. New York Times reporters recall some of the most notable double faults at the United States Open.Alex Corretja, 1996 – Alex Corretja was pretty much irrelevant to most people at the old Armstrong Stadium on a warm September night in 1996.He was a 22-year-old from Barcelona, ranked 31st in the world, one of those Spanish clay-court specialists, not the type to inflame American audiences. There are all kinds of grand upsets and near upsets at the United States Open, with fans pulling for strangers to knock off the favorites. This was not one of those.Corretja survived into the fifth set of a quarterfinal match mostly because Pete Sampras, the defending champion, was "stumbling around the Stadium Court like a bear who had been aroused from hibernation against his consent," in the words of Robin Finn of The Times.As <a href="http://www.salehandbagsbags.com"><strong>gucci handbags</strong></a> Finn described it, "He was even too tired to turn on the heat and throw some aces at the agile opportunist across the court."Somehow, Sampras managed to stay in the match, even when the heartless official gigged him for delay of match while he was being sick into a towel at the baseline. At one point, Sampras had to lean on his racket as he trudged into position, like a pensioner using a cane.In the fifth-set tie breaker, Sampras earned a match point with a second-serve ace, then Corretja double-faulted, the second serve long by inches. After 4 hours 9 minutes, the final score was 7-6 (5), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7)."It was probably the best match of my career, the best match and the worst one," Corretja said. – GEORGE VECSEYJennifer Capriati, 2004 – In 2004, Jennifer Capriati was perfectly poised to make her first Open final in 13 tries. After an awful start in her semifinal against Elena Dementieva, Capriati forced a third set and was serving at 6-5, the second time in as many years that she had the match on her racket.The capacity crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium was <a href="http://www.salehandbagsbags.com"><strong>Burberry handbags</strong></a> staunchly behind her, but the wind was not. It was swirling in her face. Capriati fell behind, 30-40, on a forehand winner and two solid volleys by Dementieva. On break point, Capriati double-faulted for the first and only time in the match.In the ensuing tie breaker, Capriati hit a winning forehand down the line at 1-1 but did not record another winner and lost, 6-0, 2-6, 7-6 (5). Meeting reporters afterward with eyes that were red and swollen from crying, Capriati said she hadn't tensed up, she simply hadn't been able to tame the wind. "I felt like I was running with weights," she said.Dementieva advanced despite eight double faults and a serve so shaky that one of her second serves was clocked at 57 miles per hour. Capriati broke her in six of eight service games in the final two sets, but couldn't hold her serve when it mattered most."Of course it's disappointing," Capriati said. "But life goes on."Capriati never played in another Open. – KAREN CROUSESerena Williams, 2009 — Perhaps no single serve was <a href="http://www.salehandbagsbags.com"><strong>dior handbags</strong></a> as contentious and volatile as the one Serena Williams threatened to drive down the throat of a lineswoman in a 2009 United States Open women's semifinal against Kim Clijsters.Already under caution for racket abuse in the previous set, Williams was called for a foot fault by the line judge on a second serve late in the second set, leading to one of the most abrupt and shocking endings in a major semifinal.Williams was down a set, trailing by 5-6 and serving at 15-30. The foot fault made it 15-40. Williams was so irate, she accosted the lineswoman in a profane and menacing outburst. She walked over to the stoic line judge, held the ball up to the woman's face and threatened to shove it down her throat.Williams was assessed a point penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, but she didn't have one to give. The foot fault had given Clijsters a match point, and the penalty gave her the match, 6-4, 7-5. Clijsters was as stunned as everyone else."It's just unfortunate that a battle like that has to end like that," Clijsters said.The next day, an apologetic Williams said she wanted to give the line judge "a big old hug." – DAVID WALDSTEIN