The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 26

C2 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR MONDAY. SEPTEMBER 14, 1998 i i Jj lL- 11 Australian beats countryman Mark Philippoussis for second Grand Slam title. ii mm Mil i jm. ma jmi jm mms. 4 Patrick Rafter's road to back-to-back titles I.W 7t SUA' sis By Rob Gloster ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK It was Aussie Rules tennis at the U.S.

Open on Sunday and Patrick Rafter had by far the bigger, meaner game. Rafter retained his title with an awesome display of speed and accuracy, winning an all-Australian battle with Mark Philippoussis 6-3, 3-6. 6-2, 6-0. Both players dived to the concrete courts and sent volleys rocketing across the net. But Rafter had near perfection to go with his power: third-seeded Rafter had just five unforced errors against the unseeded Philippoussis, whose usually overpowering serve became a liability.

He had just five aces and 13 double faults, the last on the final point of the match. Rafter won the final 10 games. "Now I feel that last year wasn't such a Duke. Now I can look at people and say I've done it again," he said. "Having the experience last year really helped me in this match.

I was very relaxed out there." Rafter, who had to rally from a two-set deficit in the first round but was threatened again in the tournament, won $700,000 and Rafter's victory gave the Open its second consecutive repeat champion. Sampras won in 1995-96. As Australian flags waved in the stands, Rafter captured his sixth title of the year and improved his record to 25- 2 since Wimbledon. Rafter appeared to be in trouble just before taking command of the match. In the fifth game of the third set, he was up 40-0 but lost three consecutive points slamming his racket to the court after netting a volley to fall to deuce.

He came right back to hold his serve, though, beginning his run of 10 consecutive games. Included in that run was a streak of 12 unanswered points in the fourth set. "After the 2-all game, I think I Just showed a bit of emotion there, I was a bit frustrated," Rafter said. "1 just loosened up, and from there I just gained more and more confidence." Philippoussis was trying to join Andre Agassi as the only unseeded men's champion in U.S. Open history.

Agassi pulled off the feat in 1994. "This is a start of something in my career. I'm only 21 years old. I'm hoping and counting on having many more Sundays in Grand Slams," he said. "This is just a start for me.

Philippoussis swept to the final with power, blowing opponents off the court with 130-mph serves. His shots even sound different than those of other players they have a full-throated "THWACK" that approaches a roar. But Philippoussis' power was no match for the speed of Rafter, who has won all three of their career matches. The second set was the first Rafter ever lost in their rivalry. First round: def.

Hicham Arazi, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. Second round: def. Herman Gumy, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. Third round: def. David Nainkin, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1.

Fourth round: def. Goran Ivanisevic (14), 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Quarterfinals: def. Jonas Bjorkman (12), 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. Semifinals: def.

Pete Sampras (1), 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Championship: def. Mark Philippoussis, 6-3, Rafter faced just three break points in the match and lost his serve only once. His serve was broken only seven times in the seven rounds of the tournament. It was intense tennis from the start.

Late in the first set, Rafter tumbled to the court for a shot. When a ballboy brought over a towel, Rafter dried off the court not himself. Philippoussis made a similar dive later in the match. Though the two players are not close and didn't speak to each other most of the summer because of a feud that began when Philippoussis declined to play on the Australian Davis Cup team, there was a gentlemanly air to the match. When Rafter made bad service tosses and caught the ball instead of hitting it, he yelled, "Sorry, mate," across the net.

Associated Press WARM WELCOME: Bryan Herta celebrates after winning the Texaco-Havoline 300 at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif. It was his first victory on the CART FedEx Series. Herta's first victory worth the long wait moved up to No. 2 in the world rankings just behind Pete Sam- pras, whom he defeated Saturday in the semifinals. 1 The match was tied at one set apiece and 2-2 in the third set when Rafter took command.

After holding serve, Rafter moved to break point on an incredible point when he faced around the court to return an overhead, a forehand into the cor- ner and a drop shot. He broke Phl--Hppoussis' serve on the next point. i fC, MV.n i OS Associated Press Rafter then won the next eight games to close out the match. During changeovers, Rafter thought back to his five-set victory over Hicham Arazi in the first round. "I was thinking to myself, This is not right, I should be at he said.

"I was very lucky and I felt that way the whole tournament, very lucky to be here." Rafter, looking like a Samurai warrior with a pony tail and a mangy beard that he grew during the tournament, has a game tailor-made for the hard, fast courts and hard, fast balls of the U.S. Open. Philippoussis, in his first Grand Slam final, stayed in the match by saving 13 of 14 break points until midway through the third set, but Rafter converted five of his six break points after that. $4,999 Down. Payment is on 36 month lease plus 1st payment, sec.

deposit plus all taxes. 12k miyear. $6,191 Due at Lease Signing. i Hingis, Novotna team again to win women's doubles title i aaaA LUXURY is more than adding leather to a truck. '99 RX 300 1 Driver overcomes years of frustration and physical pain, edges Zanardi.

Associated Press Bryan Herta's wait for his first CART FedEx Series victory often frustrating and sometimes painful. In the Texaco-Havoline 300 Sunday at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Herta came up with his first victory in his 71st career start. The victory also gave Team Ra-hal, co-owned by teammate Bobby Rahal and talk show host David Letterman, its first victory since Rahal won at Nazareth, on Oct. 4, 1992. The 83-lap race on the 2.238-mile, 11 -turn road course had only one caution through the first 67 laps, but was a sea of yellow the rest of the way.

In the end, Herta had to hold off Alex Zanardi in a two-lap sprint to the checkered flag. Rookie Tony Kanaan finished third, followed by Dario Franchitti, who was coming off two consecutive victories, Jimmy Vasser and Al Unser Jr. On lap 82, Zanardi moved on the tail of Herta's Reynard-Ford as they neared the Corkscrew, a fast, blind, downhill turn. They kept saying 'Just look but I kept seeing that red nose (of Zanardi's Reynard-Honda) in my mirrors. I couldn't get away from it and I couldn't help looking," Herta said.

On the final restart, Herta said he made a slight bobble heading ward the Corkscrew. "I thought, 'Please, God, if I've got to run this thing off the end of the earth, I'm going to do he said. Zanardi, who last week wrapped up the PPG Cup championship for the second consecutive year, tried every trick he knew to get past, but Herta, who started from the pole, was up to the challenge, driving across the finish line 0.343 seconds ahead of Zanardi. "I have so many emotions going through me right now," Herta said. "I really have to take my hat off to Alex Zanardi.

Having him in my mirrors, knowing you beat him means you beat the best. We've had our run-ins on track but I've always had a lot of respect for him. It was great having him there at the end pushing me." Herta led all but two laps, those coming during a round of green- Ml NOTEBOOK year with four different partners. In 1997, she won six with five different partners. Hingis continues march Although she doesn't turn 18 until Sept.

30, Martina Hingis is already into double figures in Grand Slams. She has won four singles and six doubles titles since winning the 1996 Wimbledon doubles with Helena Sukova. Hingis has been in the finals of either singles or doubles of all the Grand Slams the past two years winning singles and doubles at the 1997 and 1998 Australian Opens. She still has a long way to go in overall Grand Slam victories, though. Margaret Smith Court of Australia won 62 titles 24 singles, 19 doubles and 19 mixed doubles crowns.

Martina Navratilova is in second place with 56 Grand Slam tournament victories. Lindsay closing in Lindsay Davenport is closing in on the No. 1 ranking in women's tennis. In the new WTA rankings this week, Davenport will trail Martina Hingis by 146 points the closest Davenport has gotten to the top spot this year. Hingis started the year 2,356 points ahead.

If Davenport overtakes Hingis, she will be the first American-born woman to hold the No. 1 ranking since Chris Evert last held the top spot Nov. 24, 1985. 4 Lip Lis 317471-4500 RECORDED MESSAGE flag pit stops in the second half of the race. "Unfortunately, we started in fifth place," said Zanardi, who is expected to announce next week he will move to Formula One in 1999.

"I had a great car today. I was hoping for a mistake, which didn't come. Bryan, I'm happy for you and I'm happy for my second place." Herta's best previous CART finishes were seconds at the 1995 Cleveland Grand Prix, the 1996 Marlboro 500 at Michigan Speedway and the 1996 race at Laguna Seca. He missed almost half the 1994 season after crashing at Toronto, fracturing his pelvis and upper right leg. "My hip and leg were built like a garage door," Herta said.

The doctors took the metal out with a Black and Decker drill." Didier Andre of France won the PPG-Dayton Indy Lights Championship race at Laguna Seca, av-erading 91.524 mph. Schumacher leads way Michael Schumacher led teammate Eddie Irvine to the checkered flag at the Formula One Grand Prix of Italy in Monza. Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen each have 80 points with two races remaining. Ferrari, given up for lost in the constructor's championship earlier this year, drew within 10 points of Hakkinen's McLaren-Mercedes team. Schumacher, who lost the lead with a slow start from the pole, regained it on lap 17 by passing Hakkinen immediately after David Coulthard's McLaren' retired from the race lead.

Hornaday rolls on Ron Hornaday came back from nearly two laps behind to beat Jay Sauter and win the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Memphis 200 Sunday at Motorsports Park in Millington, Term. Hornaday recorded his 23rd career victory, and sixth of the 1998 season, by .0441 seconds. He outran Sauter's Chevy during a final, two-lap duel, following the race's eighth caution. The victory enabled Hornaday to cut Jack Sprague's series lead to 15 points with six races remaining. Sprague finished ninth.

Frank Kimmel of Jeffersonville, driving a Chevrolet, won the Eddie Gil-strap Motors 200 for ARCA Bondo Mar-Hyde Series stock cars in Salem, Ind. Mike Stefanik of Coventry, R.I., won the NASCAR Busch North Series Hannaford-Shop Save 300 in Thompson, Conn. He averaged 77.302 mph. 13STOP wiiiliilmlwmiTitWriTil 10232 East US Hwy. 36 Avon, IN 46168 317-271-7755 2335 Conner St.

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1v 2 Associated Press NEW YORK Martina Hingis got her Grand Slam consolation prize in doubles. Less than 24 hours after her loss to Lindsay Davenport in the U.S. Open women's singles final, Hingis beat Davenport in the doubles final to complete a Grand Slam sweep. Hingis and Wimbledon singles champion Jana Novotna defeated Davenport and Natasha Zvereva 6-3, 6-3. It took 64 minutes for the victory and the winners shared $320,000, compared with the $400,000 Hingis received as the singles runner-up.

"I was kind of making history today for myself," Hingis said. "It's just nice, At least you have a nice trip back home." Novotna, who lost to Hingis in the singles semifinals, said her partner showed she was "more professional" than Davenport by playing hard in the doubles final. "It's pretty obvious that Lindsay was tired and she was satisfied with her singles victory," Novotna said. "And Martina was very professional to come back and play like that. It's very hard." Hingis and Novotna combined to win the French Open and Wimbledon before coming to New York.

Hingis paired with Mirjana Lucie to win the Australian Open as a wildcard entrant in January. Although known more for her singles success, Hingis has won more doubles titles than singles 21-19. She has won nine titles this For our hassle-free, us out edge. Bring Us Your Cable Bill tt) MOT Winners. You ever wonder how they got there? With stylish, durable Cintas work uniforms.

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