NEW YORK – Along with everything else that had befallen the U.S. Open, to have lost Maria Sharapova last night would have been cataclysmic.
It might have happened. Serving at 5-6 in the opening set, Sharapova faced a couple of set points, but she resisted them and came on for a 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-0) conquest of Tatiana Golovin of France that kept her in a tournament that can use her charisma.
The most grievous blow to the event was losing a possible Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal men's final with Nadal's loss to Mikhail Youzhny of Russia. Nadal's presence here was important, but so, too, is Sharapova's, particularly with defending champion Kim Clijsters not playing and Serena Williams having been dismissed.
Sharapova's victory moves her into a semifinal tomorrow against No. 1 seed Amelie Mauresmo, who was not extended in stopping Dinara Safina of Russia 6-2, 6-3. In the other semifinal, Jelena Jankovic is to go against Justine Henin-Hardenne, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Lindsay Davenport.
Sharapova said she had expected a stern test from Golovin, whom she has known since they were attending the same Florida tennis academy.
“She is one tough cookie,” Sharapova said of Golovin, who had to be tough to continue playing despite the blister she developed on her right foot in the first set. During the tiebreak, Golovin had her foot taped and was not out of the 2-hour and 11-minute duel until Sharapova ran the table in the second-set tiebreaker.
Golovin remembered that when she first began playing Sharapova, she and Sharapova were 7 or 8 years old.
“She would beat me 6-0, 6-0,” said Golovin, “but when we've played as professionals, they always have been tough matches. I pressure her forehand; my forehand is my best shot. Mentally, I don't think she likes to play me.”
Davenport's match against Henin-Hardenne had been viewed as a possible herald of Davenport's retirement, but the Southern California woman said she is uncertain what course she will take.
In her postmatch remarks, Davenport, 30, sounded like a player planning to continue her career.
“I feel good; I feel happy,” she said. “I've accomplished a lot the last three weeks. Some days, you play a person better than you. I feel I would have beaten most players today.”
But she could not get past Henin-Hardenne, who now has beaten her seven straight times. The Belgian woman had to be treated during the second set for a rib injury, but the velocity of her strokes and her serve did not wane.
Davenport said she considers Henin-Hardenne the leading women's player in the world.
“The better I hit the ball, the better she hits the ball,” said Lindsay. “I don't know how to hit junk balls and high balls. Some of the stuff that people might do to her to mess her up, I don't have that game.
“But she hits the ball great. I think she competes well. She's a great athlete.”
Davenport noted that she has won the last 10 or 11 times she has engaged Mauresmo. But she has not bested Henin-Hardenne since 2002 on a carpet in Zurich.
At one point, Dinara Safina was engaging Mauresmo at Louis Armstrong Stadium at the same time Safina's brother, Marat Safin, was opposing Tommy Haas in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Matters did not work out well for either of the siblings, whose personalities are similar. They are not the most positive of persons.
Safina said after her defeat that she sensed when she went onto the court that she had misplaced the confidence she had developed earlier in the tournament.
“Suddenly, I like was going for too much, you know,” said the Russian woman.
Mauresmo's comfortable victory positions her favorably for tomorrow's semifinals. She will be rested coming into her joust against Sharapova.
Sharapova never has beaten Mauresmo.
“The change of pace probably is something that she doesn't like, and that's my game,” Mauresmo said. “I'm not going to change, you know. I usually don't change many things. Of course, a few things here and there, depending on the opponent.”
Jerry Magee: (619) 293-1830; jerry.magee@uniontrib.com
