Mauresmo defeats Sugiyama in close semifinal

Amelie Mauresmo
By Etienne Stekelenburg
November 2 2003

Amelie Mauresmo of France defeats Japanese Ai Sugiyama in three sets. Mauresmo fought back after trailing 6-3 and 5-1 for a place in the Advanta final. She won the second set winning the tiebreak and the third set 7-5.

Amelie Mauresmo did not play her best tennis in the first two sets of the Advanta semifinal against Ai Sugiyama. The French number one had too many unforced errors. She lost her serve in the seventh game to Sugiyama on 15-40. The Japanese Sugiyama won the first set 6-3. In the 8th service game Mauresmo saved 6 set points for 5-3 but could not break back when Sugiyama served for 6-3 and the first set.

In the second set it looked like Sugiyama could bring home her first victory against Mauresmo. Their Head-to-Head is 5-0 for the Frenchwoman; the sixth looked like it was going to Sugiyama. She was leading 5-1 when Mauresmo got her wake-up call and served for 5-2.

Sugiyama saw Mauresmo getting better into the match and hitting less unforced errors. Sugiyama tried to attack at the net but failed every time she approached it. Mauresmo managed to hit crosscourt and winners down the line when Sugiyama was at the net. Mauresmo pulled out a tiebreak to safe the match.

Sugiyama managed to take Mauresmo’s first service in the tiebreak but lost her own. She took a 5-1 lead when Mauresmo broke the Japanese serve for 5-3. The French woman was broken for Sugiyama’s first match point 6-3 when Sugiyama could not finish and was broken on both her next serves for 6-5.

Mauresmo pulled out some passing shots when Sugiyama tried to beat her at the net a crosspassing shot equaled the tiebreak for 6 all. Mauresmo also scored the next two points and won the tiebreak for the second set 8-6 and 1 all in sets.

Sugiyama thought the answer to beat Mauresmo could be in playing volleys at the net but she only scored one point at the net. Mauresmo won all the other net approaches who was passing the Japanese as if she was not there.

In the third set Sugiyama was broken in the third game but she could come back when she broke Mauresmo in the 6th game for 3 all. Sugiyama broke again in the 9th game but lost her own serve for 5-5. In the 11th service game Sugiyama asked for a medical time out due to cramps and lost her game. Mauresmo could serve for the victory and did so after fighting off a breakpoint on 30-40. Leaving the scoreboard at
3-6, 6-6 (6) and 7-6 for Mauresmo.