Rafter quells Youzhny's challenge

By Nirmal Shekar

LONDON, JULY 2. Pat Rafter is not really in the Zone. He is in A Zone - one of his own, an exalted state that is his own nirvana as a tennis player.

From abandonment comes tranquility, says the Bhagavad Gita. For the genial Aussie, a two-time U.S. Open champion, the peaceful emotional ambience of his inner self, so much a catalyst to his successes on the big stage this year, is the result of a simple decision.

At the start of the season, Rafter, still only 28, a year younger than Pete Sampras and three years Andre Agassi's junior, decided that he'd take a long, indefinite break from the game at the end of the year. Maybe he'd come back, may be he wouldn't.

That decision, a shock to many, a big surprise to a few, but a well thought-out one on his own part, has been the key to unlocking a door and letting loose a carefree champion performer who may very well turn what is likely to be his last year in the sport into his very best.

In the 2001 Wimbledon Championships on Monday, Rafter, a finalist here last year and seeded No. 3 this year, did not seem to be in the teaching mood. But a young Russian of whom we are going to hear a lot in the years to come - Mikhail Youzhny - forced the master to tutor him on the intricacies of the grass court game.

Ever the gentleman, Rafter obliged. And the result was a feast for the spectators on Court No. 2 and a wonderful learning experience for the 19-year old Youzhny, apart from the fact that it piloted Rafter to the quarterfinals with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 fourth round victory.

Youzhny, who should soon take his place in the elite category of youngsters, among such prominent names as Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick, threatened to blow the handsome Australian away at the start before Rafter regrouped to play some truly authoritative serve-and-volley tennis to which the young man had no answer.

Rafter had a great start to the year when he made the semifinals of his home Slam for the first time at Melbourne before losing to Agassi in five sets. He was leading by two sets to one when cramps did him in at the Australian Open.

And, at Wimbledon, Rafter has played with tremendous confidence and skills so far, although his best tennis today did not come out until Youzhny ran away with the first set in quick time.

The young Russian hit some blistering return winners and passes, especially on the backhand, as he broke Rafter's serve in the fifth and seventh games. The Australian was a little slow to the net and often didn't do much with his first volleys.

``He came out on fire. I thought I was going home,'' said Rafter. ``It's a very different court and I took time getting used to it. And it was hot and muggy out there.''

But Rafter upped the tempo on his serve in the second set, chipped and charged in style and broke Youzhny's serve for the first time in the eighth game with a delightful angled backhand volley.

The third set was a romp for Rafter who broke the Russian's serve in the third and seventh games but Youzhny stood his ground for a long time in the third set. Time and again, the Russian fought off breakpoints and when he fended off four in the seventh game, one that went to eight deuces, it appeared that Rafter would remain on court for some time to come.

But, after fighting off 11 of 14 breakpoints on his serve in the match, the pressure finally got to Youzhny who double faulted when Rafter set up the 15th in the 11th game. The Aussie said thank you and wrapped up the match.

``After I broke him in the second set, I knew I had a chance and my gameplan worked out,'' said Rafter. ``I am really doing well to figure out matches. If you can't do that you are in trouble. I feel my game is pretty close to its best. I'd give myself a 50-50 chance against anybody.''

He should certainly be giving himself more than that against his next opponent. Rafter will play Thomas Enqvist of Sweden, seeded 10, in the quarterfinals. Enqvist had an easy day in the office as he raced past Guillermo Canas of Argentina 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

Another quarterfinal pits a resurgent Goran Ivanisevic, a three- time finalist here, against Marat Safin, the fourth seed.

Ivanisevic recorded his ninth straight victory over Greg Rusedski of Britain in a match that failed to live up to its billing. Ivanisevic, who won 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4 was virtually unstoppable once he hit a return winner on the first point of the tie-break. Safin, for his part, was very much in command from the start as he beat Arnaud Clement of France 6-0, 6-3, 6-2.

Meanwhile, in the women's championship, Lindsay Davenport, the 1999 champion and seeded No. 3 this year, stamped out a serious challenge from Jelena Dokic for a 7-5, 6-4 victory that put her in the quarterfinals.

Down a break early in the first set, Davenport fought back to level terms and then broke Dokic's serve in the 11th game. In the second, Dokic lost serve in the seventh game but this was a match in which almost all the games were keenly fought.

Davenport will play Kim Clijsters, the French Open finalist, in the quarterfinals. Clijsters won a pair of tiebreaks for a 7- 6(2), 7-6(5) victory over Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States.

But the quarterfinal that is far more appealing, on paper, is the one between Jennifer Capriati and Serena Williams. Both won comfortably in the fourth round today. Serena outplayed Maggie Maleeva 6-2, 6-1 while Capriati stormed past Sandrine Testud 6-1, 6-2.

The results (prefix denotes seedings):

Men's singles (fourth round): 3-Pat Rafter (Aus) bt Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5; 10-Thomas Enqvist (Swe) bt Guillermo Canas (Arg) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1; Goran Ivanisevic (Cro) bt Greg Rusedski (GBR) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4; 4- Marat Safin (Rus) bt 13-Arnaud Clement (Fra) 6-0, 6-3, 6-2.

Women's singles (fourth round): 7-Kim Clijsters (Bel) bt Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7- 5); 4-Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) bt 15-Sandrine Testud (Fra) 6-1, 6-2; 3-Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) bt 14-Jelena Dokic (Yug) 7-5, 6- 4; 5-Serena Williams (U.S.) bt 12-Magdelana Maleeva (Bul) 6-2, 6- 1; 2-Venus Williams bt Nadia Petrova (Rus) 6-2, 6-0; 19-Conchita Martinez (Esp) bt Lina Krasnoroutskaya (Rus) 6-3, 6-4; 8-Justine Henin (Bel) bt 18- Anke Huber (Ger) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; 9-Nathalie Tauziat (Fra) bt 31- Tamrine Tansugarn (Tha) 6-3, 6-2.

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