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Tennis: Open-Olympic champion Massu falls to Sargsian

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  • Tennis: Open-Olympic champion Massu falls to Sargsian

    Open-Olympic champion Massu falls to Sargsian

    Reuters
    Sept 3 2004

    NEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Olympic champion Nicolas Massu emerged
    on the wrong end of a five-set battle on Thursday as his U.S. Open
    hopes were ended in the second round by Armenian Sargis Sargsian.

    In a pulsating match on court 11, the 10th-seeded Chilean held a
    matchpoint in the fourth-set tiebreak but finally bowed out 6-7 6-4
    3-6 7-6 6-4 in five hours, 10 minutes, the second longest match in
    U.S. Open history.

    "It's a huge win for me," Sargsian said. "I haven't had a very good
    year, so to pull out a match like this, is huge.

    "I would quite like it if it rains tomorrow and I can have an extra
    day off, but I'll be okay."

    Twice Sargsian fought back from a set down, but in an 80-minute fourth
    set, Massu was on the verge of victory when he held matchpoint at
    6-5 in the tiebreak only for Sargsian to save it, win the next two
    points and force a decider.

    The Chilean, who had already been warned for his behaviour, was then
    penalised a point in the first game of the decider, handing Sargsian
    a 1-0 lead.

    The two stayed together until 4-4 when Massu dumped a forehand in
    the net to give Sargsian the break.

    With the crowd cheering him on, Sargsian held to 15 to clinch victory.
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