Pierce Holds Off Humble Sharapova

NEW YORK — The big, bold TV moments come on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

That’s where Mary Pierce, a 29-year-old with a bad shoulder but lively dreams, dropped to her knees after beating seventh-seeded Maria Sharapova, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. In a heartfelt gesture, Sharapova, 17, wore a black ribbon on her dress to honor the Russian children who died in the school terrorist takeover.

It’s where sixth-seeded Andre Agassi, playing in his 19th straight U.S. Open, frolicked as if he were a child, galloping through a third-round win over competent Jiri Novak, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.

And it is where fifth-seeded Lindsay Davenport, 28 and longing for one more chance to raise a major trophy, blasted her way past Elena Bovina, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2, while rowdies high in the seats chanted her name and made her blush.

It’s where Venus Williams blew kisses and said, “I love you guys,” after she beat Chanda Rubin, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, late Saturday night.

Far away from the big stadium where 20,000 sit high in the air, there is the Grandstand. Here the court seems smaller because the fans are so close.

It is on the Grandstand where Sargis Sargsian is making history.

Sargsian, a 31-year-old Armenian, almost certainly won’t win this U.S. Open. But he has won hearts and whenever he leaves here, Sargsian will know that no one has played harder or earned more genuine affection from the fans that have watched him.

Saturday night, Sargsian collapsed to the ground and rolled his knees to his chest. After 4 hours 44 minutes, Sargsian had beaten Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), after saving two match points. Mathieu, 22, said he didn’t know what happened.

Two nights earlier, on another cozy place, Court 11, Sargsian had upset No. 10-seeded and Olympic gold medalist Nicolas Massu in a match that lasted 5:09, the second longest ever at the Open. According to historians, Sargsian has played in the longest back-to-back matches at the U.S. Open.

By the time Sargsian hit his last shot, fans had left Ashe stadium, had climbed over railings and crammed into every corner of the Grandstand.

They had even abandoned another tense five-setter next door, on Louis Armstrong stadium court, where fifth-seeded Tim Henman beat Czech qualifier Michal Tabara, because there was something gallant and noble about the way Sargsian has refused to submit to exhaustion or higher-ranked players.

“You’re in a different world when you win these matches,” Sargsian said. “Like right now, I’m talking, I feel like it’s not me talking, it’s just words don’t come out. It’s a weird feeling.”

Sharapova didn’t use words to express her feelings. She made her own ribbon out of black tape in a spontaneous gesture that came to her while she watched the tragedy of the Russian schoolchildren unfold Friday night.

“First of September is when so many kids go to school, it’s the first day of school back,” Sharapova said. “They go in with flowers and with the whole family. All the kids and teachers have this big party. Unfortunately, the terrorists decided to do something bad with those families and kids. It just shows that my loss, it’s a little thing.”

By the numbers, seventh-seeded Sharapova’s elimination by No. 27-seeded Pierce wasn’t the day’s biggest upset.

At a jam-packed and noisy Louis Armstrong stadium court, unseeded Belgian Olivier Rochus, who is 5-feet-5 and often mistaken for a ball boy or a junior player, joyously upset third-seeded Carlos Moya, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, even though Moya was up a service break in the final set and Rochus had never won a set from Moya before Saturday.

Both of the top-seeded players moved on without much of a challenge Saturday. Roger Federer, trying to become the first man since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three of the four major championships in a single year, had little trouble with Fabrice Santoro in a 6-0, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) win. And defending women’s champion Justine Henin-Hardenne was little bothered by Lisa Raymond in a 6-4, 6-3 victory.

But it was Sharapova who had been filling up Arthur Ashe Stadium court this week, who had been invited on all the talk shows and done all the photo shoots and magazine covers since she defeated Serena Williams in the Wimbledon championship match.

And Saturday, even as she sweated through her silvery dress because Pierce kept her moving back and forth across the baseline, Sharapova accepted the loss gracefully. She acknowledged her 14 double faults and her uncertain forehand.

“It’s not the end of the world,” she said. “There are a lot more important things in the world going on right now than my loss.”

Since she won her second major title -- the French Open -- in 2000, Pierce has been plagued by a series of injuries to her shoulder and back.

“This feels really good,” Pierce said. “After everything I’ve been through, these moments are a lot sweeter and mean a lot more to me.”

No more than the moment meant to Sargsian. He next plays Agassi, to whom Sargsian is close.

“To me,” Sargsian said, “Andre’s like a big brother. He’s an unbelievably nice guy. He’s as good a friend as you can possibly have. I love the guy.”

He loves the guy until Monday, when Sargsian and Agassi will play for a spot in the quarterfinals.

“If I win,” Sargsian said, “I’ll be happy. If I lose, then I really hope he wins the tournament.”