Rejuvenated Edberg Bounces Krajicek From Open
Stefan Edberg knows about being the defending Wimbledon champion and losing in the first round at the U.S. Open. Edberg has done that. It hurts, and it’s embarrassing.
And it was no reason at all for Edberg to feel sympathetic Tuesday after he had not only beaten but destroyed Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, on Stadium Court in the first round.
Edberg, 30, a two-time winner here playing his 14th, and final, U.S. Open, had the energy of a puppy.
He had that little extra hop in his step near the net. He hit those crazy, angle volleys that he reached so smoothly and easily, he made you forget that he can often look as slow as players on the senior tour.
Edberg’s game of craft and finesse has too often been pounded into mush by players such as Krajicek, a big-serving 24-year-old from the Netherlands who was seeded No. 5 and who was supposed to have made a career breakthrough by winning Wimbledon.
But only once in a while would Krajicek blast a 120-mile-an-hour serve past Edberg. Mostly, Krajicek was whacking his groundstrokes toward Long Island and being three steps slow in flailing at Edberg’s volleys.
There was even an injury timeout for Krajicek to stanch a bloody nose, but it was not loss of blood that left Krajicek slow-footed and slow-witted. It was the energy coming off Edberg’s racket.
“At the moment, I am actually feeling very, very calm about this whole thing,” Edberg said, after he had received a standing ovation from the big crowd.
“This is the last tournament I’m playing here in America. I really want to keep myself as relaxed as possible because I think that’s going to win more matches than being a little uptight.
“I got off to a good start, I broke him the first game, and I tried to make a lot of first serves and attack his backhand.”
So neatly summed up, just the way Edberg’s game is at its best: compact and smoothly executed.
Edberg’s was the most notable upset on a day filled with them.
Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic knocked out No. 14 seed Alberto Costa of Spain, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-1; and Jared Palmer of Tampa, Fla., eliminated 1992 Olympic gold medalist Marc Rosset of Switzerland, 6-7 (7-9), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
On the women’s side, No. 5 Iva Majoli of Croatia was stunned by Judith Wiesner of Austria, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1; No. 10 Kimiko Date of Japan, who had upset Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario only Sunday to win the Toshiba Classic in San Diego, lost her first-round match to Kimberly Po, 6-2, 7-5.
Lisa Raymond moved past Lori McNeil, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, Tuesday and will play Sarah Pitkowski of France today.