Haas gains revenge as Ginepri crashes out

TOMMY HAAS gained revenge for his five-set defeat to Robby Ginepri in the third round of the 2005 US Open by beating the American in another marathon encounter at the same stage 12 months on.

Haas, the 14th seed from Germany, won his first three career meetings with Ginepri but lost in an entertaining five-setter in Flushing Meadows last year.

He ensured history did not repeat itself, although he blew a two-set advantage to allow the 18th seed the chance to finish an amazing recovery.

However, Haas put paid to Ginepri’s comeback by triumphing in a one-sided fifth-set tie-break to seal a 7-6 (7/1) 6-4 3-6 3-6 7-6 (7/1) win in three hours 25 minutes at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

After going two sets behind, Ginepri, who lost to Andre Agassi at the semi-final stage at Flushing Meadows last year, broke the German once in the third set and three times in the fourth to level the match.

Ginepri appeared on the verge of victory when he opened up a 4-3 fifth-set edge and took Haas, who was serving, to 15-40 in the eighth game.

The German managed to hold but with the set having progressed to 6-5, he had to call for a trainer at the change-over because he was having breathing difficulties.

After being worked on for a few minutes, Haas returned to hold serve and force the decisive tie-break.

Ginepri won the opening point on serve, but it was all the American could muster as Haas booked a spot in the last 16 and a clash with 2000 champion Marat Safin, who beat Belgium’s Olivier Rochus 6-3 6-2 6-3.

Justine Henin-Hardenne advanced through to the quarter-finals for the first time since her title-winning year of 2003 with a 6-1 6-0 thrashing of number 21 seed Shahar Peer.

The two-time defending French Open champion needed just 50 minutes to get past the Israeli, who had upset 14th seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy.

Henin-Hardenne, who has won 24 of her last 25 matches, recorded 21 winners and just six unforced errors, and will next face the winner of the clash between Patty Schnyder of Switzerland and American Lindsay Davenport.

“I walked on the court thinking it could be a dangerous match because she’s a young player and she has a lot of motivation,” Henin-Hardenne, the second seed, said.

“She’s fighting a lot, so I knew it could be a tough match. That’s probably why I won it pretty easily because I was ready for it.”

Meanwhile, sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion from Russia, was beaten 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 6-2 by 19th-seeded Jelena Jankovic, of Serbia.

Jankovic, who advances to her first grand slam quarter-final, will next face another Russian, fourth seed Elena Dementieva, who defeated France’s Aravane Rezai 7-5 6-4.