Party Pooper : On Arendt’s 22nd Birthday, Seles Blows Out All Her Candles

You’re Nicole Arendt, you’ve played college tennis in Florida and you come racket to racket with Monica Seles in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday.

So are you scared?

Not exactly, said Arendt, who was expecting something entirely different.

“She is a little small,” Arendt said. “I was ready for this big monster to come out there.”

Seles, 5 feet 10 and 120 pounds, doesn’t look too small and had a big debut on opening day. Arendt, celebrating her 22nd birthday Monday, played the part of the candles on her cake and was blown out by Seles, 6-2, 6-0.

Arendt, a four-year tennis veteran at the University of Florida who was off the court in 44 minutes, saw at least one bright spot in losing the first match of the tournament.

“Now I can really have some fun,” Arendt said of her birthday. “I don’t have to worry about another match.”

In all likelihood, Seles will have several more to worry about. Never able to advance past the fourth round in her two previous U.S. Open appearances, Seles could take back the No. 1 ranking from Steffi Graf if she reaches the final.

Jennifer Capriati, seeded seventh, defeated Eva Pfaff, 6-1, 6-0, in her first-round match.

Graf breezed past Andrea Temesvari, 6-1, 6-2.

Gabriela Sabatini, whose serve disappeared when she lost in the semifinals of the Virginia Slims of Los Angeles, had other things to worry about in her 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 first-round victory over Nicole Provis. Sabatini hit 35 unforced errors, but Provis hit 46.

Afterward, Sabatini answered more questions about the plain, white baseball hat she wore than the match she played. The question-and-answer session was as boring as the match.

Question: Any particular reason for the hat?

Answer: No, because my hair is getting longer, so I can’t see very much.

Q: Is it only to keep your hair in place?

A: Yeah.

Q: Does it take a little while to get used to?

A: No, no.

Q: Might there be some words on there eventually?

A: Some words?

Q: Words.

A: No.

The hat issue should be lost today, when Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Martina Navratilova play their first-round matches. They wear headbands.