Stoltenberg Can’t Finish Off Sanchez

There was nothing to say to Jason Stoltenberg to ease the pain of losing four match points to lose to Javier Sanchez in the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday.

The Spaniard won, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6), even though Stoltenberg was leading, 6-2, in the fifth-set tiebreaker.

“I mean, you can’t explain the disappointment,” the Australian said. “I know it’s only a tennis match. There are a lot of far more important things in the world than my match today. I guess, being up 6-2, you may lose a couple of those in a career. I felt I had done everything except shake hands. I was one point away. After such a long match, maybe I took it for granted and played a couple of loose shots.”

Stoltenberg can commiserate with Alex O’Brien, whose giant-killing summer finally came to a halt.

Fellow American David Wheaton defeated O’Brien, 1-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-2. O’Brien was on a 21-4 run coming into the Open, where he got a wild card into the main draw. He figures he has had about five days off in six weeks.

“It’s been fun, it’s been exciting,” he said. “I’ve been going, going, going, doing a lot of things. I’m not complaining in the least bit because I’ve had a great time, I’ve had a great run. It’s tough because there are a lot of demands placed on you. There are a lot of things going on. That’s part of the deal. That’s why it’s fun.”

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Unseeded 15-year-old Anna Kournikova of Russia showed her all-court game in her Grand Slam debut and upset No. 14 Barbara Paulus 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. She earned a fourth-round match with Steffi Graf, who defeated Natasha Zvereva, 6-4, 6-2.

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Pablo Campana of Ecuador was the only qualifier to reach the third round and the lowest-ranked player left in the tournament at No. 181. Those stats became history Saturday after Campana was eliminated by 13th-seeded Thomas Enqvist of Sweden, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

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The 1997 Fed Cup draw was held Saturday. The United States will face the Netherlands in the first round next March.

This year’s final will be held next month, with the United States meeting Spain at Atlantic City, N.J., on Sept. 28-29.

Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport and Mary Joe Fernandez are expected to play for U.S. captain Billie Jean King against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez of Spain.