Unforced Errors Help Knock Tu Out of Open

For Meilen Tu, a second-round match at the U.S. Open on Thursday was an opportunity, a chance to make a tennis statement in a big tournament against a big-name opponent.

Six minutes into her match against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Tu was trailing, 3-0, and in danger of a quick exit at what once was center court at the National Tennis Center.

Given that beginning, her 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 loss could be considered a triumph of sorts. Except to Tu.

“I came here to win, to play well and come out on top as a winner,” said Tu, 19, who is from Northridge and attended Granada Hills High.

Sanchez Vicario hit only 12 clean winners in the matches, while spraying 30 unforced errors. Tu attacked more, hitting 25 winners, but paid for her aggressiveness with 61 unforced errors.

That comes with the territory for Tu.

“The way I play, unforced errors can be expected,” she said. “I play big. I go for a lot of shots.”

That style had Sanchez Vicario on her heels for a while. Tu broke serve to win the second set and led briefly in the third before losing.

“Her game is very simple,” Tu said of Sanchez Vicario. “She gets a lot of balls in play and waits for her opponent to break down. When you break down, she’ll press.

“I made some loose errors. Against a top 10 player, you can’t give away loose errors. Against Arantxa, you must pressure her. If you do, I think she’ll break down.”

Tough talk from a player with two pro satellite titles in her career who was facing a former French Open and U.S. Open champion.

Tu said she never thought of Sanchez Vicario in those terms.

“I definitely felt I had a chance to win,” she said. “If I concentrate and stay focused, I could have won. You play the ball, not your opponent.

“I just didn’t make my shots on big points. There were some long rallies that I just missed. I was in control of a lot of points.”

Tu has an impressive line in her tennis resume, as well.

In 1994, at age 16, she won the U.S. Open juniors title at this tournament. The loser that day was a 14-year-old who has had some success since then--Martina Hingis.

Tu knows where Hingis is and where she is. The difference has been injuries--a pulled stomach muscle and a bad back that limited her progress.

“She went pro and adjusted quicker to the lifestyle,” Tu said of Hingis. “I’m two years older but she’s handled everything a lot better. She’s 16 and the No. 1 player in the world.”

In a way, that drives Tu.

“I remember the feeling of what it was like to win a title like that, to beat a player who is now No. 1,” Tu said.