Raymond Has Big Follow-Through

So often the second act is harder than the breakthrough moment in women’s tennis.

After upsetting the likes of a Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert or Steffi Graf, and more recently Venus and Serena Williams, many a player would promptly lose in the next round at a Grand Slam.

Lisa Raymond was fully aware of the history and natural tendency to let down after a career-making moment. And so, one round after upsetting Venus Williams, Raymond took the measure of French teenager Tatiana Golovin and did not treat their meeting like a mere fourth-round match today at the Australian Open.

Raymond, 30, never let the 16-year-old wild-card entrant get comfortable, serving seven aces, committing only two unforced errors in the second set and winning, 6-2, 6-0, in 47 minutes. Her victory was so swift that, over in Rod Laver Arena, the match between Anastasia Myskina of Russia and Chanda Rubin, which had the same scheduled starting time, was still in the first set.

“I basically went into the match thinking it was like a first or second round in a Grand Slam and prepared the same way and didn’t think about the opportunity that was there,” Raymond said. “Just went out there and kept playing the way I’ve been playing.”

Golovin, who turned 16 Sunday, was born in Russia but left when her father, Gregori, was hired to coach hockey in France. She had lived in Florida as well and even spent time working with Brad Gilbert before returning to Paris.

“My goal was to get like one or two rounds,” said Golovin, who admitted she was bothered by Raymond’s slice. “So it’s great that I lost in the fourth.”

In the quarterfinals, Raymond will play Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, who beat Nathalie Dechy of France, 6-2, 6-4, in 73 minutes. Also advancing were second-seeded Kim Clijsters of Belgium, who beat Silvia Farina Elia of Italy, 6-3, 6-3, and No. 6 Myskina, who defeated Rubin, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2, in a rematch of their meeting in the same round last year, also won by Myskina.

The lower part of the draw was considered the weaker half after Williams’ straight-set loss in the third round. Top-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium, No. 4 Amelie Mauresmo of France and No. 5 Lindsay Davenport are all in the top half and Clijsters is the only player seeded among the top five in the lower half.

For Raymond and Schnyder, this Grand Slam presents tantalizing possibilities. One of them will reach the semifinals of a major for the first time. Raymond had made the quarterfinals at a Slam only once before, at Wimbledon in 2000. Schnyder did it twice in 1998, at the French Open and U.S. Open.

“Of course, you don’t have too many opportunities like this in your career,” said Schnyder, who is 4-0 against Raymond.

Raymond spoke of her inconsistency at the Slams and how it has changed this fortnight.

“These past two matches, I don’t think I’ve really been able to put four sets together like that ever in my career,” Raymond said.

“Sure, I’ve had one-offs. But not at this level and not in a Slam. That’s important.... I’ve never really peaked at Slams. To be able to play as well as I have here, it feels great. And hopefully, I’ve got a lot more great tennis left in me for a couple more rounds.”

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Three men’s fourth-round matches were completed and two went according to form. Third-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain beat Andrei Pavel of Romania, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, and No. 8 David Nalbandian of Argentina defeated Guillermo Canas of Argentina, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1. Nalbandian has not lost a set in four rounds, and Canas appeared to have little left after a grueling five-set victory over Tim Henman in the previous round.

The lone fourth-round upset came in the last match of the afternoon. Thirty-year-old Hicham Arazi of Morocco defeated No. 10 Mark Philippoussis of Australia, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. Arazi will play Ferrero in the quarterfinals.