Srichaphan Advances Amidst Frenzy at Strong Island; Pistolesi Comes back From 0-6, 1-5 in New Haven, Davenport Crushes Hapless Dokic

ATP REVIEW/PREVIEW
Unseeded struggling Americans James Blake (d. Bjorkman) and qualifier Jeff Morrison (d. Clement) were among those advancing at Long Island Tuesday, along with seeds (1)Srichaphan (d. Davydenko), (2)Kuerten (d. (LL)Hrbaty, ending a three-match losing streak), and (6)Calleri (d. the plunging Jan-Mike Gambill). More than 200 Thai fans -- all wearing the same T-shirts -- showed up at The Hamlet Golf and Country Club to cheer on Srichaphan. Who organized that, his mom? "The Thai Ambassador (to the United Nations), invited anyone and everyone to come a watch my match if they had time," said the defending champ Srichaphan. "Half of the people came from DC to watch." Three seeds were shown the door in (4)Gonzalez (l. to Chela 6-0 in the third, blowing three match points in the second set), (5)Mantilla (l. to Youzhny), and (8)Costa (l. to Saretta, retiring in the first set with back pain). Sargis Sargsian also dismissed the shell-of-a-former-self Alex "Start the Retirement Bus" Corretja in straight sets.

On court today at Not-So-Strong Island are (7)El Aynaoui vs. (Q)De Voest, (Q)Beck vs. (2)Kuerten, Blake vs. (3)Robredo (first meeting), and (6)Calleri vs. Nieminen.

WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW
What do you do when you're up 6-0, 5-1, then lose the match? Kill yourself? Scream at the WTA communications manager? Put the racquets in the bag? That was the dilemma facing young Russian Vera Zvonareva Tuesday, who blew an overwhelming lead against veteran Anna "Not That Anna, You Wish" Pistolesi, losing 0-6, 7-6(5), 6-2. Nice way to go into the Open, good confidence builder. In other results, (1)Davenport crushed (WC)Dokic in 40 minutes, (6)Maleeva outlasted (Q)Tanasugarn 6-4 in the third, and unseeded Russian Dementieva eased by (LL)Farina Elia. "It turned out to be a lot easier than I thought it would be," said Davenport on facing the once-fearsome-pitbull-like Dokic, who is now in the Lleyton Hewitt "What Happened?" camp. "I was expecting to play a long time out there because I know how tough an opponent she can be. I was expecting to be pushed a little more."

Today's shaky New Haven line-up features Casanova vs. Mauresmo, Danela "Two Double Cheeseburgers, Please" Hantuchova vs. Black (head-to-head tied 1-1), Dementieva vs. Martinez, Bovina vs. Capriati (first meeting), Sugiyama vs. Perebiynis, and Serna vs. Maleeva.

FROM THE VILLAGE VOICE (New York):
"Combine the US Open with Wigstock and what do you get? "Holding Court," a yearly cable-access extravaganza devoted to tennis divadom. Hosted by aging, hairy-chested doubles champions IrinaTrina Zalutskaya-Koukinova and Françoise de Quincampoix (affectionately played by Sam Zalutsky and David Thorpe), the show plunges headlong into madcap silliness and never returns. The duo dishes gossip with genuine NBC commentator Bud Collins (who can't stop talking about his pants) and gets very cozy with tennis reporter Jon Wertheim. Some of the skits feel like something you'd see on —- well, cable access. There's the makeover scene in which a demented IrinaTrina tries to transform herself into the more elegant Françoise, à la Single White Female, and the painful musical fantasia set in a sports agent's office. But the segment in which modern dancer Miguel Gutierrez literally whips the girls into shape, maniacally reducing them to a mass of quivering hamstrings on a public tennis court, is pure genius. The episode will be publicly screened at a free party on August 21 at 8 p.m. at the Remote Lounge (326 Bowery, between 2nd and 3rd streets) before being broadcast on Manhattan Neighborhood Network Channel 34 on Monday, August 25; Sunday, August 31; and Friday, September 5."

NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES, AND BARBS
Among the notable men playing the US Open qualies this week are Giovanni "Nico's Brother" Lapentti, Ivo "I Beat Lleyton" Karlovic, Thomas "Brother Of" Blake, Brit frequent beat-down victim Arvind Parmar, Nicolas "I Beat Lendl Once" Mahut, Jan "I Didn't Realize My Singles Ranking Was So Bad" Vacek, Andre "Having a Career Year" Sa, Andrew "Hope I Win So I Can Tear My Shirt" Ilie, George "I Beat Pete at Wimbledon, Remember?" Bastl, Thomas "Tennis-X Bottom 10 No. 1-ranked" Enqvist, David "I Was Runner-up at the French Open Doubles Once" Prinosil, Brit Martin "Why Didn't I Get a Wildcard? Isn't this Wimbledon?" Lee, Marc "Swiss D-Cup Captain" Rosset, Harel "Remember When I Won the TMS-Canada Anybody?" Levy, Cecil "I Was Supposed to Be the Next Chang" Mamiit, Ricardo "They Call Me" Mello, and Ivo "I Used to Date Hingis, Want My Autograph?" Heuberger...Wednesday at the Open, check out Andrew Ilie, Ivo Karlovic and Dmitry Tursunov, who all are in action at 11am...So you don't think racquet technology is taking it's toll on players, demanding more of their bodies in quicker reaction time with resulting injuries? Check out just a portion of the current WTA injury list: Serena Williams (knee), Lindsay Davenport (foot), Venus Williams (stomach), Amelie Mauresmo (rib), Jennifer Capriati (shoulder), Chanda Rubin (shoulder), Vera Zvonareva (elbow), Patty Schnyder (wrist/thumb), Meghann Shaughnessy (back), Anna Kournikova (back), Monica Seles (foot), and Ashley Harkleroad (wrist)...Mark Bender, physiotherapist to many of Britain's top female players, says the increase in injuries is due to the vast strides made in the women's game: "The game itself has changed over the last few years and it is now a lot more physical. They are constantly taking their bodies to the limit and it's not just when they are on court -- the level of conditioning they need to work on off court sets them up for 'overuse' injuries."...Leander Paes is being treated for a brain lesion and will miss the US Open; after having severe headaches for three days, Paes checked himself into a hospital near his Orlando home Sunday...Swede Thomas Johansson has pulled out of the US Open, still recovering from a knee injury that has kept him out of action since last November...Already seen at the Open: Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Todd Martin and $8.50 dry chicken sandwiches...US Open singles draws will be done at noon Wednesday at the UN building.