She had so far pretty easy wins here in the first couple rounds I had to play well That’s what I did.”. Prefix number and bold denotes seeding; (q) denotes qualifier; (ll) denotes lucky loser; (wc) wild card

Prefix number and bold denotes seeding; (q) denotes qualifier; (ll) denotes lucky loser; (wc) wild card. Greg Rusedski was unable to capitalise on a two sets to love lead at the United States Open for a second consecutive year here yesterday. This time, unlike his contest against the American Todd Martin in the fourth round last year, Rusedski held two match points against the Frenchman Cedric Pioline in a fourth-set tie-break.

Eventually, however, the British No 2 ran out of steam and Piloine prevailed, 6-7, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 after three hours and 45 minutes. Greg Rusedski was unable to capitalise on a two sets to love lead at the United States Open for a second consecutive year here yesterday. This time, unlike his contest against the American Todd Martin in the fourth round last year, Rusedski held two match points against the Frenchman Cedric Pioline in a fourth-set tie-break. Eventually, however, the British No 2 ran out of steam and Piloine prevailed, 6-7, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 after three hours and 45 minutes.
Pioline now plays Martin in the third round. Like Rusedski, the Frenchman has barely played since Wimbledon. In Rusedski’s case, he was sidelined by the recurrence of an injury to his right foot. Pioline had surgery after breaking three bones in the fingers of his left hand while playing volleyball.In common with Rusedski, Pioloine has been a finalist in the men’s singles here.

Whether he can raise his game for another sustained challenge is open to speuclation, but Rusedski was the man lying flat on his stomach having cream rubbed into his sore back before going into the decisive set. He lost the first nine points of the fifth set, but he managed to break back for 3-3 before Pioline produced the telling shots to take a 4-3 lead and then break with a forehand pass on his first match point.In the opening set, which took 51 minutes, Rusedski looked second best in several games in terms of wit, movement and execution. He served his way back from 0-40 in the fourth game, and attacked Pioline in the fifth, and broke to love for 3-2, the Frenchman double-faulting on break point.Rusedski won the next two points, extending his run to 11 in a row – only to lose the next 10. A double-fault to 30-40 gave Pioline the incentive to break back for 3-3, driving an unstoppable forehand on the concluding point.At 3-4, Rusdeski saved two break points, and the set moved on to a tie-break Pioline struck first, for 1-2. Rusedski struck back for 2-2, and then displayed astute movement to gain another mini-break for 5-3.