Gaining a good measure of revenge for her loss to Italy’s Silvia Farina in Fed Cup six weeks ago, No. 4 Monica Seles blew past her foe 6-2, 6-3 to gain the third round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.
Ripping winners off both wings on her beloved cement, Seles completely controlled the center of the court, not allowing Farina to grind into the match with her usual bag of spins, loopers and sharply angled blasts.
“I didn’t want to have a repeat of the Fed Cup match. I’m just happy I toughed it out,” Seles said.
Seles ripped 21 winners in the match compared to only 10 from Farina and committed only 15 unforced errors. A two-time U.S. Open titlist, Seles is hoping to regain the form that brought her to the final here in 1995 and ’96. At one time considered to be one of the tour’s most dominant players, Seles’ last Slam title came three-and-a-half years ago, at the ’96 Australian Open.
The Yugoslav-American has been nursing a series of injuries this summer, including a stress fracture in her right foot and tendinitis in her wrist. Seles is the only player over 25 years or older who is considered to have a serious shot at the title.
“I feel fine,” Seles said. “I have no injuries right now.”