U.S. Open Tennis | Mauresmo ends her Serena jinx

NEW YORK — For a 23-minute spell in Monday's featured match at the U.S. Open, top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France and former champion Serena Williams reverted to their form of old, much to the dismay of the former and the delight of the latter.

It happened in the second set of their fourth-round match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Mauresmo suddenly lost her nerve and bearing and the American started scorching the court with outright winners, brandishing the swagger befitting a winner of seven Grand Slam tournaments.

But times have changed atop the hierarchy of women's tennis. Mauresmo is no longer the sport's most gifted choker, and Williams is no longer its most dominant player. And their first meeting in a year and a half bore that out, with Mauresmo shaking off her swoon to prevail 6-4, 0-6, 6-2.

With the victory, Mauresmo advances to the quarterfinals and improves her career record against Williams to 2-9.

In snapping out of her second-set lapse, Mauresmo proved once again she has conquered the mental demons that for so many years kept her from winning major titles. She made her first major breakthrough in January, winning the Australian Open, and added her first Wimbledon title in July.

"It happens," the 27-year-old Mauresmo said with newfound confidence, referring to her second-set collapse. "I'm happy I was able to focus back into the match."

For Williams, there was no shame in losing a close match to the reigning No. 1 player. Williams, of course, held that title not long ago, claiming the first of her major titles — the 1999 U.S. Open — on this court. But her ranking plummeted after she was idled six months with an injured left knee, dropping as low as 140th in the world in July. She needed a wild card to play.

Both players held serve early in the third set, but the turning point was dramatic, coming in the sixth game, with Williams serving at 2-3. They were locked in a seesaw battle of groundstrokes that ended, on the 35th shot, when Williams netted a backhand.

Her game disintegrated from there. Mauresmo broke serve when Williams flicked an offensive lob beyond the baseline.

Williams' forehand went astray, and her breathing became labored.

"It just fell apart after that," she said.

Match point was a beauty: A 24-stroke rally that ended with Williams running down a drop shot and firing a passing shot down the line, only to see Mauresmo anticipate the ball's trajectory and lunge for a sharply angled volley that was not returnable.

Earlier Monday, American Lindsay Davenport beat Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals, where second-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium awaits.

Sidelined with a shoulder injury, Davenport withdrew from Wimbledon this year, and a later arm injury left her participation in the U.S. Open in doubt.

"I'm ecstatic to get to this point," she said.

Third-seeded Maria Sharapova of Russia fought back from a sluggish start to defeat Li Na of China 6-4, 6-2.

In the men's bracket, American Andy Roddick did what Andre Agassi couldn't: defeat Benjamin Becker.

Roddick beat the 112th-ranked German qualifier 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals, a day after Becker ended the 36-year-old Agassi's pro career with a four-set victory in the third round. Roddick won 57 of 70 points in his service games.

Roddick will play Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, a 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 winner over Richard Gasquet of France.