Sport - Tennis

As long as they’re quiet during points...

— PHOTO: AP

GRUELLING EFFORT: Sybille Bammer entered the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time after the longest women’s match, by time, in the history of the U.S. Open on Sunday.

NEW YORK: Andy Roddick is all for raucous, rowdy tennis fans.

Just as long as they’re quiet while a point is being played.

The issue arose at the U.S. Open because the chair umpire warned a group of fans for being disruptive during James Blake’s loss to Mardy Fish.

“It’s sports. You’re supposed to go after someone. There’s supposed to be tense moments. You’re supposed to yell,” the eighth-seeded Roddick said.

Like other Americans at the American Grand Slam, Roddick generally receives strong support at Flushing Meadows, and he’s been known to play to the crowds — even high-fiving a fan after a point.

But he acknowledges there are limits.

“If someone tosses a ball up and you yell, then I think that’s a direct distraction. If it’s between points, yeah, they can do whatever they want,” he said. “I think as long as you’re respectful of the rules of the game, have a ball.”

Why is it important that there’s silence during play?

“We use all of our senses. ... We’re trying to see a ball moving at 100-and-whatever miles an hour,” the 2003 U.S. Open champion said. “As long as it’s in the framework of being respectful, then I’m all for it. You can do a handstand if you want.”

Sybille Bammer waited a long time for this win.

Sure, her victory at the U.S. Open put Bammer into the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time. But her win over No. 12 Marion Bartoli was notable for another reason — at 3 hours, 5 minutes, it was believed to be the longest women’s match, by time, in the tournament’s history.

“I didn’t even really sweat,” the Austrian winner said. “I could have played longer.”

Bammer actually didn’t spend a tremendous amount of time running around. Instead, the match was often delayed because of Bartoli’s ailments as the Frenchwoman frequently held her stomach and back.

Justine Henin and Jennifer Capriati were believed to hold the old Open women’s mark of 3:03. Henin won in the 2003 semifinals at Flushing Meadows.

To many, being the top tennis player in their country’s history would be quite a thrill. To Gilles Muller, there’s a qualifier.

“I mean, that’s not my goal, to be the best in Luxembourg,” he said.

Muller became the first man or woman from his nation to reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam, beating Nicolas Almagro.

His win over Tommy Haas in the previous round made Muller the first man from Luxembourg to get into the third round at a Slam.

He was the first to reach the second round, too. Then again, he’s the only man from his country to play in a major event.

“I’m the first one actually to do everything,” he said.

The 25-year-old Muller seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough in 2005 when he beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon and Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open.

“I had a tough time after that. ... I was dropping in the rankings,” he said. “I guess everything is in the head. Everything is confidence. I guess I lost a lot of it.” — AP

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