NEW YORK -- Mary Joe Fernandez has, for the last few years, had a reputation as more of a chronically ill or injured player than one who fights her way to victory.
Her fragile health has ebbed and flowed, with no thought to the tournament schedule of women's professional tennis. Even here at the U.S. Open, having pronounced herself healthy and strong, Fernandez developed a sore hamstring that caused her to drop out of doubles and mixed doubles.
But Sunday night, playing in her own national championships and before a wildly supportive crowd, Fernandez was the master of her body and the defending champion, with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over third-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.
It was the biggest upset in the Open so far -- the Spaniard is the highest seeded player to lose on either the men's or women's side. The fourth-round loss is the earliest exit for any defending women's champion since Hana Mandlikova lost in the fourth round to Wendy Turnbull in 1986.
The surprise loss on the men's side came Saturday when No. 7 Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov fell 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in the third round to Vincent Spadea of the United States.
Fernandez, seeded 14th, reveled in her triumph, hoping she has shed her image as a talented but hapless player.
The 24-year-old looked determined to battle the tour's most determined player. Sanchez Vicario has appeared in the finals of seven of the last eight Grand Slam events.
Sunday was also a bad day for teenagers on Stadium Court.
Pete Sampras defeated Mark Philippoussis, 18, but just barely. Sampras beat the hard-serving Australian to advance to the fourth round, 6-7 (7-5), 7-5, 7-5, 6-3. Sampras called the match, "very, very dangerous."
Sampras next plays Todd Martin in the fourth round.
Two women's fourth-round matches featured the two most innocuous servers on the tour and two players with the most lethal forehands. In the first, Martina Hingis, 14, lost to Gabriela Sabatini, 6-2, 6-4. In the second, Chanda Rubin, 19, saw her winning streak broken by Steffi Graf , 6-2, 6-2.
Sabatini and Hingis smoked their serves at about 60 mph, slow enough to not only read the serve but also the insignia of the ball's manufacturer.
The Swiss teenager committed 41 unforced errors and admitted to being frustrated with her mistakes. She did, however, acknowledge the match's one inescapable truth: "In certain ways," Hingis said, "It is a little crazy to be out there at 14 years old."
Rubin was expected to give Graf a harder time, but the American's serve deserted her at key moments. Rubin had seven double faults in the match. She also chose to challenge Graf's power with her own -- each player uses a huge forehand as her main weapon.
Rubin to make 31 unforced errors.
Also Saturday, Andre Agassi shook off a sloppy five-set match in the second round with a brilliant 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 romp over former two-time champion Stefan Edberg in the third round to stay alive in defense of his title.
As sharp as Agassi was, Monica Seles was even sharper. She swept past Yone Kamio of Japan, 6-1, 6-1 in 54 minutes for her easiest victory so far. ()
(For other results, see Scorecard.)
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