Rios falls to record-setting qualifier Escude
Copyright c 2000 Nando Media
Copyright c 2000 Associated Press


By BOB GREENE

NEW YORK (September 6, 1999 5:25 p.m. EDT
http://www.sportserver.com) -

Nicolas Escude of France became the first qualifier
in the Open era to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S.
Open Monday when he tripped 10th-seeded Marcelo Rios
6-2, 6-3, 7-5.

Escude, who missed the Australian Open because of the
death of his father, closed the match with a service
winner. He then pointed to the sky, then to himself.

Also moving into the quarterfinals was No. 2 Andre
Agassi, who breezed past Arnaud Clement of France
6-4, 6-4, 6-3.

Among the women, No. 4 Monica Seles and No. 7 Serena
Williams also moved into the quarters. Seles brushed
aside the past in beating Jennifer Capriati 6-4, 6-3 a
nd Williams stumbled past No. 16 Conchita Martinez 4-6,
6-2, 6-2.

After her match, Capriati read a statement in hopes of
ending further inquiries into a past that included
arrests on drug and shoplifting charges. She began
crying when asked if she saw the media as her adversary.

The 23-year-old player said she "made mistakes by
rebelling, by acting out in confused ways. But it was
all due to the fact I was very young and I was
experiencing my adolescence."

Rios, briefly ranked No. 1 last year, was unable to
solve Escude's game. Escude reached the semifinals at
the Australian Open in 1998, where he lost to Rios.

Agassi was in command of his repertoire of shots.
Whether attacking from the baseline or scoring with a
volley, Agassi never was in trouble, moving one step
closer to his second U.S. Open title and second Grand
Slam tournament crown this year. He won his only title
at Flushing Meadows in 1994.