Philippoussis forced out by 'slam-dunk' knee injury

US Open: Australian big server pulls out when leading while Serena Williams turns into Catwoman

The agonies that have plagued Mark Philippoussis continued at the United States Open here yesterday when the 25-year-old Australian retired in the fourth set of his first-round match against the Dutchman Sjeng Schalken after jarring his troublesome left knee.

Philippoussis, who had surgery to repair torn ligaments on the same knee for the third time in March last year, attempted a "slam-dunk" smash when leading Schalken by two sets to one and serving with the score at 2-2, 15-30 in the fourth set. As the ball sailed over Philippoussis's head, he took his full weight on his knee as he landed. Although he carried on after treatment, the pain became too much and he gave up at 3-5.

The problems with his knee started at Wimbledon in 1999, when he had to default against Pete Sampras in the quarter-finals. Philippoussis was last night taken to hospital to undergo an MRI scan of the soft tissue in the knee. Seven men have already retired at this year's tournament on the concrete courts of New York.

Marat Safin, the second seed, survived a four and a half hour test of stamina against Nicolas Kiefer of Germany. At one stage both players were treated for cramp, and wheelchairs were on stand-by. Kiefer, the more badly afflicted, saved three match points before Safin prevailed, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6.

Carlos Moya, the Spanish former world No 1 who won in Cincinnati two weeks ago, advanced to the second round, defeating Adrian Voinea, of Romania, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.

Venus Williams opened the defence of her title with a display as smart as her red, white and blue outfit, swatting Mirjana Lucic, of Croatia, 6-0, 6-0. Lucic won only 29 points and committed 30 unforced errors. Martina Hingis, the ninth seed, playing her first match in a Grand Slam event since undergoing foot surgery in May, defeated Marissa Irvin, of the United States, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

A moving opening ceremony on Monday night to mark the first anniversary of 11 September was summarised by a message written by a relative of one of the World Trade Center victims on the "Heroes' Flag" rescued from Ground Zero. It read: "These colours don't run". As the flag flew over Arthur Ashe Stadium, Corina Morariu, an American player in remission from leukaemia, typified the spirit of defiance. The 23-year-old from Detroit stepped on court to face Serena Williams, the Wimbledon champion and world No 1, and gave a heart-warming display before losing, 6-2, 6-3.

Andre Agassi then made his entrance and gained a symmetrical 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 first-round win against Robby Ginepri, a 19-year-old American compatriot. "You work hard to make a scoreline look easy," Agassi said.

The old Las Vegan crazy-clothes horse seems to be wearing well. Your correspondent recalls an Italian colleague gasping when he first saw Agassi playing in a baggy black outfit, complete with black socks and shoes, in Key Biscayne, Florida. "I like fashion," the Italian said, "but this is not fashion. He looks de-men-ted." Women players have regained a foothold on the tennis catwalk since then, with the Williams sisters setting the trend. Serena Williams, the Wimbledon champion and world No 1, wore a black Lycra catsuit for her match against Morariu. Only Serena's pink shoes betrayed that she was not on her way to take a plunge in the Hudson and add a long-distance swimming record to the family's sporting accomplishments.

Asked what she made of the fact that the first questions at her post-match interview were about her outfit rather than her tennis, Serena replied: "It doesn't bother me. This is an innovative outfit. I don't think anybody's worn anything like it except going back to Ann White at Wimbledon [in the mid-1980s]. But her [white body stocking] was long, all the way to the bottom. It's a new time. It's really nice. It's really sexy. It just kind of clings. It's really cute. I love it."

There are two certainties: 1) The All England Club will not encourage Serena to wear the same outfit when she defends her Wimbledon title next year. 2) The link between women's tennis and showbusiness is growing stronger (Serena is demanding a £40m tennis clothing contract to match her elder sister, Venus).

If the black Lycra outfit was meant to make her more aerodynamic it was not the case on Monday, when she made 32 unforced errors. "I'm definitely a little rusty," she said. Her next opponent is Dinara Safina, the 16-year-old sister of Marat Safin, who marked her Grand Slam debut with a 7-6, 6-1, win against Rita Grande, of Italy.