The Daily Backspin, RG 7: Lists-a-Palooza

First it was pigeons, now it's Boris Yeltsin. Those Russians will use anything at their disposal to win matches at Roland Garros this year.


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With the women's Round of 16 now set, it's time for some lists action involving the survivors:

THE FINAL 16 BY...

**NATION**
4...Russia (Sharapova, Kuznetsova, Myskina, Safina)
2...Belgium (Clijsters, Henin-Hardenne)
2...Switzerland (Schnyder, Hingis)
1...Argentina (Dulko)
1...Czech Republic (Vaidisova)
1...France (Mauresmo)
1...Germany (Groenefeld)
1...Israel (Peer)
1...Italy (Schiavone)
1...Slovak Republic (Hantuchova)
1...USA (V.Williams)

*RANK*
#1 Amelie Mauresmo
#2 Kim Clijsters
#4 Maria Sharapova
#5 Justine Henin-Hardenne
#9 Patty Schnyder
#10 Svetlana Kuznetsova
#11 Anastasia Myskina
#12 Francesca Schiavone
#13 Venus Williams
#14 Anna-Lena Groenefeld
#15 Martina Hingis
#16 Nicole Vaidisova
#17 Dinara Safina
#18 Daniela Hantuchova
#26 Shahar Peer
#35 Gisela Dulko

*AGE*
[youngest to oldest]
17...Nicole Vaidisova
19...Shahar Peer
19...Maria Sharapova
20...Dinara Safina
21...Anna-Lena Groenefeld (21 on Sunday)
21...Gisela Dulko
21...Svetlana Kuznetsova
22...Kim Clijsters
23...Daniela Hantuchova
24...Justine Henin-Hardenne
24...Anastasia Myskina
25...Martina Hingis
25...Francesca Schiavone
25...Venus Williams
26...Amelie Mauresmo
27...Patty Schnyder

*CAREER TITLES*
41...Martina Hingis (1 in 2006)
33...Venus Williams (last in 2005)
31...Kim Clijsters (1)
24...Justine Henin-Hardenne (2)
22...Amelie Mauresmo (3)
11...Maria Sharapova (1)
10...Patty Schnyder (2005)
10...Anastasia Myskina (2005)
6....Nicole Vaidisova (1)
6....Svetlana Kuznetsova (1)
4....Dinara Safina (2005)
3....Shahar Peer (3)
1....Anna-Lena Groenefeld (1)
1....Daniela Hantuchova (2002)
0....Gisela Dulko
0....Francesca Schiavone

*2006 Won/Lost RECORDS*
34-10...Martina Hingis
32-9.....Svetlana Kuznetsova
31-6.....Amelie Mauresmo
30-5.....Justine Henin-Hardenne
27-11...Dinara Safina
24-4.....Maria Sharapova
24-8.....Shahar Peer
24-13...Anna-Lena Groenefeld
23-11...Patty Schnyder
21-10...Francesca Schiavone
19-7.....Nicole Vaidisova
19-9.....Anastasia Myskina
18-5.....Kim Clijsters
18-11...Daniela Hantuchova
11-11...Gisela Dulko
9-3.......Venus Williams

*BEST ROLAND GARROS RESULT*
W.....Justine Henin-Hardenne (2003,05)
W.....Anastasia Myskina (2004)
RU....Martina Hingis (1997,99)
RU....Kim Clijsters (2001,03)
RU....Venus Williams (2002)
QF....Amelie Mauresmo (2003,04)
QF....Maria Sharapova (2004,05)
QF....Francesca Schiavone (2001)
QF....Patty Schnyder (1998)
4th...Svetlana Kuznetsova (2004,05,06)
4th...Daniela Hantuchova (2002,06)
4th...Gisela Dulko (2006)
4th...Anna-Lena Groenefeld (2006)
4th...Shahar Peer (2006)
4th...Dinara Safina (2006)
4th...Nicole Vaidisova (2006)

*HEAD-TO-HEAD - 4th Rd. MATCH-UPS*
Mauresmo leads Vaidisova 1-0
V.Williams leads Schnyder 7-0
Sharapova leads Safina 2-1
Kuznetsova leads Schiavone 3-2
Henin-Hardenne leads Myskina 6-2
Groenefeld vs. Dulko (0-0)
Hingis vs. Peer (0-0)
Clijsters leads Hantuchova 7-0

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

DAY 8: Sunday, June 4


...it took Rafael Nadal nearly five hours, and a convenient call to the trainers to treat a piece of banana in his throat, to finally dispense of Paul-Henri Mathieu in four sets. Happy 20th birthday, Rafa (I guess).



Hmmm, make it pigeons, former Presidents... and delicious fruits.

Elsewhere, Martina Navratilova had a mixed bag of a day. She and Liezel Huber lost to Alona Bondarenko/Yuliana Fedak, but she and Bob Bryan defeated Sania Mirza/Paul Hanley to advance to a 2nd Round meeting with Martina Hingis & Mahesh Bhupathi.

Tomorrow, all the women's Round of 16 matches will be contested, as well as a few of the men's (plus the resumption of three 3rd Rounders). Some of the more interesting of the women's matches:

Henin-Hardenne, 2003 & 2005 RG champ, versus Myskina, the 2004 champ.
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Mauresmo vs. Vaidisova, a rematch of the blowout 4th Round meeting in Melbourne
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Hingis, winner of 9 straight matches, versus Peer, winner of 8 straight. Between them, they've won three titles in the past month.
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French teenager Alize Cornet, who advanced to the 2nd Round as a wild card entrant in the Main Draw, begins play in the Junior draw as the #10 seed.
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**ROUND OF 16 PICKS**
[Women's]
#1 Mauresmo d. #16 Vaidisova
#11 V.Williams d. #7 Schnyder
#4 Sharapova d. #14 Safina
#8 Kuznetsova d. #9 Schiavone
#5 Henin-Hardenne d. #10 Myskina
#13 Groenefeld d. #32 Dulko
#12 Hingis d. #31 Peer
#2 Clijsters d. #15 Hantuchova
[Men's]
#1 Federer d. #20 Berdych
#7 Robredo d. #12 Ancic
#3 Nalbandian d. Arguello
#6 Davydenko d. #10 Gaudio
Martin d. Benneteau
(#4 Ljubicic or Monaco vs. Ramirez-Hidalgo)
(#8 Blake or #25 Monfils vs. Djokovic)
#2 Nadal d. #14 Hewitt


*Pierre's Re-Picks*
Mauresmo, Venus, Sharapova, Kuznetsova, JHH, Dulko, Hingis and Clijsters



All for Day 7.