RG.7- Birds on the Wire

"I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch,
He said to me, you must not ask for so much.
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door,
She cried to me, hey, why not ask for more?

Oh like a bird on the wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir I have tried in my way to be free." - lyrics from "Bird on the Wire" (1968), by Leonard Cohen

The Sweet Sixteen in Paris can't outrun reality no matter how hard they try. Some will see their dreams end in the blink of an eye, while others (umm, about half of them) will wish for more for yet another round in the Land of Opportunity.

*WOMEN'S FINAL 16 GROWTH CHART*
[SECTION 1]
#1 Sharapova vs. #13 Safina
#7 Dementieva vs. #11 Zvonareva
...hmmm, I'll guess that the survivor here will be a Russian. Ha! Dementieva, the '04 RU the last time this tournament was turned upside down because of the absence of Justine Henin, has had the most RG success of this group. Safina and Zvonareva have probably had the better overall clay court seasons... though both could revert to their former selves and melt into a puddle of goo at any moment in these big matches. My, now THAT would be a mess on the red clay, wouldn't it? Which leaves us with Sharapova, who's been "enjoying" a bumper car ride through the first three rounds. The Supernova is 3-2 against Safina (1-1 on clay, though the loss was in the '06 RG 4th Rd.), 8-2 against Dementieva (1-0) and 5-3 versus Zvonareva (1-0). So, maybe things ARE falling into place for Sharapova. PICK: DEM-... no, ZVON-... no, SAF-... well, I might as well bite the bullet and pick Sharapova even though I might not be able to look at myself in the mirror in the morning
[SECTION 2]
#4 Kuznetsova vs. #16 Azarenka
Kanepi vs. Kvitova
...this would seem to be Kuznetsova's section to win. She was the '06 RG RU, and was Henin's personal favorite to win this title. But while the Contessova has allowed an average of just 4.7 games per match through three rounds, it should be noted that 18-year old Azarenka has allowed an average of -- get this -- TWO. The talent has always been there for the teenager from Belarus, but she's yet to win her maiden title on tour after tour trips to finals (two this season). Of course, Kuznetsova hasn't won one outright on the court for about a year and a half, either. Kanepi was the '01 RG Girls champion (she beat Safina and Kuznetsova along the way), while 18-year old Czech Maiden Kvitova is the youngest player left in the field. She's only ranked #87, but she's had enough big wins this season (the latest her 3rd Round three-setter over Agnes Szavay) to make you believe she's going to at least be quite close to being the top-ranked Czech by the end of the season. My head says Kuznetsova will emerge here, but my gut says Azarenka... and my heart sort of wants to go with Kvitova. PICK: hey, I picked AZARENKA as a surprise semifinalist at the start of this thing, so I'll stick with her
[SECTION 3]
#26 Pennetta vs. (Q) Suarez-Navarro
#3 Jankovic vs. #14 A.Radwanska
...if Jankovic doesn't reach the SF from this group she'll only have herself to blame -- which she might if she doesn't play more aggressively throughout against A-Rad than she did versus Cibulkova. If she allows the Pole to stick around and mess with her mind, as she has a tendency to do against top players at times, this could be a very uncomfortable match to watch... sort of like how your stomach feels when you go over the crest of a hill too fast in a car. 19-year old Last Qualifier Standing Suarez-Navarro has shown some great mettle this season. Pennetta's never gone past this point in a slam. Just a thought to ponder before their match-up. PICK: JANKOVIC, but not without some anxious moments
[SECTION 4]
#10 Schnyder vs. #27 Srebotnik
#2 Ivanovic vs. Cetkovska
...Jankovic might still trip up, but it'd be difficult to envision AnaIvo doing it here. Sharapova is the #1 seed, but Ivanovic has been the one playing like it. Schnyder's nursing an ankle, while Srebotnik will be interesting to watch to see if her career-best win over Serena will inject her with enough confidence to continue this ride, or if she'll have the sort of characteristic letdown here that often comes after such a moment in the career of a player who doesn't have a whole lot of experience handling them. PICK: IVANOVIC, with ease



*MEN'S FINAL 16 GROWTH CHART*
[SECTION 1]
#1 Federer vs. Benneteau
#24 F.Gonzalez vs. Ginepri
...Federer is going for his sixteenth straight slam SF, and it'd have been hard to envision any of these three halting that run even before he seemed to turn up the volume on his game the other day. Watch, he'll win this thing and all the questions about him a few months ago will be like a bad dream by the end of the summer. PICK: FEDERER, reminding everyone who they're talking about
[SECTION 2]
#28 Ljubicic vs. Monfils
#5 Ferrer vs. #21 Stepanek
...neither Ljubicic nor Monfils has ever come up truly big in a slam (though the Croat was a RG semifinalist in '06), but one of them is going to be a win away from a SF -- and only Monfils could have Chatrier living and dying on a point-by-point basis. The winner of the Ferrer/Stepanek match is going to be the last line of defense when it comes to keeping Federer out of the final. PICK: FERRER, though Monfils would be a real trip on the 25th anniversary of Yannick Noah's out-of-the-blue title in 1983 (maybe one day Monfils' son will be picked up for marijuana possession, too)
[SECTION 3]
Gulbis vs. Llodra
#3 Djokovic vs. #18 Mathieu
...two Frenchmen here, but Djokovic would seem to be on his way to a fifth straight SF-or-better result at a slam. In fact, he might be Federer's best chance at finally winning this title. If the Serb can knock off Nadal, the Swiss Mister is suddenly the favorite. PICK: DJOKOVIC, trying once again to be part of an all-Serb slam sweep of the singles titles
[SECTION 4]
#19 Almagro vs. Chardy
#2 Nadal vs. #22 Verdasco
...come on, Nadal is 24-0 in Paris. He'll eventually lose, and while Almagro is better than his name recognition, it won't be in this section. PICK: NADAL, eyeing Roger-Rafa Rumble at Roland Garros, Part Trois



=DAY 7 NOTES=
...Jelena Jankovic finished off her 3rd Round match against Dominika Cibulkova that was called yesterday with JJ leading 7-5/4-2. Hmmm, wonder if Venus might have been able to do the same today had she pushed -- even just a little... gently -- for HER match to be called yesterday. It was interesting listening to Tennis Channel's (courtesy of the BBC, since it hadn't aired on TC earlier in the day?) match coverage of Venus-Pennetta last night, with the announcer noting that the Jankovic match had been stopped so this one likely would be, too, after the current game. It was 3-2 in the 2nd set at the time... but the match finished with Pennetta winning 6-3.

...oh, Nadia. Petrova just wasn't present in her 3rd Round match against Svetlana Kuznetsova today. Apparently, it was an all-day thing, as she and Patty Schnyder lost their 1st Round doubles match against Casey Dellacqua & Francesca Schiavone, too.

...Maria Sharapova nearly squandered the 1st set of her match against Karin Knapp, serving at 5-4 put failing to close out the set. The Italian ended up pushing things into a tie-break, where Sharapova stepped things up and won it, then bageled Knapp in the 2nd set. Roger Federer has been remarkable since he fumbled away the 1st set of his 2nd Round contest against Albert Montanes, carrying over his momentum by working over Mario Ancic today in a clinic. Did Sharapova finally get fed up earlier today and rattle her own cage straight for the rest of the tournament, as well? We'll see against Safina.

...Ashley Harkleroad gets things done with her clothes ON, too. (Oh, the double entendres that could be made there if Sesil was the topic of that sentence.) At least she did on Day Seven when she and Galina Voskoboeva upset the #2-seeded doubles team of Srebotnik/Sugiyama in the 2nd Round. Of course, with her singles fortunes as they are, was Katarina as focused (or rested) as she would normally be in such a match? Certainly, Jonas Bjorkman's doubles results dipped a while back when he found himself in surprising positions in slam singles draws.

...one American remains in singles -- Robby Ginepri in the men's Round of 16. Even though his pre-RG clay results were showing some improvement coming into Paris, he's not likely the one anyone would have expected to be the Last Yank Standing.

...and, finally, what kind of reality is it on the women's side where there are more players named Petra still playing than there are any named Williams? Ah, welcome to the post-Taureau era.



*WOMEN'S FINAL 16*
[BY NATION]
5...Russia (Dementieva-Kuznetsova-Safina-Sharapova-Zvonareva)
2...Czech Republic (Cetkovska-Kvitova)
2...Serbia (Ivanovic-Jankovic)
1...Belarus (Azarenka)
1...Estonia (Kanepi)
1...Italy (Pennetta)
1...Poland (A.Radwanska)
1...Slovenia (Srebotnik)
1...Spain (Suarez-Navarro)
1...Switzerland (Schnyder)
[BY RANKING]
#1...Maria Sharapova
#2...Ana Ivanovic
#3...Jelena Jankovic
#4...Svetlana Kuznetsova
#8...Elena Dementieva
#11...Patty Schnyder
#12...Vera Zvonareva
#14...Dinara Safina
#15...Agnieszka Radwanska
#17...Victoria Azarenka
#24...Katarina Srebotnik
#30...Flavia Pennetta
#49...Kaia Kanepi
#77...Petra Cetkovska
#87...Petra Kvitova
#132...Carla Suarez-Navarro
[BY AGE]
18...Azarenka-Kvitova
19...A.Radwanska-Suarez Navarro
20...Ivanovic
21...Sharapova
22...Kanepi-Kuznetsova-Safina
23...Cetkovska-Jankovic-Zvonareva
26...Dementieva-Pennetta
27...Srebotnik
29...Schnyder

*WOMEN'S & MEN'S FINAL 16*
[COMBINED BY NATION]
5...France (5 men)
5...Russia (5 women)
5...Spain (4 men/1 woman)
3...Czech Republic (2 women/1 man)
3...Serbia (2 women/1 man)
2...Switzerland (1 man/1 woman)
1...Belarus (1 woman)
1...Chile (1 man)
1...Croatia (1 man)
1...Estonia (1 woman)
1...Italy (1 woman)
1...Latvia (1 man)
1...Poland (1 woman)
1...Slovenia (1 woman)
1...United States (1 man)

=GIRLS TOP 8 SEEDS=
#1...Melanie Oudin, USA
#2...Arantxa Rus, NED
#3...Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, THA
#4...Ana Bodgan, ROU
#5...Jessica Moore, AUS
#6...Polona Hercog, SLO
#7...Bojana Jovanovski, SRB
#8...Kurumi Nara, JPN
=BOYS TOP 8 SEEDS=
#1...Bernard Tomic, AUS
#2...Cesar Ramirez, MEX
#3...Jonathan Eysseric, FRA
#4...Yuki Bhambri, IND
#5...Henrique Cunha, BRA
#6...Jose Pereira, BRA
#7...Marcelo Arevalo, FRA
#8...Juan Vazquez Valenzuela, ARG




TOP QUALIFIERS: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez/ESP & Yanina Wickmayer/BEL
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Ana Ivanovic/SRB
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st- Sharapova d. Rodina 6-1/3-6/8-6
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #15 Nicole Vaidisova/CZE (1st-Benesova)
UPSET QUEENS: The Czechs
REVELATION LADIES: The Czechs
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Carla Suarez-Navarro/ESP (4th Rd.)
IT GIRL: xxx
MADEMOISELLE OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xxx
CRASH & BURN: Serena Williams/USA (3r- lost to Srebotnik)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: Maria Sharapova/RUS [2 pts. from 1st Rd. loss]
LAST PASTRIES STANDING: Alize Cornet & Emilie Loit (both 3rd Rd.)
DOUBLES STAR: xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx





All for Day 7. More tomorrow.

Read more...

RG.6- With Two You Get No Egg Roll

It's often been said that when Serena Williams plays a match there's really only one player on the court that matters, since if the American is on her game there's no one that's going to beat her.

That's probably true, especially with a certain Belgian skipping through the lily-covered fields of retirement. But what is often obligingly shoved into the dark recesses of everyone's brain by Williams' sometimes radiant brilliance is that there are often TWO Serena's on the court to contend with -- the most talented player of her generation, as well as the most frustrating one.

Guess which one showed up in Paris today?

Taking away nothing from what #27-seed Katarina Srebotnik did in defeating #5 Williams 6-4/6-4 on Day Five, but Serena really beat herself more than anything today. Congratulations are due the Slovenian for finally being able to come out on the winning end against a top player in 2008 -- after battling and losing to Justine Henin in a three-hour match in Dubai earlier this year, then failing to take advantage of her chances in a three-set loss to Serena in Charleston just last month... not to mention blowing a 6-4/6-5 lead on Anabel Medina-Garrigues in the Strasbourg final barely a week ago. She's overdue to get a measure of the attention that normally eludes her.

But, really, the story here is Williams.

Some might look to the absence of Henin as providing her with a lack of intense motivation in this tournament, but the fact is that this sort of result isn't unusual for Serena. While she's shown the ability to pull grand slam titles out of thin air at times, she's only won two of them over the last four and a half years... and both of them -- at the '05 and '07 Oz Opens -- came when she was seemingly emerging from some dark forest after being chased by a pack of wicked fairy tale creatures with lit torches and sharp pitchforks. She hasn't really prospered as a "favorite," which she was in many corners coming into Paris, since she pulled off the "Serena Slam" in 2002-03.

If she can survive potential early round disasters in a slam she can work herself into a lather as a way to "show" any detractors who dare whisper that she can't win an event, and her game can gradually tag along and peak at just the right time. But one wonders if the front-running Serena that once won five slams in six attempts, and did it with everyone pointing at her as the one to beat, will ever show herself at a slam again.

If she'd faced a young Russian or a neophyte Romanian in her 3rd Round match today, she'd probably still harbor title hopes. But she faced a veteran who was tired of squandering potential career-best wins... and, maybe more importantly, who witnessed Williams dump funky forehands into the net or out of bounds on big points time and time again today and simply let Serena beat herself without trying to do something crazy and shock her opponent back to "reality." The bad spell included a two service game span where Serena held four break points on Srebotnik's serve in the 2nd set, with a shot to gain a 3-1 or 4-2 advantage, but failed to convert a single one, any of which might have lit the fire within that would have allowed everyone to see that OTHER Serena on this day. But THIS Serena's deadly combination of poor shot selection and sometimes even worse mechanics were too much for even THAT Serena to overcome and swoop in in the nick of time to save the day.

But the funk was never broken... and then to add further Williams insult to injury, Venus went down in flames against Flavia Pennetta at the end of the day as the Italian veteran made it to match point in a 7-5/6-3 victory when it appeared that play was about to be suspended at any moment (and already had been in Jelena Jankovic's match) due to darkness.

So, with that, there were none. No more Williams sisters as the 4th Round beckons, for only the second time at a slam in which they both participated. There are no more American women in Paris, either. That's the first time in the Open Era that's happened so soon.

Hmmm... I guess this means the sisters will have a little extra time to rest up and prepare for the grass at the All-England Club. They should have something to prove, huh?

Uh, oh.



=DAY 6 NOTES=
...Maria Sharapova's performance wasn't picture-perfect yet again, but she at least survived. Again. In Charleston a few weeks ago, Sharapova bageled Bethanie Mattek, but today the American was able to push their continued-from-Day Five 2nd Round match (Sharapova led 6-2/2-3) to three sets. She wasn't able to put a stake through Sharapova's Roland Garros heart (maybe if she'd been able to find one with a fuschia-colored grip?), as the Supernova took the 3rd set at 6-2, but she once again rattled any thoughts that the Russian is going to be the ruler of the Land of Opportunity a little over a week from now. One day Sharapova may be able to win this tournament, but her form doesn't say it'll be this year. Of course, if enough of the other better-adapted-to-clay contenders lose, who knows?

...Mattek wasn't a Zombie Slayer on Day Five, but she and doubles partner Sara Errani (herself a loser of a two-day match earlier in the week) combined to take out the 2007 RG Doubles champions, the #5-seeded team of Alicia Molik & Mara Santangelo.

...with Emilie Loit's 3rd Round loss to Patty Schnyder and Alize Cornet's tight 3rd Round defeat by Agnieszka Radwanska (Cornet led the 1st set 4-1, but lost the match 6-4/6-4), the two tied for Last Pastry Standing at this Roland Garros.

...whew! Nadia Petrova put away Alisa Kleybanova in their continued 2nd Round match, 6-3/6-3. Vera Zvonareva made it three-for-three for the Hordettes in the other left over 2nd Round contest. Nadia plays Svetlana Kuznetsova next. Nope, I'm not sayin' nuthin'.

...Jelena Jankovic and her sore forearm (she apparently hurt herself hitting a ball in the heavy conditions earlier this week) leads Dominika Cibulkova 7-5/4-2 in the only 3rd Round match not completed today in the bottom half of the women's draw. The men knocked out all their 3rd Round bottom half matches, though, and the remaining eight hail from just four nations -- Spain (3), France (3), Latvia (1) and Serbia (1).

...and, finally, with the only former Roland Garros women's champion in the draw gone, it'd be a true shocker if the women's final didn't include some combination of a Russian vs. a Serb. If that DOESN'T happen, well, this tournament could end up with a final matchup that'll look odder than some of those old ones at the Australian Open in the late 1970's when the big stars didn't show up. "Chris O'Neil def. Betsy Nagelsen, in 1978," anyone? What would be the equivalent of that this time around... possibly Flavia Pennetta vs. Karin Knapp?



*SERENA WILLIAMS - CAREER SLAMS BY ROUND*
0...lost in 1st Round
1...lost in 2nd Round
7...lost in 3rd Round
4...lost in 4th Round
10...lost in Quarterfinals
2...lost in Semifinals
2...lost in Final
8...won title

*VENUS WILLIAMS - CAREER SLAMS BY ROUND*
3...lost in 1st Round
2...lost in 2nd Round
5...lost in 3rd Round
4...lost in 4th Round
11...lost in Quarterfinals
4...lost in Semifinals
6...lost in Final
6...won title

*SERENA WILLIAMS - WORST SLAM RESULTS*
=2nd Round loss=
1998 Australian Open
=3rd Round loss=
1998 Wimbledon
1998 US Open
1999 Australian Open
1999 Roland Garros
2005 Wimbledon
2006 Australian Open
2008 Roland Garros

*SERENA & VENUS LOST IN SAME SLAM BEFORE 4TH RD.*
2006 Australian Open (Venus 1r, Serena 3r)
2008 Roland Garros (Serena 3r, Venus 3r)




TOP QUALIFIERS: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez/ESP & Yanina Wickmayer/BEL
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Ana Ivanovic/SRB
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st- Sharapova d. Rodina 6-1/3-6/8-6
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #15 Nicole Vaidisova/CZE (1st-Benesova)
UPSET QUEENS: The Czechs
REVELATION LADIES: The Czechs
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: xxx
IT GIRL: xxx
MADEMOISELLE OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xxx
CRASH & BURN: Serena Williams/USA (3r- lost to Srebotnik)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: Maria Sharapova/RUS [2 pts. from 1st Rd. loss]
LAST PASTRIES STANDING: Alize Cornet & Emilie Loit (both 3rd Rd.)
DOUBLES STAR: xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx





All for Day 6. More tomorrow.

Read more...

RG.5- Early Round Saints & Sinners

Through the first two rounds (well, almost a full two, as of the end of Day Five), there have been players who celebrated, players who fell hard... and one that was either very lucky, or Not Long For This Tournament.

=EARLY ROUND AWARDS - 1st/2nd Rds.=
TOP PLAYER: Ana Ivanovic/SRB
...AnaIvo has arguably had the toughest road so far, but has probably had the least trouble. (RU: Svetlana Kuznetsova/RUS)
RISERS: Karin Knapp/ITA & Petra Kvitova/CZE
...Knapp should get Sharapova next. Could be interesting. Kvitova might end up being the player who emerges from Chakvetadze's former quarter, if she gets past Agnes Szavay. (ALSO: Katarina Srebotnik/SLO & Petra Cetkovska/CZE)
SURPRISES: Carla Suarez-Navarro/ESP & Aleksandra Wozniak/CAN
...CSN could have very easily been in the "Risers" category. Did anyone in their wildest dreams see A-Woz making it this far? (ALSO: Kaia Kanepi/ESP & Olga Govortsova/BLR)
VETERANS: Elena Dementieva/RUS & Emilie Loit/FRA
...it was easy to foresee Dementieva still being around, but Loit? (ALSO: Flavia Pennetta/ITA & Nadia Petrova/RUS)
FRESH FACES Alize Cornet/FRA & Casey Dellacqua/AUS
...Cornet is France's last best hope, but she's trapped in a ridiculous corner in the draw. It's a slam, so Casey decided it was time to turn a few heads again. (ALSO: Evgeniya Rodina/RUS & Dominika Cibulkova/SVK)
DOWN: Nicole Vaidisova/CZE & Anna Chakvetadze/RUS
...well, unless Sharapova trips up tomorrow. (ALSO: Alona Bondarenko/UKR & The Austrians Bammer & Paszek)
COMEBACKS: Iveta Benesova/CZE & Zheng Jie/CHN
...holding up their qualifying round honors. (ALSO: Nadia Petrova/RUS, so far)

BEST/MOST DRAMATIC/LONGEST MATCH:
1st Rd. - Sharapova d. Rodina 6-1/3-6/8-6
...against a fellow Hordette in her grand slam debut, Sharapova teetered on the edge of oblivion in a swirl of double-faults, clay dust and wind. It'll either go down as the Great Escape, or a sign that this wasn't going to be the Supernova's RG to win, with or without Justine.
QUALIFIERS STILL STANDING: Iveta Benesova/CZE, Carla Suarez-Navarro/ESP & Zheng Jie/CHN (ALSO: Bethanie Mattek/USA, who's still playing Sharapova in the 2nd Rd.)
PASTRIES STILL STANDING: Alize Cornet (3rd), Emilie Loit (3rd) & Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (2nd)
FIRST SEED OUT: #15 Nicole Vaidisova
UPSET QUEENS: The Czech Maidens (knocked out first three seeded players to fall)
REVELATION LADIES: The Czech Maidens (three in final 32), slightly edging out the Pastries and The Ladies of Belarus
ZOMBIE QUEEN: Maria Sharapova, who came within two points of becoming the first #1-seeded woman to fall in the 1st Round at RG
CRASH & BURNERS: #6 Anna Chakvetadze lost to Kaia Kanepi today, becoming the highest seed to fall so far... December is surely looking like it indeed was a bad omen. (ALSO: #9 Marion Bartoli & #23 Alona Bondarenko)
BIGGEST NEWSMAKER: Ashley Harkleroad, who announced she had posed for Playboy. Of course, that this is the most-covered (no pun intended) news of the week says much about the coverage of tennis in the U.S., doesn't it?

Sure, a few of these awards could change tomorrow following the completion of Maria Sharapova, Nadia Petrova and Vera Zvonareva's matches. But, barring any remaining 2nd Round surprises on Day Six, everything should hold up.

(crosses fingers)



=DAY 5 NOTES=
...Day Six is almost here, and Maria Sharapova still hasn't advanced to the 3rd Round. Her 2nd Rounder with Bethanie Mattek (sporting her long tee with tied leopard print belt, modified "Flashdance" ensemble) was suspended with the Supernova up 6-2/2-3. Kudos to Mattek, though, for saying yesterday that she wanted Sharapova to win her match with Rodina because she wanted to see how she'd do against her. Of course, she also knew that if she was playing Sharapova there'd be plenty of cameras to go around, so...

...Nadia Petrova hasn't yet advanced, either, but she's got a 6-3/4-2 lead over Alisa Kleybanova as her no-expectations trip to Paris is extended for yet another day. I'd say she SHOULD reach the final 32, but that would be EXPECTING her to not come out flat tomorrow. And your Friendly Neighborhood Backspinner wouldn't want to put that sort of "pressure" on her shoulders.

...Gisela Dulko didn't advance to the 3rd Round, either. But, in her case, it was because she couldn't pull off a second consecutive two-day win over an opponent. Pastry Alize Cornet closed out their suspended match by turning a 3-3 3rd set tie into a 6-4 win. She'll face A-Rad in the 3rd Round.

...after a 1st set in which he committed twenty unforced errors and lost a tie-break to Albert Montanes, Roger Federer did a fairly good impression of... umm... "Roger Federer" by pretty much putting the Spaniard in his place over the next three sets. If he can keep it up he'll extend his Open Era record of consecutive slam SF-or-better results to sixteen in Paris (second on the list? Ivan Lendl, with eight). But if things go according to form, one wonders who he'd rather see win a potential Nadal-Djokovic SF on the other side of the draw. After all, he'd likely have a better shot at that elusive RG title were he facing the Serb in the final. But would it mean as much if DID get it that way, especially for a player so in tune with his place in tennis history?

...Venus defeated 30-year old Selima Sfar in a 2nd Round match today. In the 1st Round, she advanced past 35-year old Tzipora Obziler. So, the average age of her opponents so far is nearly 33. She'll face Flavia Pennetta next. She's 26, twenty months younger than Williams.

...and, finally, did the shadows of time finally catch up with Amelie Mauresmo on Day Five? She went down rather routinely to qualifier Carla Suarez-Navarro 6-3/6-4. There wasn't any Guga-esque fanfare for what might have been the French vet's final RG match, but if things don't improve on the court for Amelie before the end of the season would anyone be surprised if it was indeed her last performance there?



*WOMAN'S FINAL 32 - BY NATION*
(#)
4...Russia (Dementieva-Kuznetsova-Safina-xx)
3...Czech Republic (Benesova-Cetkovska-Kvitova)
3...Italy (Knapp-Pennetta-Schiavone)
2...Belarus (Azarenka-Govortsova)
2...France (Cornet-Loit)
2...Serbia (Ivanovic-Jankovic)
2...Spain (Medina Garrigues-Suarez Navarro)
2...United States (Williams-Williams)
1...Australia (Dellacqua)
1...Canada (Wozniak)
1...China (Zheng)
1...Denmark (Wozniacki)
1...Estonia (Kanepi)
1...Hungary (Szavay)
1...Poland (A.Radwanska)
1...Slovakia (Cibulkova)
1...Slovenia (Srebotnik)
1...Switzerland (Schnyder)
--
#- total includes Petrova-RUS/Kleybanova-RUS 2r winner, but not Sharapova-RUS/Mattek-USA or Zvonareva-RUS/Cohen Aloro-FRA winners




TOP QUALIFIERS: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez/ESP & Yanina Wickmayer/BEL
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Ana Ivanovic/SRB
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st- Sharapova d. Rodina 6-1/3-6/8-6
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #15 Nicole Vaidisova/CZE (1st-Benesova)
UPSET QUEENS: The Czechs
REVELATION LADIES: The Czechs
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: xxx
IT GIRL: xxx
MADEMOISELLE OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xxx
CRASH & BURN: xxx
ZOMBIE QUEEN: Maria Sharapova/RUS [2 pts. from 1st Rd. loss]
DOUBLES STAR: xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx





All for Day 5. More tomorrow.

Read more...

RG.4- Red Scare!

And on Day Four, we finally got the Supernova... and she almost didn't survive to see a Day Five.

After witnessing several rain-marred days before finally getting on court for her 1st Round match, Maria Sharapova found herself facing a 19-year Russian in her grand slam main draw debut. A junior performer a season ago, Evgeniya Rodina was looked at as the opponent in one of those "get it over with" early round matches. She was... for about a set.

Then Mother Nature stepped in and helped the young Hordette come THIS CLOSE to becoming an historical Roland Garros figure. You see, a #1 women's seed has never lost in the 1st Round in Paris... but Sharapova came within two points of earning the dubious distinction of being the first.

With the swirling wind (and red dust) playing havoc with her serve and general sense of ease, the Supernova threw in an ungodly seventeen double-faults. She saw her 6-1 1st set cruise turn into a 6-3 lost set in the 2nd, and felt a consistent come-from-behind pressure peering over her shoulder throughout the 3rd as Rodina served first and didn't fact a break point in the set until 6-6.

Ultimately, Sharapova pulled out some productive first serves late, stole that break and served out the set at 8-6. But you have to wonder if this was a weather-related near-stumble, or a sign that she's not going to be able to find the form to match and/or improve upon her Roland Garros SF result from a year ago.

The only other time Sharapova has suffered through anything resembling a similar ordeal in a slam 1st Round was at last year's Australian Open, when she won a 9-7 3rd set against Camille Pin. But that one, too, was precipitated by the weather conditions, as Extreme Heat nearly turned the Supernova into a Red Dwarf in a matter of a few hours. In the end, Sharapova reached the Melbourne final, where she was destroyed by Serena Williams.

Wonder what Maria did to get on Mother N's bad side. What about Yuri? Hmmm.

While she may no longer exactly resemble the "cow on ice" she used to feel like on clay, it should be noted that Sharapova's last two slam titles (excluding her Wimbledon uprising in '04) came about after she played at a high level of tennis throughout the event. In Melbourne in January, she never lost a set through seven matches. Unlike the Williams sisters, Sharapova hasn't yet shown a pattern of finding a way to "play herself into" a slam. She's either been "on" from the start, or not.

Completing a career grand slam with a RG title was always going to be a tough task for Sharapova... but it'll be a virtual impossibility if she's going to have to fight her own serve along the way while trying to do it.



=DAY 4 NOTES=
...while #1-seed Sharapova was made to sweat in the top half of the draw, #2-seeded Ana Ivanovic cruised on the bottom half rather impressively yet again on Day Four. After handling dangerous 1st Round opponent Sofia Arvidsson the other day, she took out another potential spoiler in Lucie Safarova today by a 6-1/6-2 score. So far, the possible dual Sisters-vs.-Serbs QF matchups (AnaIvo/Serena & JJ/Venus) are still scheduled for next week.

...in a slight surprise, #25 Nadia Petrova took down Aravane Rezai in straight sets, 7-6/6-3, when an upset win by the Pastry would hardly have raised an eyebrow. Good for Nadia. I guess we're at a point now where there are no expectations for Petrova, so every day she's still alive in the draw is a good day. Next up is Alisa Kleybanova... and it's probably best to have zero expectations for that one, too.

...Nuria Llagostera-Vives lost to #6-seed Anna Chakvetadze today, swelling the ranks of 1st Round victims to two who recently posed for nude photos. Of course, to be fair, Llagostera's efforts will ultimately be far less revealing than Ashley Harkleroad's will be in Playboy later this summer.

...sheesh! Yet another "lucky loser" in the men's draw won a 1st Round match today, as Luis Horna joined the unlikely crowd that includes Pablo Andujar and Sebastian Decoud in the 2nd Round.

...Zheng Jie, Bethanie Mattek and Magdalena Rybarikova won opening round matches today. That means nine of the twelve women's qualifiers won 1st Round matches at this RG. I'm not sure, but I can't believe such a high percentage of victories have occurred in a slam in recent years. At least at none that I can remember. A total of three wild cards notched wins, too, after Sam Stosur (def. #17 Shahar Peer) won today. Jelena Pandzic (Q), Anastasia Yakimova (Q) and Mathilde Johansson (a Pastry WC who lost to Serena in two sets after actually serving for the second stanza at 5-3), thinned the group of survivors a bit, though, with their 2nd Round defeats on Day Four.

...and, finally, can Gisela Dulko do it again? The Argentine's 1st Round match with Sara Errani was suspended earlier this week with Errani up 3-1 in the 3rd set. Dulko come back to win the match when it resumed the next day. Her Day Four 2nd Round contest with #19-seed Alize Cornet was suspended with the pair both having won a set, and tied 3-3 in the 3rd. Can you say "encore?"



*SHARAPOVA IN SLAM 3rd SET "OVERTIME"*
2003 RG Q3 - def. Beygelzimer 6-7/7-5/8-6
2005 Aust.Open SF - lost to S.Williams 6-2/5-7/6-8
2007 Aust.Open 1st - def. Pin 6-3/4-6/9-7
2007 RG 4th - def. Schnyder 3-6/6-4/9-7
2008 RG 1st - def. Rodina 6-1/3-6/8-6




TOP QUALIFIERS: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez/ESP & Yanina Wickmayer/BEL
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): xxx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xxx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #15 Nicole Vaidisova/CZE (1st-Benesova)
UPSET QUEENS: The Czechs
REVELATION LADIES: xxx
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: xxx
IT GIRL: xxx
MADEMOISELLE OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xxx
CRASH & BURN: xxx
ZOMBIE QUEEN: xxx
DOUBLES STAR: xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx





All for Day 4. More tomorrow.

Read more...

RG.3- Amelie's Last Stand?

Might we be witnessing the final throes of the career of Amelie Mauresmo?

The #22-seeded (and 29th-ranked) Pastry managed to escape the 1st Round today, defeating Olga Savchuk in three sets in between dodging raindrops in a match that didn't end until about eight hours after it was scheduled to begin. But the two-time slam champion is surely staring at the end of her Hall of Fame career in the not too distant future.

After struggling to live up to her potential for so long, Mauresmo managed to "save" her career's legacy in 2006 by outlasting Justine Henin in Melbourne, then defeating her outright in London a few months later to claim her long-overdue, late-in-career grand slam hardware. Ever since then... well, it's become clear that she might have been wise to hang up her rackets while she was ahead.

The graceful 28-year old from France is in no danger of erasing the memory of her one sparkling season. Still, it's difficult not to consider what's happened since a huge letdown. With her legacy cemented, Mauresmo's post-glory timeline has mostly been filled up with an appendectomy, a too quick return to action and a series of other injuries and poor results. Since winning Wimbledon and reaching the U.S. Open SF two months later, she's failed to advance to a slam QF in the four slams in which she's competed. Unfortunately, her lack of any prolonged follow-up slam success is probably bound to cause many to consider '06 the aberration of her career rather than the spirit-lifting, confirming moment it appeared to be when it occurred less than two years ago.

That is, unless she can carve out one final moment of glory. Thus, she perseveres.

She's in Paris again this year, looking for the Roland Garros success in front of the French fans that's always eluded her, leading to all the "choker" labels that hounded her career before '06. Her best RG results, a pair of quarterfinals, came back in 2003 and '04, and her best tennis is almost certainly behind her. But, maybe, just maybe...

Awwl, who knows? The absence of Henin at this Roland Garros has given a dash of hope to all the players looking to prove something to someone over the next two weeks. Mauresmo is no different... but she's the only one in that group with two grand slam trophies on her mantle, and the prospect of a raucous French crowd cheering her on should she turn the corner with the finish line in sight the first week of June.

Mauresmo is a fine clay court player. Her pursuit of one final grand slam moment is hardly akin to Pete Sampras' attempt to win this tournament, or what might have become Monica Seles' goal of a Wimbledon crown had fate not been quite so unkind to her career. It's at least conceivable that Mauresmo could win Roland Garros, or at least it was a few years ago when it didn't feel quite so much like she was playing out the string, hoping for something good to happen rather than being willing to sacrifice herself in order to fulfill her career goal.

It could be that like Henin, who found it difficult to gather the resources to battle once she'd reached the mountain top and found a measure of "peace," Mauresmo, too, was forever altered by her success. After 2006, maybe there were no more remarkable grand slam moments left for her to claim.

If she exits this Roland Garros as she has the previous thirteen times she's competed, Mauresmo, like the Belgian, might soon come to the conclusion that she also has no more to gain from the sport of tennis.

So, this could very well turn out to be Amelie's Last Stand in Paris. Her exit from the sport in the near future would certainly come as less of a stunning afternoon story than Henin's a few weeks ago. As always... it's good to savor the time that remains, for there may be less of it than anyone would prefer.

In the Land of Opportunity, though, maybe this one time there could be a little MORE left than we thought? Oh, if only for a Wizard to allow Amelie to click her heels one more time.



=DAY 3 NOTES=
...as rain once again ruined the parade, only thirteen singles matches were completed on Day Three. The likes of top-seeded Maria Sharapova hasn't even started her 1st Round match as Day Four beckons. Hmmm, I wonder if she might now secretly wish she HAD been scheduled for Sunday since as long as she lasts in the draw from here on out it looks like she'll get little if any rest in between Rounds... #14-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a finalist at the Australian Open in January, became the second top-seeded Frenchman to pull out of the tournament with an injury before setting foot on the court. #8 Richard Gasquet did so earlier. Mauresmo and #19-seeded Alize Cornet might be the only hope for any sort of success for the French fans now since La Trufflette can't be expected to hang around for much longer.



*ROLAND GARROS QUALIFIERS (+WILD CARDS & LUCKY LOSERS)*
[Won 1st Round]
Iveta Benesova, CZE
Mathilde Johansson, FRA (WC)
Jelena Pandzic, CRO
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
Olivia Sanchez, FRA (WC)
Selima Sfar, TUN
Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP
Anastasiya Yakimova, BLR
[Lost 1st Round]
Severine Bremond, FRA (WC)
Yulia Fedossova, FRA (WC)
Jarmila Gajdosova, SVK
Monica Niculescu, ROU (LL)
[Yet to finish 1st Round]
Madison Brengle, USA (WC)
Stephanie Foretz, FRA (WC)
Violette Huck, FRA (WC)
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, ESP
Bethanie Mattek, USA
Magdalena Rybarikova, SVK
Samantha Stosur, AUS (WC)
Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
Zheng Jie, CHN




TOP QUALIFIERS: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez/ESP & Yanina Wickmayer/BEL
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): xxx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xxx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #15 Nicole Vaidisova/CZE (1st-Benesova)
UPSET QUEENS: The Czechs
REVELATION LADIES: xxx
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: xxx
IT GIRL: xxx
MADEMOISELLE OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xxx
CRASH & BURN: xxx
ZOMBIE QUEEN: xxx
DOUBLES STAR: xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx





All for Day 3. More tomorrow.

Read more...

RG.2- Maidens Maidens Everywhere!

The rain may have brought an early end to Day Two action at Roland Garros, but that didn't stop the Czech Maidens from continuing to make their mark on the 1st Round.

The opening round of action hasn't yet been completed, but it looks as if the "Upset Queens" have already been crowned. So far, three women's seeds have fallen... all of them victims of Czechs. On Day One, it was #15 Nicole Vaidisova (a Czech herself) who fell to qualifier Iveta Benesova, and #24 Virginie Razzano, a victim of another veteran, Klara Zakopalova. On Day Two, it was Petra Cetkovska who kept the drumbeat going, eliminating #23 Alona Bondarenko by a convincing 6-3/6-0 score.

Heck, even Lucie Safarova got a win today over Sandra Kloesel. Sure, the 2007 Australian Open quarterfinalist SHOULD have won the match... but her results over the course of this season surely made it a dicey situation going in.

*CZECHS IN TOP 100*
#16 VAIDISOVA, NICOLE CZE
#41 SAFAROVA, LUCIE CZE
#55 ZAKOPALOVA, KLARA CZE
#70 BENESOVA, IVETA CZE
#77 CETKOVSKA, PETRA CZE
#87 KVITOVA, PETRA CZE

Even without the "top tier" Czechs pulling their full weight throughout 2008, this particular Eastern European mini-revolution has been picking up a little steam. And we might not have all the movers-and-shakers cast yet in Paris, either. Petra Kvitova, a multiple ITF title winner a season ago and an upset victor over the likes of Top 20ers Venus Williams and Shahar Peer this season on the WTA tour and in Fed Cup action, has yet to play. She faces veteran Akiko Morigami once the weather permits, and might get a shot to add a fourth seeded player to the scrap heap should #17 Peer and she meet again in the 2nd Round.

Looking at the draw, there appears to be a good chance that Benesova and Cetkovska could meet in the 3rd Round for a trip to the Round of 16. And as for Safarova? She faces #2 Ana Ivanovic in her next match... with the winner potentially crossing paths with Benesova or Cetkovska two matches later.

Hmmm, "Upset Queens" now... "Revelation Ladies" later?



=DAY 2 NOTES=
...Interesting that Svetlana Kuznetsova, tabbed by Roger Federer as his favorite women's player to watch last season, is also now being touted by none other than Justine Henin as her favorite/pick to win Roland Garros this year. It says a great deal about the Contessova's talent and potential, but it also makes her woeful record in finals over the past two seasons even more vexing, not to mention the fact that her U.S. Open title coming nearly four years ago now would seem to be a very blatant sign that she's been stuck in a deep hole of underachievement for far too long... Well, poor Sara. Blame it on Mother Nature. After leading Gisela Dulko 3-1 in the 3rd set when play was suspended on Day One, Errani went on to lose to the Argentine by a 7-5 score today... In a day of see-saw scorelines, Venus Williams blew a 4-1 2nd set lead over Tzipora Obziler, but went on to win the match in three sets. V generally starts slowly in slams that she ultimately wins, but Roland Garros isn't SW19, either... A day after Gustavo Kuerten was given a warm farewell, Guillermo Coria returned to play his first RG match since his monumental meltdown in the men's final against Gaston Gaudio in 2004. He lost to Tommy Robredo, but he gave a good match. Comebacks have to start somewhere... Pastry Emilie Loit won an 8-6 3rd set over Yan Zi on Day Two... Two more women's qualifiers advanced to the 2nd Round. 25-year old Croat Jelena Pandzic, who'd never even played a tour main draw match until a few weeks ago in Prague (and didn't play at all from 2004-06), got her first career tour main draw win on Day Two -- and did it against Pastry Severine Bremond, in Paris, in a grand slam! 16-year old Hordette Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had never won a slam main draw match until her win over Maria-Emilia Salerni... Men's qualifier Nicolas Devilder won his 1st Round match, as did another "lucky loser," Pablo Andujar... Tamira Paszek continued to suffer through her Fed Cup hangover, losing in three sets to Timea Bacsinszky. Of course, it probably went down a little smoother than that 1st Round match in Melbourne in January. Remember? She lost a 12-10 3rd set to Jelena Jankovic after holding three match points and serving for the match five times. In 2007, Paszek was Henin's 1st Round victim in Paris, as the Austrian teen erased a 5-0 opening stanza deficit to lose a tight 7-5 set... And, finally, one year after seeing zero of eight American men reach the 2nd Round in Paris, two U.S. men (James Blake and Wayne Odesnik) have already advanced. John Isner was close to heading to a deciding 5th set when his match against Juan Ignacio Chela was suspended today, and Donald Young and Robby Ginepri are scheduled to play each other on Day Three.



*MOST "UPSET QUEENS" CROWNS - 2004-08*
4...Russia (04 US, 05 Oz, 07 US, 08 Oz)
3...United States (05 Wimb, 05 US, 06 RG)
2...CZECH REPUBLIC (07 Oz, 08 RG)
2...Great Britain (04 Wimb, 06 Wimb)
2...France (05 RG, 06 US)




TOP QUALIFIERS: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez/ESP & Yanina Wickmayer/BEL
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): xxx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xxx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #15 Nicole Vaidisova/CZE (1st-Benesova)
UPSET QUEENS: The Czechs
REVELATION LADIES: xxx
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: xxx
IT GIRL: xxx
MADEMOISELLE OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xxx
CRASH & BURN: xxx
ZOMBIE QUEEN: xxx
DOUBLES STAR: xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx





All for Day 2. More tomorrow.

Read more...

RG.1- The Curious Case of Nicole Vaidisova

The fall down the ladder, one rung at a time, continued unabated for Nicole Vaidisova on Day One in Roland Garros as she quickly became the first seed to fall.

Vaidisova's 7-6/6-1 loss at the hands of a fellow Czech Maiden, 25-year old qualifier Iveta Benesova, serves to further stake her claim as 2008's most disappointing player. The 19-year old's worst slam result since her grand slam debut at the '04 U.S. Open gives her just an 11-9 mark on the season and six straight losses dating back to February. And while there have been many young players that have failed to live up to early expectations in recent years -- from Daniela Hantuchova to Jelena Dokic to any of a number of the young Russians -- the slip of few have been as curious as Vaidisova's over the past year.

A few seasons ago, Vaidisova looked to be on the verge of something great in the power-first field of WTA contenders. She reached two slam SF in less than a year ('06 RG & '07 Oz), even while battling her own tendency to angrily fly off the handle at a moment's notice when things started to turn against her on the court. Since she ticked all the boxes necessary to make her a "carbon copy" of Maria Sharapova, it seemed as if her ride was going to be smooth once she matured just a little. But it hasn't happened. At this juncture, it's clear she's not a Sharapova clone. Not even remotely close... no matter how many commercials she may appear in at the moment.

After reaching #7 in the world last May, Vaidisova is closing in on slipping out of the Top 20 after a second straight slam step back. She followed up her '07 Oz SF with a 4th Round result in January, and her QF in Paris from a year ago was obliterated by her loss today.

Maybe her recent wrist injury, the type of which has deviled many other young players in recent years, has something to do with her current slide. She missed time a season ago with the same injury. Then there was the bout with mono that kept her out a while, too. It could be that this will turn out to be just a bump in the road for Vaidisova and she'll ultimately turn out to have a career at least approaching what was once dreamed for her a few seasons ago. After all, Jelena Jankovic is four years older than Vaidisova and still capable of reaching new career heights by the end of 2008.

But then there's all that Radek Stepanek stuff from the start of the season. What it's role in the mix is, who knows? But remember what happened the last time Stepanek was linked to a Czech-born female star... the Swiss Miss' career was soon over.

Did the Hingis Curse rub off on Radek, and he's now passed it on to Vaidisova? If so, this could be a very long season for Miss (Mrs.?) Nicole. Sigh.



=DAY 1 NOTES=
...Maria Sharapova didn't have to play on the first Sunday, which will surely save the WTA from fielding a few p.o.'ed phone calls from a certain Supernova... Serena Williams got off on the right foot, though, getting her 1st Round match "over with" by dispatching Ashley Harkleroad 6-2/6-1. Hmmm, should Ashley be offended by being a player referred to as something akin to the first day of school? Maybe. But how many slams has she won compared to Serena? The cold, hard reality doesn't spare the feelings of anyone, even if she was a Fed Cup star just a few months ago... Farewell, three-time RG champ Gustavo Kuerten, who played his final match in Paris today, losing to Paul-Henri Mathieu. As fun as the likes of Djokovic and Baghdatis can be, has anyone really replaced the ready smile that Guga brought to the sport when he won his first slam title eleven years ago? ...Qualifier Eduardo Schwank took out #16 seed, '98 champ Carlos Moya, despite battling cramps down the stretch. This would be a shocking development if Moya didn't spend half of his season getting dumped out in the early rounds of events by people he probably shouldn't be losing to. I'm not sure which is harder to remember -- that Marcelo Rios was once ranked #1 in the world, or that Moya was... While no tip-top women's seed was really challenged on Day One, men's #3 Novak Djokovic had to work a little harder than most expected in a four-setter against Denis Gremelmayr. Fellow Serb, #32-seed Janko Tipsarevic didn't fare so well, though. He became the second men's seed to fall when he was knocked out late in the day by Nicolas Lapentti... One potential "1st Seed Out" candidate that I absent-mindedly neglected to mention before play began, #24 Virginie Razzano, was indeed upset by Klara Zakopalova. Thus, both the women's seeds kicked out on Day One were the victims of Czech Maidens... The Sara Errani/Gisela Dulko match was suspended with Errani leading 3-1 in the 3rd set... While three women's qualifiers (Benesova, Selima Sfar and Anastasiya Yakimova) and three men's qualifiers (Schwank, Maximo Gonzalez and Miguel Angel Lopez Jaen) won Day One matches, a "lucky loser" was a winner, too, when Sebastian Decoud defeated Olivier Rochus.



*HIGHEST-SEEDED 1st SEED OUT IN SLAMS - 2005-08*
#9 Elena Dementieva, RUS (2006 Oz 1st - Schruff)
#10 Patty Schnyder, SUI (2005 Wimb. - Ant.Serra-Zanetti)
#15 Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER (2006 U.S. - Rezai)
#15 NICOLE VAIDISOVA, CZE (2008 RG - Benesova)




TOP QUALIFIERS: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez/ESP & Yanina Wickmayer/BEL
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): xxx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xxx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #15 Nicole Vaidisova/CZE (1st-Benesova)
UPSET QUEENS: xxx
REVELATION LADIES: xxx
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: xxx
IT GIRL: xxx
MADEMOISELLE OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xxx
CRASH & BURN: xxx
ZOMBIE QUEEN: xxx
DOUBLES STAR: xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx





All for Day 1. More tomorrow.

Read more...