The Daily Backspin, RG 12: Down the Line, and Across the Chops

"Down the line, and across the chops."

That was the story of the women's semifinals on Thursday... what one player DIDN'T do, and what another player DID.

It's tempting to say that what Justine Henin-Hardenne did to Kim Clijsters (a 6-3/6-2 thrashing) in their twentieth career meeting brings her tennis redemption within arm's reach, but doing so would be to fall for the months-old misperception that she's ever needed redeeming in the first place. She never has. (The lack of an asterisk by Amelie Mauresmo's Australian Open title will forever be a testament to that fact.) But it IS fair to say that, after seeing her game waver in and out of alignment for the past few months, Queen Justine has apparently rediscovered her champion's form -- and, in turn, herself -- in Paris.

Nicole Vaidisova is still in the process of completing the early stages of HER tennis foundation. She's almost got it down, but not quite yet. Thursday provided the evidence... for the 17-year old SHOULD be facing off against the Belgian on Saturday, but she'll be watching the final instead.

After so many correct decisions and the flashing of an almost preternatural ability to ignore pressure in Paris through five matches, Vaidisova's Roland Garros journey was undone by a few nervous moments and one bad shot. Up 7-5/5-3, the Czech teenager served for the match, only to appear to back off her shots just enough to allow Svetlana Kuznetsova to find a backdoor through which to enter a match that was all but a handshake at the net from being over.

After the steadier Russian gained the lead in the set at 6-5, Vaidisova got herself under control and forced a tie-break. There, at 5-5, she approached a less-than-mediocre Kuznetsova drop shot that bounced at the back of the deuce court service box and prepared to hit the most important shot of the match. Rather than crushing a stinging forehand down the line, likely out of reach of Kuznetsova, who was stationed on the left side of the court, the Czech attempted a riskier crosscourt flick-of-the-wrist shot behind her opponent. The ball sailed wide and, rather than a match point, the Dynamova faced a set point in Kuznetsova's favor. One point later, the match was knotted at a set apiece, but it turned out to be, once again, all but over save for a handshake at the net.

This time, Vaidisova failed to forget her missed opportunities. Kuznetsova jumped at the chance she was given and sailed though to her second slam final with a 5-7/7-6/6-2 victory. Vaidisova will be thinking about this one for a while, or at least until she gets another chance in similar slam circumstances.

JHH has been there. In her first career slam final at Wimbledon in 2001, the Belgian fought to knot the match with Venus Williams and took the 2nd set, only to fall flat in the 3rd and lose it at love. While Henin-Hardenne has still yet to win a Wimbledon title, she's rarely blown her slam opportunities since. She's gone 6-3 in her slam semifinal appearances, and 4-1 in slam finals (her only loss coming with that Melbourne retirement in January).

While Clijsters was the player who needed to be aggressive in the all-Waffle match-up with Henin-Hardenne, it was "Le Petit Taureau" who actually was. Rather than force the action, Clijsters reverted to the defensive, sometimes tentative player who blew so many of her slam opportunities before winning the U.S. Open last September in what might turn out to be her biggest career aberration, rather than any sort of awakening. JHH took a figurative shot across Clijsters' chops on Chatrier, and the world #2 went down in a heap... never more representative than when she nearly completely whiffed on an overhead in the final stages of the 2nd set. Whether the wind altered the course of the ball or JHH's backcourt stumble distracted her, it doesn't matter. Clijsters whiffed at Roland Garros again, and if she follows through with her retirement plans she won't get another better chance to win there than she had in 2006. Something of a pity, but hardly surprising.

Henin-Hardenne is now on a 21-1 run at Roland Garros, and looks to claim her third title in four seasons at the slam that's become her's to win if she's ready, willing and able to perform come the final week of May. The continuation of that sort of dominance could even turn that semi-tepid response she got from the post-Melbourne French crowd when the tournament began into outright admiration, right? Here's to letting (over-hyped) bygones be bygone.

Vaidisova, though, will have to wait a while longer for her big day. She wasn't ready to boil in Paris, after all. She's still on simmer. But it'd be wise to keep a close eye on THIS pot. She went 18-0 after her U.S. Open loss, then followed up her Oz loss by reaching the SF in her next slam. After today, what does SW19 hold for the Dynamova and those stinging groundstrokes and high octane serve? Could she be on a path adhering even more closely to Maria Sharapova's than anyone imagined? We'll see.

But Saturday will be Justine's time (and Svetlana's, of course), when an "untarnished" grand slam title will be doled out, and the French crowd will decide whether bygones truly will be bygone.

The perfect opportunity has arrived, and it's about time to move on.
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**MOST WTA SEMIFINALS**
7...JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE (5-2)
7...SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA (3-4)
6...Amelie Mauresmo (4-2)
6...Nadia Petrova (4-2)
5...Maria Sharapova (3-2)
5...Martina Hingis (3-2)

**2006 MOST WTA FINALISTS**
[by nation]
15...RUSSIA (7 champions)
7....BELGIUM (3)
6....France (4)
6....Italy (1)

**MOST '06 WINS OVER FORMER/CURRENT #1's**
6...JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE
5...Amelie Mauresmo
5..SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA
3...Maria Sharapova
3...Martina Hingis
2...Kim Clijsters
2...Nadia Petrova
2...Elena Dementieva
2...Nicole Vaidisova
2...Dinara Safina
______________________________

Sometimes Backspin gets caught up in the moment and roots for the big and new story. Case in point this Roland Garros, as I gritted my teeth and picked against Le Petit Taureau from the start by choosing Nadia Petrova to advance past her in the QF.

As it turned out, that match never happened.

Before these semifinals, again I touted the virtues of Vaidisova winning this title over Kuznetsova, Clijsters and... gulp... even Henin-Hardenne.

Well, now that one's over, too. So now, without conflict, Backspin can once again become a Justine-friendly zone should she win her fifth grand slam title on Saturday.

Hmmm, maybe the pigeons were Queen Justine fans all along?
______________________________

In matches other than the women's semis, Martina Navratilova's final Roland Garros journey before her 50th birthday ended when she and Bob Bryan lost in three sets to Likhovtseva/Nestor in the Mixed SF.

In Junior action, #1-seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (the Girls champ in Melbourne) dispatched Tamira Paszek as three of the top four seeds reached the semifinals.
______________________________

**GIRLS SEMIFINALS**
#1 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v. #3 Yung-Jan Chan (TPE)
Katerina Vankova (CZE) v. #2 Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)

**BOYS SEMIFINALS**
#1 Thiemo De Bakker (NED) v. Philip Bester (CAN)
#8 Petru-Alexandru Lucanu (ROM) v. Martin Klizan (SVK)

**MEN'S DOUBLES FINAL**
#1 Bryan/Bryan v. #2 Bjorkman/Mirnyi

**MIXED DOUBLES FINAL**
#7 Likhovtseva/Nestor v. #8 Srebotnik/Zimonjic

**WOMEN'S DOUBLES SEMIFINALS**
#1 Raymond/Stosur v. #15 Daniilidou/Medina-Garrigues
#4 Yan/Zheng v. #5 Hantuchova/Sugiyama
______________________________

**BATTLE ROYALE UPDATE**

=SEMIFINAL RE-PICKS=
Backspin: 1-1 (RG: 9-5), Pierre: 0-2 (RG: 8-6)

=FINALS PREDICTIONS=
Pierre: 2/2, Backspin 1/2 (2006: Backspin leads 7-5)
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All for Day 12.

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The Daily Backspin, RG 11: Four to Shimmy on Chatrier

Only four remain in the game: the defending champion, two former slam winners and a Czech teenager looking to make her name a household one.



Hmmm, two more wins on Chatrier Court and Nicole Vaidisova could initiate another Reebok (represented by herself) vs. Nike (represented by you-know-who), teenaged blonde bomber tennis stars with modelling portfolios (though neither anything like that of Heather Mills-McCartney, it should be noted) ad war. Hey, bring it on.



#16 NICOLE VAIDISOVA vs. #8 SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA


HEAD-TO-HEAD: Kuznetsova leads 1-0
ONLY MEETING: 2005 Wimbledon 3r - Kuznetsova 7-5/6-7/6-2

...it's almost impossible to use past history to determine Vaidisova's fate against Kuznetsova. Their only previous match-up was a year ago on grass. Plus, the Dynamova seems to have learned so much since then. After blowing a lead against Nadia Petrova in last year's U.S. Open Round of 16, Vaidisova reeled off 18 consecutive wins and three singles titles. After her no-show in the Australian Open Round of 16 against Mauresmo, Vaidisova's next slam has featured a win over the aforementioned world #1, the ability to shake off opening set losses, and her first-ever slam semifinal appearance. After defeating Venus in the QF, the Czech teenager made comments about how if Sharapova can win a slam title at 17, there's no reason why she can't do it, too. It's difficult to see this match being easy, but Vaidisova's confidence is sky-high and Kuznetsova admits to pretty much being "asleep" during her early 5-1 QF deficit against Dinara Safina. If Vaidisova continues to keep her head, she'll win her third straight match against a former slam champion.
PICK: VAIDISOVA IN 2, with both sets being ultra-close (maybe even two tie-breaks)

PIERRE's P.O.V.: Vaidisova def. Kuznetsova in 3 - A very tough choice, I think the key is that Vaidisova currently has so much confidence that she will probably be able to play in a more collected manner than Kuznetsova who has had a tendancy to be nervous in big moments.


#5 JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE vs. #2 KIM CLIJSTERS


HEAD-TO-HEAD: Clijsters leads 10-9
MEETINGS ON CLAY (JHH leads 5-1):
...1999 Reims Final - JHH 6-4/6-4
...2001 Roland Garros SF - Clijsters 2-6/7-5/6-3
...2002 Rome SF - JHH 7-5/6-2
...2003 Berlin Final - JHH 6-4/4-6/7-5
..2003 Roland Garros Final - JHH 6-0/6-4

...in 2003, these two Waffles met eight times. But they've only faced each other twice in the past two and a half years. It's been three full years since they last met on clay, in the RG final where Clijsters was mentally shaky and thoroughly outclassed by Henin-Hardenne. JHH hasn't been in her nearly-perfect clay form in '06, having only played five EuroClay matches this season (reaching the Berlin final), but she's yet to lose a set in Paris and has lost but one match there in her last four trips (going 20-1). She's yet to have to dig out a tough three-setter, a skill she's a bit rusty at this season. If Clijsters plays with the aggressive abandon she did against Hingis in the QF, she'll force Henin-Hardenne to turn into Le Petit Taureau again to beat her. There's no more perfect place for it to happen than Roland Garros. The thought here is that Clijsters will push her fellow Belgian, but her own stated dislike of the clay will ultimately lead to her blinking in what is really a very winnable match despite JHH's commanding 5-1 clay court record against her.
PICK: JHH IN 3, with the final set being in the 6-1 or 6-2 range

PIERRE's P.O.V.: Clijsters def. Henin-Hardenne in 3 - What a win this would be, defeating Justine in 3 sets in Roland Garros, but I think Kim is more physically ready for this battle than Justine, and the way she played against Hingis was very impressive to me.

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**JUNIOR GIRLS QUARTERFINALS**

#1 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) vs. Tamira Paszek (AUT)
#3 Yung-Jan Chan (TPE) vs. #10 Alize Cornet (FRA)
Katerina Vankova (CZE) vs. #13 Youlia Fedossova (FRA)
Alexandra Panova (RUS) vs. #2 Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)


**JUNIOR BOYS QUARTERFINALS**

#1 Thiemo De Bakker (NED) vs. Andrei Martin (SVK)
#15 Robin Roshardt (SUI) vs. Philip Bester (CAN)
#8 Petru-Alexandru Lucanu (ROM) vs. Kei Nishikori (JAP)
Martin Klizan (SVK) vs. Pedro Sousa (POR)
__________________________________

**PAST RG GIRLS RESULTS**

2005 Final: Agnes Szavay d. Raluca Ioana Olaru

=SELECTED RECENT CHAMPIONS/RU's=
2004 Champion: Sesil Karatantcheva
2003 Champion: Anna-Lena Groenefeld
2003 RU: Vera Dushevina
2002 RU: Ashley Harkleroad
2001 RU: Svetlana Kuznetsova
2000 Champion: Virginie Razzano
1999 Champion: Lourdes Dominguez-Lino
1998 Champion: Nadia Petrova
1998 RU: Jelena Dokic
1997 Champion: Justine Henin
1997 RU: Cara Black
1996 Champion: Amelie Mauresmo
1996 RU: Meghann Shaughnessy
1994 Champion: Martina Hingis
1993 Champion: Martina Hingis
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*MEN'S SEMIFINAL PICKS*

#1 Federer d. #3 Nalbandian in 4
#2 Nadal d. #4 Ljubicic in 3

(QF re-picks record: 3-1)
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...in Day 11 doubles action, Martina Navratilova/Bob Bryan advanced to the Mixed SF, while Daniela Hantuchova/Ai Sugiyama upset doubles #2-seed Cara Black/Rennae Stubbs in the Quarters.

Meanwhile, after noting some of the comically "less-than-complimentary" post-match comments she made last year, I'll make a point to offer up this from Venus Williams, after losing to Nicole Vaidisova in the QF: "She (Vaidisova) just was the better player today," Venus stated.

Very gracious. (And, for once, there's no sarcasm involved when talking about Venus.) See how easy that was?


All for Day 11.

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The Daily Backspin, RG 10: Vaidisova...ready to boil?

Nicole Vaidisova's June 6, 2006 march on Paris isn't on the level of the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy, but the prospects of something big happening at Roland Garros are getting mighty serious now.



Watershed moments in the Vaidisova's career are hard to miss, from when she first appeared in "3-V" to when it was apparent that she was on the verge of something special. Roland Garros 2006 has become the latest moment to savor, and one day "remember when."

After witnessing the 17-year old Czech's latest dynamic win, a three-set triumph over Venus Williams that sends her streaking (moving at high speed, of course, but not nude... although, if a bump in TV ratings was the goal...) into her first career grand slam semifinal, we're now standing at the line on the court where it should be admitted that Vaidisova winning this tournament, much as was the case with Sharapova at Wimbledon in '04, would be the best thing for the women's game.

A Vaidisova victory lap around Lenglen on Saturday afternoon would provide a nice shot in the arm for a tour that's suffered through injuries, absences and indifference (hello, Serena), as well as talk of retirement (Clijsters still says '07 will be her final season) and the overblown Melbourne "civilization-crushing" final. And that's not even mentioning the ever-thickening Federer-Nadal rivalry seemingly about to write another chapter in a story that the women's game hasn't seen anything similar to since... well... Navratilova-Evert, really, thanks to Gabriela Sabatini's inability to keep pace with Steffi Graf, and that German lathe operator who changed the course of women's tennis and Monica Seles' career. Martina Hingis' comeback has been great, but it can only hide a few of those ills, especially while she's still losing in the quarterfinals of slams rather than winning them.

The impact of a Dynamova title would have far more wide-reaching repercussions than an additional slam crown claimed by either of the other remaining Belgians or Russian in the draw. Sedate parents. A capable interviewee (though it's not polite to be caught looking at yourself in the monitor, Nicole, as you did during your ESPN chat today...several times -- if your hair was covering your face, someone would have told you). An image that'll divert some eyeballs of casual fans. I mean, where's the drawback? (Even Yahoo Sports might post more positive headlines on the Tennis page... which today stated "Venus & Hingis Fall" rather than "Vaidisova & Clijsters Win." Figures.).

Another dynamic star may have already been born at Roland Garros this week, but it's the hardware that brings the real credibility. No less than the likes of Evert ('74), Graf ('87) and Seles ('90) were celebrated before winning a slam title, but it was grabbing their career's first in the city of lights that officially put their names on the tennis marquee. A watched pot never boils, but a burgeoning tennis talent often does so at the grandest of places.

Vaidisova could be the next to boil over... but her famed temper would have nothing to do with it.

_____________________________

Today's Big Matches:

1.QF - Vaidisova d. V.Williams
...6-7/6-1/6-3. Lose a 4-1 1st set lead, then a 5-2 advantage in the tie-break? No matter. Vaidisova's got nerves of steel in Paris. She's now 33-5 in career three-set matches
--------------------------
2.QF - Kuznetsova d. Safina
...7-6/6-0. In the 1st set here, Safina found out what it's like to blow a 5-1 lead. Needless to say, she didn't handle the experience very well.
--------------------------
3.QF - JHH d. Groenefeld
...7-5/6-1. Queen Justine has yet to lose a set, so far.
--------------------------
4.QF - Clijsters d. Hingis
...7-6/6-1. Vaidisova was the only player who rebounded at all from losing a tight opening set today. Hingis crumbled, Groenefeld capitulated and Safina disappeared.
--------------------------
5.Jr. 3rd Rd - Cornet d. Wozniacki
...3-6/7-5/8-6. Uh-oh. 8-6 in the 3rd set again for a young Pastry? Well, at least this time (unlike with Virginie Pichet's two-step with Kirsten Flipkens in the qualies & 1st Round) Cornet won't have to face, and lose to, Wozniacki again in her very next match.

_____________________________

...hmmm. In the 1st Round, Mashona Washington blew a 5-2 3rd set lead to Maria Sharapova, who blew a 5-1 3rd set lead in the Round of 16 to Dinara Safina, who blew a 5-1 1st set lead to Svetlana Kuznetsova today.

Is the Contessova next in line to fall in this pigeon-powered chain of events?

_____________________________

ROLAND GARROS...

=="Mademoiselle Opportunity"==
Svetlana Kuznetsova, the Last Russian Standing

=="It" Girl==
Nicole Vaidisova, naturally

_____________________________

**MARTINA HINGIS**

506-112...CAREER WON/LOST
35-11.....2006 RECORD
413-45....CAREER vs. OUTSIDE TOP 10
32-3......2006 vs. OUTSIDE TOP 10
93-67.....CAREER vs. TOP 10
3-8.......2006 vs. TOP 10

_____________________________

**MID-ROUND AWARDS (3rd-QF)**

==TOP PLAYER==
1.Nicole Vaidisova
2.Kim Clijsters

RISER: Dinara Safina
SURPRISE: Anna-Lena Groenefeld
VETERANS: Martina Hingis & Venus Williams
FRESH FACES: Nicole Vaidisova & Shahar Peer
DOWN: Amelie Mauresmo

==MATCHES==
1. 4th - Safina d. Sharapova...7-5/2-6/7-5
2. 4th - Vaidisova d. Mauresmo...6-7/6-1/6-2
3. QF - Vaidisova d. V.Williams...6-7/6-1/6-3

_____________________________

**BATTLE ROYALE UPDATE**

=ROUND OF 16 PREDICTIONS=
Pierre wins RG 12-10 (2006: Pierre 31-29)
Re-Picks: Backspin 6-2, Pierre 5-3

=QUARTERFINALIST PREDICTIONS=
Backspin wins 6-4 (2006: Backspin 36-29)
Re-Picks: Pierre 3-1, Backspin 2-2

=SEMIFINALIST PREDICTIONS=
Pierre wins 2-1 (2006: Pierre 18-16)
Re-Picks: (coming tomorrow)

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DAY 11: Wednesday, June 7


...the last two of the men's quarters take centerstage tomorrow, but there are two doubles matches of some passing interest, as well. Martina Navratilova/Bob Bryan face Maria Kirilenko/Leander Paes in the Mixed QF, while Anna Chakvetadze/Elena Vesnina battle Zi Yan/Jie Zheng in the women's doubles.


All for Day 10.

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The Daily Backspin, RG 9: Eight on the Dirt

The final eight at Roland Garros have totalled up some impressive career statistics: 146 WTA singles titles, 16 grand slam championships, and 284 weeks as the #1 player in the world.

But only one of the Elite Eight has ever left Paris on a winning note (Henin-Hardenne, twice), and three (Clijsters, Williams & Hingis) have reached the final only to walk away dejected. Meanwhile, the other half of the group have just experienced their career-best RG result in just the past few days.


DAY 10: Tuesday, June 6


#13 VENUS WILLIAMS vs. #16 NICOLE VAIDISOVA

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD: Williams leads 1-0 (on clay)
LAST MEETING: 2005 Istanbul Final (clay) - Williams 6-3/6-2

...I get the feeling that Venus' experience will get her through this one, but if the Dynamova does win, she'll win at least one more at this Roland Garros. PICK: VENUS IN 2 (but if it lasts 3, go with Vaidisova)

PIERRE'S P.O.V.: Vaidisova def. V.Williams in 3 - this is going to be some battle, lots of ups and downs, both players will want the win badly... In the end, I think Nicole will be able to back up her upset thanks to a bit better consistency.

#8 SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA vs. #14 DINARA SAFINA

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD: Safina leads 3-2 (Safina 2-1 on clay)
LAST MEETING: 2006 Rome SF (clay) - Safina 3-6/6-4/7-5

...just like Safina opponent Sharapova in the 4th Round, Kuznetsova lost a lead (6-3/4-3) in her Rome loss to Marat's sister. My head says to go with Kuznetsova, as Safina's string of sweat-it-out wins has to end sometime. PICK: KUZNETSOVA IN 3

PIERRE'S P.O.V.: Safina def. Kuznetsova in 3 - Should be a good one, I think Kuznetsova is looking fairly good though, it will be tight, both are solid on clay, but I'm going with Dinara!

#5 JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE vs. #13 ANNA-LENA GROENEFELD

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD: first meeting

...JHH is the best clay courter in the world not named Rafael, and the surface isn't exactly Girl Friday's best place to play. But ALG has a 2006 clay title, while Henin-Hardenne has none. Le Petit Taureau has been a slight disappointment in Europe, while Groenefeld has defied Parisian expectations through four matches so far. Still... PICK: JHH IN 2

PIERRE'S P.O.V.: Henin-Hardenne def. Groenefeld in 2 - not much of a problem for Justine here, she has too much variety and is a lot more steady, I see this match as being an under 1 hour match.

#2 KIM CLIJSTERS vs. #12 MARTINA HINGIS

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD: Hingis leads 4-2 (never met on clay)
LAST MEETING: 2006 Australian Open QF - Clijsters 6-3/2-6/6-4

...Clijsters lost a lead and needed three sets to defeat Hingis in their Oz QF meeting. The same situation might occur here, but with a different ending. PICK: HINGIS IN 3

PIERRE'S P.O.V.: Clijsters def. Hingis in 3 - I think this will be a terrific match, lots of variety, both players will work hard. Problem for Martina is she'll have problems getting balls past Kim and thus will have to work extra to win points, which will take its toll by set #3.
________________________________

**MEN'S QUARTERFINALS PICKS**
#1 Federer d. #12 Ancic
#6 Davydenko d. #3 Nalbandian
#4 Ljubicic d. Benneteau
#2 Nadal d. Djokovic

...at least I hope so, since they were all my original Final Four predictions.

________________________________

**BATTLE ROYALE UPDATE**

...in our original Round of 16 picks, Pierre got 12 to my 10. In our Final 8 predictions, I correctly slotted 6 to his 4. For the season, Pierre leads 31-29 in Round of 16 picks, while I lead 36-29 in Quarterfinal predictions.

In our Round of 16 women's re-picks, I went 6-2 to his 5-3. Hmmm, if I'd only stuck with my original Safina over Sharapova pick from last week I would have been even better.

________________________________

"Mademoiselle Opportunity" and "It Girl" titles are down to a select few now. For the latter:

Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Dinara Safina
Nicole Vaidisova

And the former:

Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Martina Hingis (the Oz "Miss O")
Dinara Safina
Nicole Vaidisova
Venus Williams

________________________________

On Day 9, the long-awaited Martina vs. Martina Mixed doubles match didn't even go off (damn pigeons), as Hingis pulled out of the match because of having to complete her 4th Round win over Shahar Peer earlier in the day.

A few interesting junior results, as Czech Maiden Katerina Vankova upset Hordette Alisa Kleybanova, while Germany's Dominice Ripoll knocked of Swiss Junior Miss Timea Bacsinszky. On Day 10, Alize Cornet will face off against Dane Caroline Wozniacki, who was the Girls RU in Melbourne.


All for Day 9.

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COMING UP: Mid-Round (3r-QF) Awards

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The Daily Backspin, RG 8: A Supernovic Stumble and the Birth of a Dynamo(va)

What did we just witness?

The fate and future path of Nicole Vaidisova's career has been merrily conjoined with the already-traveled road of Maria Sharapova for a while now. As Vaidisova followed along in Sharapova's wake, the links between the two were certainly "intriguing," from the flowing blond locks and powerful groundstrokes to the Floridian connections and potential off-the-court marketing bonanzas.

On Day 8, the fortunes of the teenaged pair criss-crossed in rare fashion. And, as the sun set in Paris, it was the Russian who was boring holes into the ceiling with a stare that lasted deep into the night, and the Czech who was staring into the stary sky, wondering whether "her time" had suddenly arrived.



Sharapova nearly flopped out of this tournament on Day 1, but managed to make a few winged friends and survive to wail another day. Gaining her footing on the terre battue and playing off the rust of a two-month layoff, she entered her 4th Round match with Dinara Safina being able to harbor subtle thoughts of a far more successful Parisian holiday than anyone could have ever expected. And for a while on Sunday, her perceived pre-Paris faults remained a thing of the past.

Even after losing a 5-3 lead and failing to secure two set points in the opening stanza against Safina, the Supernova's fortunes appeared bright deep into the 3rd set. She led her Russian counterpart 4-0, then failed to secure a break point for 5-0. No matter, it was soon 5-1. In moments, she was just two points from the quarterfinals.

Then the pigeons got even.

Whether they stared her down from their perches atop Lenglen, or they'd already worked their dark magic earlier in the morning, something happened to Sharapova that was very uncharactistic. She choked. In a grand slam. Against another Russian. And she didn't have a Rafa banana around to help explain away her inability to swallow, either. A few ill-time double faults and wayward forehands later, and Safina was playing Rocky to the Supernova's Bullwinkle.

"Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat."

And Safina did. She broke Sharapova's serve three straight times. She won the final six games of the match, precipitating a slam crashout that the Supernova seemed immune from every having to experience. But it happens to almost every top player at some point, and on Sunday it was Sharapova's turn.

Somewhere, the pigeons were bobbing their heads, admiring the spectacle made possible because of their interference on Day 1. In the end, they proved their unbiased nature.

A few hours later, Darlin' Nikki had the chance to fill the void left by the Supernova's exit. After a series of on-court fits and false starts, feats of promise and then feet of clay (no pun intended) in Melbourne, Vaidisova saw her chance.

As a result, "The Dynamova" was born on Court Chatrier.



In her other grand slam Round of 16 meeting with Amelie Mauresmo in Australia, Vaidisova crumbled like a stale cracker. She barely showed up, showing her youth and raising at least a little doubt about her supposedly high-flying future. Or, at the very least, the timetable for her expected ascent. On Sunday, the rematch presented another opportunity for the 17-year old to crack: she lost a tight 1st set in a 7-5 tie-break. This time, she didn't succumb. Instead, it was the Oz champ who wilted under the pressure, and the kid who played to her potential and sailed through to the quarterfinals with two dominating, not to mention somewhat strikingly uncomfortable (for longtime Mauresmo watchers), sets won by Vaidisova 6-1/6-2.

So, the Dynamova will use Sunday as a means of gaining ground on her bigger goals, while the Supernova is left to pick up the pieces and prepare for Wimbledon, where her lack of match toughness and inability to close out an "in-the-bag" match will have to be forgotten and overcome. If she's the champion she's always appeared to be, this match will only serve to spur her on.

But what of Vaidisova? Will she now be content that she finally shined on the big stage, and willingly submit to the pressure of playing five-time slam champion Venus Williams for a slot in the semis? Or, ala Sharapova at Wimbledon less than two years ago, will she recognize that there's no better time than the present to declare that "her moment" has come, and grab for her destiny with both hands?

What did we just witness? If nothing else, a 'Nova-esque rite of passage, for sure. For the Dynamova, but for the Supernova, as well. How they handle their immediate fates will be quite the intriguing story to follow for the remainder of this tournament, as well as this summer.

Slip or soar, the intertwining stories of the blonde bombers promise to continue to twist together.

Isn't it great?

______________________________

Well, that jinx on Mauresmo worked out pretty well, huh?

______________________________

By the way, big congrats to NBC for its Roland Garros coverage today. I mean, who would've ever thought to play taped coverage of Monfils/Blake AND Federer/Berdych rather than live coverage of one of the young up-and-coming stars knocking out the #1 player in the world in front of her home nation fans?

Pure genius, guys.

______________________________

**2006 WINS OVER WOMEN'S #1**
Jan - Aust. QF - #6 Henin-Hardenne d. Davenport
Feb - Antwerp F - #2 Mauresmo d. Clijsters
Mar - Miami SF - #14 Kuznetsova d. Mauresmo
Apr - Fed Cup SF - #11 Schiavone d. Mauresmo
May - Berlin SF - #7 Henin-Hardenne d. Mauresmo
June - RG 4th - #16 Vaidisova d. Mauresmo

______________________________

DAY 9: Monday, June 5



MARTINA N. & MARTINA H.

...it'll be all-Martina-all-the-time on Day 9, as Hingis completes her 4th Round match with Shahar Peer, currently tied at a set apiece. Later, Hingis & Bhupathi face off with Navratilova/B.Bryan in the 2nd Round of Mixed Doubles.

As the men complete their 4th Round action, I think the most interesting match could be Monfils vs. Djokovic. The talk of the vanquished last week centered around how hard the young Serb was hitting the ball; while the French teen has recaptured his winning junior mindset, taking all three of his matches in five-set knock-down-drag-outs that'll either soon sap him of his mojo or set up a potentially very raucous QF matchup with a particular Spanish 20-year old in long pants.

**Men's Bottom Half 4th Round Picks**
Martin d. Benneteau
Ljubicic d. Ramirez-Hidalgo
Djokovic d. Monfils
Nadal d. Hewitt

(top half 4th Rd. picks: 3-1)


All for Day 8.

=========================

TOMORROW: WOMEN'S QF WATCH

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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.


___________________________________

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.
-----------------------
Mauresmo vs. Vaidisova, a rematch of the blowout 4th Round meeting in Melbourne
-----------------------
Hingis, winner of 9 straight matches, versus Peer, winner of 8 straight. Between them, they've won three titles in the past month.
-----------------------
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.
-----------------------

**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.

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The Daily Backspin, RG 6: X-Women: The Next Stand?

Since when are the winners of a combined six grand slam titles "dark horses" to take a seventh? When they're named Venus and Maria, and the slam is Roland Garros.



With half the Round of 16 slots filled, the top-ranked women have been setting fire to the clay courts. The current Top 10 ranked players are a combined 18-1 so far. The Top 18 are 38-1. Only #3-seed Nadia Petrova, who was the hottest player on tour coming into Paris, has bowed out to this point. But even with all those name players still out there fighting, the two "X-Factor" players are named Williams and Sharapova.

Neither will likely win Roland Garros, and both or either could lose their next match (Williams plays Patty Schnyder, while Sharapova faces fellow Russian Dinara Safina), but what's already happened to them in these early rounds in Paris might turn out to be very important nonetheless. If not in Paris, then a little ways across Europe at SW19.

Both came into this event a little green on the match toughness side due to injury-related layoffs, with Venus still working her way back after missing three months after the Australian Open, while Sharapova missed the previous two leading into Roland Garros. Toss in the fact that clay is the worst surface for both, that they've both made it into the second week of action is already quite impressive.

Through three matches, both have gotten progressively better, too. Sharapova narrowly avoided a 1st Round upset loss to Mashona Washington, but buckled down and got through it. She's since proceded to handle Iveta Benesova and Alicia Molik with relative ease. Venus suffered through slow starts agaisnt Sybille Bammer and Emma Laine, but gathered her game and advanced. In the 3rd Round, she won a tight 1st set against Karolina Sprem, then sailed through to the Round of 16.

Neither are favorites to win Roland Garros, and history says they WON'T, either. Venus has only reached one RG final (losing to sister Serena in '02), while Sharapova has never reached any clay singles final on the WTA tour. But the match toughness they're picking up in Paris, essential to rounding their respective games into full and devastating form, might mean even bigger things as the summer goes along.

A fit and ready duo of Venus and Maria should take SW19 by storm next month, with the last two Wimbledon champions making a bee-line for each other in the draw. They could even meet in the final, a rematch of the SF clash won by Williams (ending Sharapova's 22-match grass winning streak) a year ago en route to her surprise comeback title.

The summer is only just beginning, but it could still turn out to be the "Summer of Venus and/or Maria" when things are all said and done... and Paris is at least making it possible. Later this month, when both take up their rackets on the grass courts of England, Sharapova (winner in '04, SF in '05) and Williams (remarkably a finalist in five of the last six years, winning three times) will fully be in their elements. For them, Roland Garros is akin to a tune-up event. And, up to now, it's been a pretty good one, too. Whether fate places them in a (more-or-less) unlikely semifinal against each other late next week or not, whatever happens in Paris is dessert.

Their main course is still to come... on the green courts of the All-England Club.

This Prelude in Paris could just make perfect.

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

There were a slew of important three-setters on the women's side today:

2nd - Groenefeld d. Jackson... 6-7/6-2/6-1. Two days of play and nearly two months later, ALG finally puts that Fed Cup loss behind her.
---------------------------
2nd - Dementieva d. Kutuzova... 3-6/6-0/6-4. Kutuzova was up 5-1 after yesterday. Punch-Sober won 14-5 today.
---------------------------
3rd - Schiavone d. Pennetta... 4-6/6-1/9-7. Schiavone is the longest-lasting Noodle (assuming Garbin doesn't upset JHH again tomorrow).
---------------------------
3rd - Schnyder d. Vakulenko... 2-6/7-5/6-0. Well, Julia put up a fight but ran out of gas in the end. Still, she tied with Rezai as the "Last Qualifier Standing."

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

==ROLAND GARROS SPECIAL DESIGNATIONS==

FIRST SEED OUT: #18 Elena Likhovtseva (1st vs. Sprem)
----------------------------
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: Julia Vakulenko (3rd) & Aravane Rezai (3rd)
----------------------------
REVELATION LADIES: The French Pastries (Rezai, Cornet, Johansson, Pichet, etc.)
----------------------------
UPSET QUEEN: The Americans (Perry, Jackson, Harkleroad)
----------------------------

STILL TO COME: "It" Girl & Mademoiselle Opportunity

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

==EARLY ROUND AWARDS==

*TOP PLAYERS*
1.Amelie Mauresmo
2.Martina Hingis
3.Venus Williams

*RISERS*
1.Ana Ivanovic
2.Anna-Lena Groenefeld
3.Jamea Jackson

*SURPRISES*
1.Shenay Perry
2.Mashona Washington
3.Ivana Lisjak

*VETERANS*
1.Martina Hingis
2.Patty Schnyder
3.Mashona Washington

*FRESH FACES*
1.Nicole Vaidisova
2.Aravane Rezai
3.Alize Cornet

*DOWN*
1.Nadia Petrova
2.Ting Li & Tiantian Sun
3.Elena Likhovtseva

*TOP MATCH*
1st Round - Sharapova d. Washington
...Sharapova overcomes a 5-2 3rd set deficit, and saves three match points (with the help of her fine feathered friends)

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

==ROUND OF 32 - BY NATION**
6...Russia
3...France
3...Italy
2...Belgium
2...Croatia
2...Serbia
2...Switzerland
2...USA
1...Argentina
1...Australia
1...China
1...Czech Republic
1...Germany
1...Israel
1...Slovak Republic
1...Slovenia
1...Spain
1...Ukraine

==ROUND OF 16 - BY NATION==
(Top Half of Draw)
3...Russia (Sharapova, Kuznetsova, Safina)
1...Czech Republic (Vaidisova)
1...France (Mauresmo)
1...Italy (Schiavone)
1...Switzerland (Schnyder)
1...USA (V.Williams)

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

DAY 7: Saturday, June 3


...as the Round of 16 lineups will be complete after tomorrow, things begin to get serious now.

Nadal vs. Federer is still lining up rather nicely, though with the Swiss Mister again having a bit of trouble again today (this time against Nicolas Massu, who struggled to get past Xavier Malisse in the 1st Round), the form that he'll need to complete his RogerSlam has yet to materialize. Could Tommy Robredo pose a problem if they meet in the QF? Of course, if Nadal were to lose along the way things would change dramatically. Boy, would a result like that send some major shockwaves across this tournament or what? Has any recent male player other than Federer or Sampras at Wimbledon been pretty much ceded a spot in a slam final like the Spanish (as of Saturday) TWENTY-year old has been at this Roland Garros?

The most interesting men's match on Day 7 might be the Blake/Monfils showdown as the last American tries to take out the best of the young Frenchmen. In mixed doubles, Martina Navratilova and Bob Bryan face Sania Mirza/Paul Hanley... with the winner drawing Oz champs Martina Hingis/Mahesh Bhupathi.

Both the Belgians will get tests, as Kim Clijsters faces Anabel Medina-Garrigues, the underrated Spaniard who seems perpetually frozen in the role because she can't come up big at the slams. Justine Henin-Hardenne plays Tathiana Garbin, the player who upset her in the 2nd Round of Roland Garros in 2004 (the only match JHH has lost in her last seventeen matches in Paris).

But I'll go with this as the "Match to Watch":


ANASTASIA MYSKINA vs. ANA IVANOVIC

...the '04 champ is still a lurking threat, especially if she can pick up some momentum against the '05 Quarterfinalist who's rolled through both her opponents so far. The winner will likely be facing Henin-Hardenne next, with one or the other probably going on to claim the semifinal slot in their quarter.

All for Day 6.

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The Daily Backspin, RG 5: Stump the Softball Lacrosse Bee, and the plot against the Navratilovas

Thanks in large part to another truncated schedule brought on by the rain, no women's seeds fell on Day 5. (Not that there was a great chance that Backspin would have been able to see them lose, thanks to... altogether now... ESPN -- but more on that in a moment.)

After another day like this, I now realize where the pigeons have gone.


CAN'T YOU JUST SEE THE MISCHIEF IN THIS ONE?

They're flying amongst the clouds, seeding them so that this opening week of play at Roland Garros will continue to be a stop-and-start affair.

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

They must have something against the Navratilovas, too, as tomorrow the double-Navratilova Doubles match will have another go at striking at least one ball in anger... for the third consecutive day.

It's an avian power play of epic proportions, I tell ya.

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

Speaking of Martina (and, by extention, Chris Evert), I've finally started to read Johnette Howard's The Rivals, a dual biography on the lives and careers of the two players invovled in the longest and greatest rivalry in tennis history (Federer-Nadal will be a supreme success if it's only a quarter as exciting and important as "Chrissie vs. Martina").



Just a few remarkable stats from the early portions of the book:

From 1982-86, Navratilova put together overall season records 90-3, 86-1, 78-2, 84-5 and 89-3... Martina won 74 consecutive matches in singles, and had a 109-match doubles streak with partner Pam Shriver... Evert won 125 straight matches on clay (hear that, Rafa?), and was 103-7 in 1973, still a record for single-season victories... and Chris advanced to at least the semis of 52 of the 56 slams she played in her career... together, they claimed 18 of the 20 slam singles titles from 1982-86.

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

Rain or no rain, ESPN 2's coverage today was another mind-boggling experience.

I hate ripping on it too much, though, since the actual match coverage and such is fine. ESPN has few directorial or production options with the Australian Open, thanks to the vast time difference with Melbourne. And, last year, practice made nearly perfect as the network's Wimbledon coverage was great in comparison to its hit-and-miss two week "practice run" at Roland Garros. But today the "everything to everyone, but not really a promoter of tennis no matter how much it wants to act like it is" network managed to cut off coverage in mid-match during the afternoon because of "other commitments."

What replaced the remaining hours of coverage from Paris? Opening round action from the College Softball World Series.



Why not move the tennis coverage to one of the other seemingly million offshoots of ESPN, such as Classic, ESPNNEWS or ESPNU (I'll give a pass to the spelling bee coverage on regular ESPN, simply because there's something oddly compelling about that little army of kids straining to spell words that most of us have never even heard of)?

What was so important on the other ESPN networks? Try a show called "Stump the Schwab," the Pro Lacrosse Draft show and mid-day sports news.

Ah, there's nothing like "the grand slam network." I sure hope ESPN doesn't follow through on the threat to grab the U.S. Open coverage from USA Network, the one and only place for great tennis coverage in the U.S. in the post-HBO at Wimbleon era.

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

After yesterday's talk about all the Frenchies in action, they went 4-6 today. The winners were Nathalie Dechy, Gael Monfils, Paul-Henri Mathieu and Julien Benneteau.

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

Here's a great long article about what's happened to Mirjana Lucic.

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

In some of the matches that were completed today: Justine Henin-Hardenne celebrated her 24th birthday with a far-from-a-work-of-art win over Anastasiya Yakimova... Ana Ivanovic mowed through another opponent, ripping Emilie Loit 6-1/6-1 (so far, she's 24-5 in games through two rounds)... Shenay Perry won the Nadia Bowl, bouncing Akiko Morigami 6-1/6-3 to move into the slot in the draw vacated by Petrova... and Dulko/Kirilenko defeated Harkleroad/Mattek (by the way, loved the way Chris Fowler scolded Brad Gilbert for paying more attention to this match rather than the men's match he was supposed to be calling live on TV).

No fist fights (or near ones) on the men's side, but Gael Monfils needed five sets to advance once again, edging him still closer to a possible meeting with Nadal in the QF... and, wow, (#14-seed?) Lleyton Hewitt is still alive in the draw, too.

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

DAY 6: Friday, June 2



Assuming the weather (or, in other words, those damn pigeons) cooperate, there are quite a few matches to look forward to on Day 6.

Sharapova vs. Molik... Vaidisova vs. Rezai, with the winner likely facing Mauresmo... Martina Hingis and Mahesh Bhupathi start off on their attempt to win a second slam Mixed title this year vs. Sofia Arvidsson/Stephen Huss... Groenefeld and Jackson, a set apiece when the rains stopped play, can settle things in their post-Fed Cup meeting... Venus plays Sprem, with Williams hoping the umpire can actually count points correctly this time out (Wimbledon '04, remember?)... Kuznetsova vs. Li... Schnyder vs. Vakulenko, even if I'm just hoping for something good there... Blake/Almagro, and Schiavone/Pennetta.

But for "Match of the Day" I'll go with the resumption of the 2nd Round match between Elena Dementieva and Viktoriya Kutuzova:



...when things stopped today, the Ukrainian teenager was leading the 2004 RU 5-1 in the 1st set.

All for Day 5.

============================

COMING SOON: Early Round Awards

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