STARS
French Open
(First Week)
Daniela Hantuchova beat top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-1 6-3
Arantxa Rus beat second-seeded Kim Clijsters 3-6 7-5 6-1
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat third-seeded Vera Zvonareva 7-6 (4) 2-6 6-2
Stephane Robert beat sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych 3-6 3-6 6-2 6-2 9-7
Gisela Dulko beat eighth-seeded Samantha Stosur 6-4 1-6 6-3
Lukas Rosol beat eighth-seeded Jurgen Melzer 6-7 (4) 6-4 4-6 7-6 (3) 6-4
Gilles Simon beat 10th-seeded Mardy Fish 6-3 6-4 6-2
OTHER
Carlos Moya beat Thomas Enqvist 7-6 (0) 6-3 to win the Grand Champions Brazil in Sao Paulo, Brazil
SAYING
“Actually, I think I’m playing really well at this moment.” – Novak Djokovic, after winning his 43rd consecutive match.
“To beat him you need to produce the perfect match and not make any mistakes. You need to play like (Rafael) Nadal, hit the ball really strong, to make him run. But only a few guys can beat him at the moment. Even Nadal struggles to organize his game when he plays against him.” – Richard Gasquet, after losing to Novak Djokovic.
“Twenty-eight quarterfinals in a row, that’s great. But that’s another opportunity for me to go one step further.” – Roger Federer, after reaching a record 28 consecutive Grand Slam tournament quarterfinals.
“Of course, I should have lost this match. I have to be honest. I didn’t think I could win the match. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t serve.” – Fabio Fognini, after battling injuries and outlasting Albert Montanes to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
“I don’t really want to comment on this, because, well, it’s not of my business. I’m just trying to do my thing, focusing on me. … The rest, I don’t really care.” – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, when asked about the top three seeded women being beaten before the quarterfinals.
“When you play less than 50 percent of your potential, it’s very tough to win the fourth round of a Grand Slam. It’s just that she played a little bit more aggressive. That’s why I was playing a little bit too passive. It’s not acceptable at this stage of the Grand Slam.” – Vera Zvonareva, after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
“Kim (Clijsters) had a tough loss yesterday; I had a tough loss today. That’s what happens. Since we’re numbers one and two, it means that we must be doing something right. It’s just unfortunate to lose in a Grand Slam, but that’s what happens, and we just need to move forward.” – Caroline Wozniacki, after being upset by Daniela Hantuchova in the third round.
“I’m happy that I gave myself the opportunity. It’s better to try than not to try. That’s kind of the attitude of a real loser. I gave it the best that I had and with my abilities that I had. So I definitely don’t regret it.” – Kim Clijsters, after losing her second-round match to Aranxta Rus.
“This is for sure my biggest win. She’s a real hero. I played fantastic tennis. I always liked to see her playing and to watch her matches, and it was really, really nice that I played against her.” – Aranxta Rus, after shocking second-ranked Kim Clijsters.
“I started cramping at the end of the second set, and this continued in the third. From 4-2 in the third set I began to feel dizzy and had problems seeing the ball clearly. At no point did I think of retiring, and I kept fighting until the end.” – Sabine Lisicki, who had match point against Vera Zvonareva before losing the second-round match and being carried off the court on a stretcher.
“Life will continue. A match is lost, but life continues.” – Albert Montanes, after losing to an injured Fabio Fognini.
“It’s never too early to think about grass for us.” – Mardy Fish, noting that his loss meant no American player – male or female – made it past the fourth round on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
“It’s time to close this amazing chapter of my life. This very emotional decision makes me thankful and proud of all the moments I have been able to share on and off the court with fans from all over the world and with the champions and legends from many decades.” – Patty Schnyder, in announcing her retirement from the tennis tour.
SEEDED DISASTER
For the first time in the Open era, since 1968, none of the top three seeded women made it to the second week of Roland Garros. It is only the third time that none of the top three seeded women has reached the quarterfinals at a major in the Open era. It also happened at Wimbledon in 2008 – when the top four were eliminated by the end of the fourth round – and at the Australian Open in 1997.
Caroline Wozniacki still won’t be able to add a Grand Slam tournament title to her number one ranking after she was soundly beaten 6-1 6-3 by Daniela Hantuchova. Seeded 28th in the year’s second major, Hantuchova hit 26 winners compared to just eight by Wozniacki. The 20-year-old Dane had a mini-revival midway through the second set before her game fell apart again. Hantuchova’s run ended in the next round when she fell to the 2009 French Open champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-7 (3) 6-3 6-2.
Second-seeded Kim Clijsters was ousted in the second round by little-known Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus. Clisters, playing only her second match since suffering a severe ankle injury, was seeking to win her third consecutive Grand Slam tournament title, having succeeded at the US Open last September and the Australian Open in January. She appeared to be having no trouble with her 20-year-old foe, leading 6-3 5-2 when Rus became finding the corners and Clijsters lost her rhythm and confidence. Rus, who staved off two match points by Clijsters, took 11 of the next 12 games to win 3-6 7-5 6-1. “I started doubting a little bit,” said Clijsters, who made 65 errors. “I think that on clay is something that for me is definitely the wrong attitude to have. My ankle feels fine, so that has absolutely nothing to do with it.”
It wasn’t pretty, but Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova prevailed over fellow Russian and third seed Vera Zvonareva 7-6 (4) 2-6 6-2 in a fourth-round battle. Zvonareva led 4-2 in the opening set before letting her opponent back into the match. In the third set neither player seemed able to win, while both appeared ready to lose as each made a series of errors. The win put the 19-year-old Pavlyuchenkova, the youngest player in the top 40, into s Grand Slam tournament quarterfinal for the first time.
With the top three players out of the tournament, the top woman going into the second week at Paris was fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka.
SHARK BITE
Novak Djokovic is trying to become only the fourth player since the computer rankings began in 1973 to take over the world number one ranking after winning a Grand Slam tournament title. According to the ATP’s Greg Sharko, the Serb, if successful at Roland Garros, would replace Rafael Nadal atop the rankings as the two would switch positions, the Spaniard falling to number two in the world. The others to move up to number one following a Grand Slam tournament title are Mats Wilander, after winning the 1988 US Open; Boris Becker, following his 1991 Australian Open title; and Roger Federer, who took over the top spot when he won the Australian Open in 2004.
SCAN ON ANKLE
Andy Murray underwent a scan on his injured right ankle after he bested Germany’s Michael Berrer 6-2 6-3 6-2 in a third-round match. The Briton twisted his ankle at the beginning of the second set, but was able to withstand the pain to advance. “I don’t know if I will be 100 percent fit. I don’t know if I will be playing the next match. Maybe I will be,” Murray said after the win. “You never know with these things. They can go away quickly. There’s things you can do to recover faster. That’s what I’ll do. I’ve managed to play almost two sets with it. I don’t know. I’ve just got to wait and see, see what happens, and do all the right things.” Murray suffered the injury while running to get a drop shot at 2-1 in the second set. He immediately began hopping on his left foot, keeping weight off his right. At the changeover, a trainer taped Murray’s right ankle.
STRETCHER NEEDED
Germany’s Sabine Lisicki was taken off the court on a stretcher when, she later said, her body let her down. Lisicki had a match point while leading 5-2 in the third set against third-seeded Vera Zvonareva when she was overcome with dizziness and cramping. The German eventually lost the second-round match 4-6 7-5 7-5. “I’m sad that my body let me down,” Lisicki later said on her website. “Doctors recently discovered that I’m intolerant to gluten – meaning I can’t eat e.g. pasta. One of the biggest energy sources …” She added that her “body needs to adjust to the big change and needs some time.”
SWITCHING COURTS
Roland Garros fans were angry when officials switched Novak Djokovic’s match against Juan Martin del Potro to another court and forgot to tell everyone. The high-profile men’s match had been scheduled to be last on Chatrier court. When the earlier matches ran long, officials moved the Djokovic-del Potro match to Lenglen Court but apparently forgot to tell gate officials at the new location. The gate crew at first refused to let in the extra crowd, which began chanting “Let us in” as play went on inside the smaller arena. The two players split the first two sets before play was called because of darkness. The following day Djokovic captured the next two sets to win the match.
SETS ANOTHER MARK
He’s almost the forgotten man at Roland Garros, but Roger Federer continues to set Grand Slam tournament records. Federer, who is seeded third behind Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, beat his Swiss countryman Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3 6-2 7-5 to advance to his 28th consecutive Grand Slam tournament quarterfinal. Federer improved on the record he shared with Jimmy Connors, although Connors did not do it in consecutive tournaments. The last time Federer failed to reach the quarterfinals at a major was at the 2004 French Open, when he was the top-seeded player but lost to Gustavo Kuerten in the third round. Besides winning a record 16 major titles, Federer also holds the mark of 23 straight Grand Slam semifinal appearances, a run ended at last year’s French Open, when he was beaten in the quarterfinals.
STRUGGLING TO VICTORY
Fabio Fognini could barely walk and figured he could not win his fourth round match. He was wrong, and now is in his first Grand Slam tournament quarterfinal. The Italian overcame a left thigh injury and five match points to outlast Spain’s Albert Montanes 4-6 6-4 3-6 6-3 11-9. “Of course, I should have lost this match,” admitted Fognini, who won 189 points, one more than his opponent. The match lasted 4 hours, 22 minutes, and by the end the 49th-ranked Fognini basically stood immobile on court, yet would end exchanges with a winner or when Montanes would make an unforced error. “I have to be honest. I didn’t think I could win the match,” Fognini said. “I couldn’t move. I couldn’t serve.” He said his only choice was to swing away at the ball, “and if it went in, it went in.” Fognini said he originally thought he was cramping, but later felt he might have pulled a muscle. The 38th-ranked Montanes was broken while serving for the match at 5-3 in the fifth, and he later failed to convert match points on Fognini’s serve at 8-7 and at 9-8. Fognini broke Montanes to lead 10-9, and then served out the victory, closing it with a backhand winner as, on point after point, Montanes would hit the ball right near Fognini, rather than forcing the Italian to move around more to get to shots. “He was hitting so hard I didn’t want to take too many risks,” Montanes said.
SYSTEM CHANGE
Rafael Nadal wants the ranking system to be changed. He called on tennis authorities to make it a two-year rolling ranking system, a move he believes will preserve the health of players. Nadal said the change from a one-year rolling ranking system would not only protect players from burning out but would also ensure that athletes coming back from long injury layoffs would not lose too many ranking points. Nadal made the suggestion before Novak Djokovic beat 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro. The Argentine’s ranking plummeted from fifth in the world in January 2010 to 485th a year later as he was sidelined for almost a year with a wrist injury. Del Potro was seeded 25th at this year’s French Open. “(With a two-year rolling ranking system) if you stop being number five of the world, you’re not going to be number six when you come back, but maybe you’re going to be number 14, 15,” Nadal explained. “But with the way the ranking is done today, that’s not happening. If you have an injury for three months, five months, you are done.”
SPEAKS UP
Julia Cohen’s search for a title ended up just one match short. The American, who failed to qualify for the French Open, opted to play a USD $25,000 International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, where she was the top seeded player. Cohen dropped her opening set to Thailand’s Nicha Lertpitaksinchai to begin the tournament. And in the quarterfinals, she escaped Poland’s Sandra Zaniewska 3-6 6-1 7-6 (8). Cohen began the title match by taking the first set 6-3. After that, it was all 22-year-old Ayu-Fani Damayanti of Indonesia who captured the event 3-6 6-2 6-3.
STUPID RULE
Amelie Mauresmo, a favorite of the fans at Roland Garros, has been retired for two years. But she wanted to have fun and play a bit of mixed doubles in her home Grand Slam tournament with compatriot Michael Llodra, who she has spent some time coaching. Last year, Mauresmo even coached Llodra to a grass-court title at Eastbourne, England. Delighted to have her back, the French Open tournament organizers gave the pair a wild card. But then the rule book was produced. It turns out all players have to be registered for three months in the program that allows players to be tested anywhere, anytime. Since Mauresmo was retired, she hadn’t been drug-tested. Consequently, that was sufficient to ban her from competing in this year’s French Open mixed doubles.
SO LONG
After a highly successful 17-year career, Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder has retired from professional tennis. Schnyder won 11 WTA singles titles and was ranked as high as seventh in the world in 2005. She was ranked in the Top 10 for a total of 94 weeks. “Patty has displayed excellence and leadership both on and off the court for many years,” said Stacey Allaster, chairman and CEO of the WTA. “She has been a great ambassador for women’s tennis and made an important contribution to the growth of the sport as a long-time member of the Players’ Council. Patty will be truly missed by her fellow players and the fans. We wish her the best of luck and hope that she remains close to the women’s game.” Schnyder turned professional in 1994 and won her first WTA title in 1998 at Hobart, Australia. She holds a career win-loss record of 552-361 and has reached 27 career WTA finals, winning her most prestigious title in 2002 at Zurich, Switzerland, defeating Lindsay Davenport in the final. This year’s Roland Garros marks Schnyder’s 59th career Grand Slam tournament appearance, sixth on the all-time list in the Open Era. Her best Grand Slam event result was at the 2004 Australian Open when lost to Kim Clijsters in the semifinals. Schnyder qualified for the season-ending WTA Championships three times – in 1998, 2002 and 2005. She helped Switzerland reach its only Fed Cup final in 1998 and represented her country in three Olympic Games: Atlanta, Athens and Beijing.
SERENA TO PLAY
Serena Williams is scheduled to play World TeamTennis (WTT) in July. The WTT website said Williams will play in Washington, DC, on July 7 and two days later at Sacramento, California, USA. The 13-time Grand Slam tournament champion has not played since July 2010 after undergoing foot surgery and then developing blood clots on her lung. The WTT season will be held July 4-24.
SPEEDY START
Playing in only his second ATP Champions Tour event, Carlos Moya won his first title at the Grand Champions Brasil in Sao Paulo, besting Thomas Enqvist 7-6 (0) 6-3. Enqvist failed in his bid to win the Brazilian tournament three consecutive years.
SEVEN INDUCTED
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) has inducted seven new members into the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame – one coach and six players, four of whom played varsity collegiate tennis at Stanford. Enshrined in the hall, located at the University of Georgia, were Simon Aspelin of Pepperdine, Marcel Freeman of UCLA and former Stanford stars Scott Davis, Jim Grabb, Gene Mayer and Jonathan Stark. Joining them was Tim Cass, who coached the University of New Mexico to five consecutive Western Athletic Conference titles between 1991 and 1998, and has since coached Texas A&M University to three Big 12 Conference Championships. Aspelin won the US Open doubles in 2007 and was a doubles silver medalist at the 2008 Olympics. Davis won the Australian Open doubles in 1991 and was ranked as high as number 11 in the world in singles in 1985. Grabb won both the French Open doubles and the US Open doubles in 1992. Mayer was the French Open doubles champion in 1978-79 and reached as high as number four in the world in singles. Stark won the French Open doubles in 1994 and the US Open mixed doubles in 1995.
SENIOR BATTLE
Mary Mentzer had to beat a living legend to win the USTA National Senior Women’s 90-over Hard Court Tennis Championships in La Jolla Beach, California, USA. Mentzer, from North Fort Myers, Florida, USA, defeated Dorothy “Dodo” Cheney of La Jolla, California, 6-1 6-4. Cheney was seeking her 391st United States Tennis Association (USTA) national title. Her 390th title came earlier in the week when she teamed with Mentzer to win the doubles crown. “My running is the key,” said the 91-year-old Mentzer. “At this age, most people can’t run, but I do, so that is the key.”
SALUTED
Andrea Petkovic is the winner of the latest Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Heart Award. The key to Germany’s Fed Cup renaissance, Petkovic won both her singles matches in Germany’s 5-0 win over the United States in the World Group playoffs in April. The win sealed Germany’s promotion back to the World Group after a one year absence. Petkovic was short-listed by the Heart Award judging panel with Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain, Olga Savchuk of Ukraine and Polona Hercog of Slovenia. The final decision was decided by a public vote on the Fed Cup website. Petkovic receives a check for $3,000 to be donated to her chosen charity. She joins Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia, Bianca Botto of Peru, Ayumi Morita of Japan and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who were honored earlier in the year. Another player will be recognized at this year’s Final. The Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Heart Award is a joint initiative between BNP Paribas and the International Tennis Federation (ITF). It aims to recognize players who have represented their country with distinction, shown exceptional courage on court and demonstrated outstanding commitment to their team.
SACRIFICE REWARDED
Gisela Dulko wanted to be with her brother in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as his wife gave birth to twins. Her sacrifice was rewarded, however, as she upset 2010 French Open finalist Samantha Stosur 6-4 1-6 6-3 to reach the fourth round, matching her best result at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament. “I stayed awake really late,” the 26-year-old Dulko said of the night before she was to play Stosur. “It was very emotional, because I would have loved to be there, but I’m here.” After Dulko beat Stosur, she waved a towel that said in Spanish “for Myla And Teo. It was worth it. I love them.”
SURFING
Paris: www.fft.fr/rolandgarros/
Sao Paulo: www.grandchampionsbrasil.com.br
Prostejov: www.czech-open.com/
Halle: www.gerryweber-open.com/?ref=atp
Copenhagen: http://e-bokssonyericssonopen.dk/
London: www.lta.org.uk/fans-major-events/AEGON-British-Tennis-Series/AEGON-Championships/
Birmingham: www.lta.org.uk/fans-major-events/AEGON-British-Tennis-Series/AEGON-Classic/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
MEN
Roland Garros, Paris, France, clay (second week)
$152,000 Czech Open, Prostejov, Czech Republic, clay
WOMEN
Roland Garros, Paris, France, clay (second week)
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$946,840 Gerry Weber Open, Halle, Germany, grass
$895,414 AEGON Championships, London, Great Britain, grass
WOMEN
$220,000 e-Boks Sony Ericsson Open, Copenhagen, Denmark, hard
$220,000 AEGON Classic, Birmingham, Great Britain, grass