Roland Garros: It’s ON People

So things that are on the line tomorrow.

1. Federer’s shot at the ‘weeks at #1’ record (he must make at least the semis if Nadal takes the title).

2. Federer’s 23 Slam SF streak.

3. Sod’s claim to laying waste to the two top dogs…goats of the last decade - at the same event.

4. Sod’s own credibility in the senior common room should he fail to increase upon the zeros sets he took from Federer in last year’s final. I reserve the right to punch your lights out. And to call you a Scandi-minion

5. Fed’s credibility as a container of pace. Juan Marteen and Big Rob pace. All in the space of nine months. Won’t look good.

6. Youzhny’s more plausible shot at making a Slam final. I know.

7. Rafa and Robin going at it head to head in a Slam final. Armageddon itself goes AWOL.

8. Robin Soderling winning it. The final I mean. Grand Slam Champion. Post Bloody Modernity.

Have I said too much?

(Photo: Getty)

Roland Garros 2010 Women's Quarterfinals

By MadProfessah

Here are my predictions for the women's quarterfinals at Roland Garros this year.

Serena Williams USA (1) vs. Samantha Stosur AUS (7) Justine Henin BEL (22). For the second year in a row, the winner of the tournament will be decided in the quarterfinal in which Serena Williams competes. Last year, Serena lost a nervy, tension-filled (frankly, ugly) quarterfinal match to eventual champion, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova. This year instead of playing the 4-time Roland Garros champion Henin (who had a 24-match winning streak since Tathiana Garbin beat the 2003 defending champion in the second round at this tournament in 2004) Serena will face last year's semifinalist Samantha Stosur. The Serena-Justine showdown had been the most anticipated match on either side of the draw, even in a section of the draw called the "quarter of death" by Brad Gilbert. However, thanks to the hard-hitting, brilliant-serving Sam Stosur, that storyline is now dismissed from the tournament. Serena and Sam have only played four times (all on hard courts) with Stosur winning once, in Stanford last year. Serena is a woman on a mission, and will not be denied her chance to reach another Roland Garros final. PREDICTION: Serena in 3 sets.

Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ vs. Jelena Jankovic SRB (4). Surely Jelena Jankovic is too strong a defensive player to go through her entire career without winning a major? She made it to the 2008 U.S. Open final (losing to Serena in two close sets) but I believe that it is clay where her particular skills should be rewarded the most. Following that first major final Jankovic fell into a major downward spiral (although not as precipitous a decline as her Serbian countrywoman Ana Ivanovic, who although she possesses the 2008 French Open title still does not own a reliable second (or first) serve.) Jankovic has played well on clay this year, having beaten both Williams sisters on her way to the Rome final (which she lost). She should seize on the good fortune of not being in the "quarter of death" and sneak into her second major final. PREDICTION: Jankovic in 2 sets.

Francesca Schiavone ITA (17) vs. Caroline Wozniacki DEN (3). Wozniacki can regain the World #2 ranking by getting to the final, although I suspect her current Italian opponent and future Russian opponent will do their best to help maintain Venus Williams' hold on that position. This is the veteran Schiavone's 4th career quarterfinal, her second in Paris since reaching that lofty height in her debut at the tournament in 2001. The young Dane had never been past the 4th round of a major despite being on the tour for 3 years until her major breakthrough in New York (over Svetlana Kuznetsova in one of the very best matches of 2009) last year, where she lost the final to Kim Clijsters. In these clashes between wily veteran and talented youngster it is often the older player who comes out the loser because they more viscerally understand the significance (and rarity) of the moment and I expect this case to be no different. Youth will be served, again. PREDICTION:Wozniacki in 2 sets.

Elena Dementieva RUS (5) vs. Nadia Petrova RUS (19) Venus Williams USA (2). Oh, Venus! After getting past her 3rd Round Roland Garros jinx easily she meekly went out to the hard-hitting, mentally fragile Petrova on a cold wet day in straight sets, losing to someone she had never lost to on any surface. Sigh. Soon to turn 30 years-old, and for once blessed with a draw that had all the deadliest players in the other half for once, Venus couldn't keep it together long enough to make another deep run at the clay major, despite having amassed a very good record on clay this year. Petrova has always done well in Paris, first breaking through here at age 17 into the semifinals in 2003. Her opponent, Elena Dementieva, has quietly snuck through the draw, losing only one set in a tiebreak to Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada, with almost no one discussing her chances despite being a finalist here in 2004 and having played the best women's match on tour last year. Matches between the Russians are very often hideous, tight affairs with one player losing worse than the other instead of one player winning decisively. That's what I expect to see in this match. Head-to-head there's not much between these two, they are tied 7-7 in career matches, 2-2 in clay court matches and 1-1 in grand slam matches. Petrova has won exactly 2 major quarterfinal matches before, here in Paris, while the 6-month-older Dementieva has won 8 major quarterfinals, although only one in Paris. PREDICTION: Dementieva in 3 sets.

Roland Garros 2010 Men's Quarterfinals

BY MadProfessah

Here are my predictions for the men's quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2010.

Roger Federer SUI (1) vs. Robin Soderling SWE (5). This quarterfinal is a repeat of last year's final, which Federer won relatively easily in straight sets. Although Soderling has not beaten Federer in an official ATP Tour match in 12 tries, he did beat the World #1 at an exhibition earlier this year in Abu Dhabi and having beaten Rafael Nadal in what some people call the greatest upset ever, the tall, powerful Swede knows he has the game to end Federer's jawdropping streak of 23 consecutive major semifinals. In fact, this match is very important to Federer, not only due to the semifinals streak, but also because he needs to win it in order to be certain that he will break Pete Sampras' record of 286 weeks at #1 before Wimbledon. Federer has yet to drop a set in Paris this year, but I am sure that he will take the challenge posed by Soderling seriously, even though the 6'4", 195-pound ballcrusher has only ever won two tie-break sets against him. After all, it is very possible to never lose your serve and still lose the match! Some say that Federer is losing his edge now that he is a husband, father and broken the major singles title record. I disagree, even though the fact is that Federer has already lost 6 matches this year (to Nadal, Tomas Berdych, Ernests Gulbis, Marcos Baghdatis, Albert Montanes, and Nikolay Davydenko). Regardless, I think that there is an inexorable march towards another Nadal-Federer final. PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets.

Tomas Berdych CZE (15) vs. Mikhail Youzhny RUS (11). Berdych has been playing really well this year, and made a huge mental breakthrough by finally ending his losing streak against Roger Federer earlier this year in Miami. He has been demolishing his way through the draw, not dropping a set despite playing good clay court players like John Isner and Andy Murray. Youzhny got lucky in the previous round since an injured Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was forced to retire after losing the first set. Although head-to-head Youzhny leads Berdych 6-4 in career ATP matches, I believe the in-form Czech will take out the (un)lucky Russian. PREDICTION: Berdych in 4 sets.

Jurgen Melzer AUT (22) Teimuraz Gabashvili RUS vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (3). Gabashvili blew Andy Roddick off the court in the 3rd round in straight sets, blasting forehands into the corners of the court and defly handing the American's deflated serve easily. However, he was unable to repeat this performance on the clay against the wily lefty veteran Melzer, who like Samantha Stosur on the women's side, had previously experienced success and fame on the doubles court and used that to build confidence on the singles court. Melzer was one of the few Top 30 players never to reach the fourth round of a major, and now he finds himself in a quarter playing Djokovic. The World #3 has had mental lapses in the second set in three of the four matches he has played at Roland Garros this year. If that happens again, perhaps Melzer can find a way to win the resulting best-of-3 match. All the pressure will be on the higher ranked player to reach a 3rd semifinal against Nadal, who took out the Serb in that round in 2007 and 2008. Roland Garros 2010 is looking like a replay of those years, with another Nadal-Federer final. PREDICTION:Djokovic in 4 sets.

Nicolas Almagro ESP (19) Fernando Verdasco ESP (7) vs. Rafael Nadal ESP (2). The Verdasco and Nadal played one of the best matches of the year (probably of the decade) in the semifinals of the 2009 Australian Open, a five-hour, thrilling slugfest that both competitors were ennobled simply by their participation, although of course there was only one winner (Nadal). Almagro dashed hopes for a reprise of that thrilling Melbourne showdown by taking out Verdasco in four sets. Although Almagro has never beaten Nadal on any surface in 6 attempts, he did start off the match very strong when they played the Madrid Masters semifinal. It i beyond belief that Almagro could maintain that level of play over 5 sets in Paris when he could not do it for 2 sets in Madrid. PREDICTION: Nadal in 4 sets.

Roland Garros: Pulling a Soderling.

Did she “pull a Soderling”? Only in the loosest, colloquial sense of the phrase.

For that analogy to ring completely true, Henin’s run of RG titles would have had to continue unbroken over the last two years, playing roughly the same way.

Or else Nadal would have had to have taken two years off tour to reinvent himself as, I dunno, Novak Djokovic(?) before returning to RG to fall in the fourth round to Fernando Verdasco.

In which case she’d have “pulled a Nando”. Or something.

None of this matters of course. What matters is that Stosur served out that last game, when every soul on earth, every seeker of truth in my twitter feed, was expecting her, counting on her even, to choke.

Which by the way she almost did in handing back a break and double faulting on the first of her two match points.

Don’t lets also forget how she out-varied “the varied one”. Which should surprise precisely no one considering how unvarying Juju’s play supposedly is nowadays.

(Photo: Reuters)

Roland Garros 2010 Day 9 Order Of Play

Reuters

Jurgen Melzer follows up his upset-of-the-tournament victory over David Ferrer and has just become a Grand Slam quarterfinalist for the first time in his career at the ripe old age of 29. Raise your hand if you saw this coming.


AP

The little backhand that couldn't. It was a long time coming, but Justine Henin finally loses her first match at Roland Garros in six years. Samantha Stosur got over herself and sent the diminutive one packing.

Schedule for Day 9: Monday, 31 May 2010

Court Philippe Chatrier 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Robby Ginepri (USA) v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3]
2. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Shahar Peer (ISR)[18]
3. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)[24] v. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2]
4. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[4] v. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)[23]

Court Suzanne Lenglen 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) v. Jurgen Melzer (AUT)[22]
Not Before 13:00
2. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Justine Henin (BEL)[22] v. Samantha Stosur (AUS)[7]
3. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[7] v. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[19]
4. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Jarmila Groth (AUS) v. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)

Court 1 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Oliver Marach (AUT)[6] v. Stephen Huss (AUS)/Andre Sa (BRA)
2. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Julien Benneteau (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA)[15] v. Wesley Moodie (RSA)/Dick Norman (BEL)[4]
3. Women's Doubles - Fourth Round
Liezel Huber (USA)/A. Medina Garrigues (ESP)[3] v. Gisela Dulko (ARG)/Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[5]
4. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Monica Niculescu (ROU)/Shahar Peer (ISR) v. Yung-Jan Chan (TPE)/Jie Zheng (CHN)[10]
5. Women's Doubles - Fourth Round
Serena Williams (USA)/Venus Williams (USA)[1] v. Maria Kirilenko (RUS)/Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[11]

Court 2 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (ESP) v. Leolia Jeanjean (FRA)
Not Before 13:00
2. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Thierry Ascione (FRA)/Laurent Recouderc (FRA) v. Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL)/Marcin Matkowski (POL)[8]
3. Mixed Doubles - Third Round
Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)/Oliver Marach (AUT)[3] v. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)/Max Mirnyi (BLR)[5]
4. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Alona Bondarenko (UKR)/Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) v. Nadia Petrova (RUS)[4]/Samantha Stosur (AUS)[4]

Court 3 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Taro Daniel (JPN) v. Lucas Pouille (FRA)
2. Girls' Singles - Second Round
Ester Goldfeld (USA) v. Amandine Hesse (FRA)
Not Before 13:00
3. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)/Bruno Soares (BRA) v. Cara Black (ZIM)/Leander Paes (IND)[2] To Finish 5-7 2-0
4. Boys' Singles - Second Round
Gianni Mina (FRA)[3] v. Alessandro Colella (ITA)
5. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Vania King (USA)/Christopher Kas (GER) v. Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK)

Face Of The Day

Getty

Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic celebrates match point during the men's singles fourth round match against Andy Murray of Great Britain at the French Open on day eight of the French Open at Roland Garros on May 30, 2010 in Paris, France.

::

Men's Singles - Fourth Round
[1] R Federer (SUI) d [20] S Wawrinka (SUI) 63 76(5) 62
[15] T Berdych (CZE) d [4] A Murray (GBR) 64 75 63
[5] R Soderling (SWE) d [10] M Cilic (CRO) 64 64 62
[11] M Youzhny (RUS) d [8] J Tsonga (FRA) 62 ret. (back)

Women's Singles - Fourth Round
(19) Nadia Petrova (RUS) d. (2) Venus Williams (USA) 64 63
(3) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. (14) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 76(5) 67(4) 62
(5) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. (Q) Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 61 63
(17) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. (30) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 64 64

Women's Singles - Third Round
(22) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (12) Maria Sharapova (RUS) 62 36 63

Men's Doubles - Third Round
[2] D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB) d G Rufin (FRA) / A Sidorenko (FRA) 67(2) 64 63
[3] L Dlouhy (CZE) / L Paes (IND) d S Gonzalez (MEX) / T Rettenmaier (USA) 63 64
M Lopez (ESP) / P Riba (ESP) d [9] F Cermak (CZE) / M Mertinak (SVK) 75 64
[10] J Knowle (AUT) / A Ram (ISR) d N Almagro (ESP) / S Ventura (ESP) 76(4) 62
M Melo (BRA) / B Soares (BRA) d D Bracciali (ITA) / P Starace (ITA) 76(2) 76(7)

Men's Doubles - Second Round
[4] W Moodie (RSA) / D Norman (BEL) d C Fleming (GBR) / K Skupski (GBR) 76(5) 46 76(4)
[6] L Kubot (POL) / O Marach (AUT) d L Mayer (ARG) / H Zeballos (ARG) 64 67(8) 63
[8] M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) d A Dolgopolov Jr (UKR) / D Istomin (UZB) 61 64
[15] J Benneteau (FRA) / M Llodra (FRA) d R Bopanna (IND) / A Qureshi (PAK) 75 63

Women's Doubles - Third Round
(1) Williams/Williams (USA/USA) d. (16) Hlavackova/Hradecka (CZE/CZE) 61 62
(2) Llagostera Vives/Martínez Sánchez (ESP/ESP) d. (15) Govortsova/Kudryavtseva (BLR/RUS) 60 64
(3) Huber/Medina Garrigues (USA/ESP) d. (13) Benesova/Zahlavova Strycova (CZE/CZE) 75 26 64
(5) Dulko/Pennetta (ARG/ITA) d. (9) Mattek-Sands/Yan (USA/CHN) 76(7) 60
(12) Peschke/Srebotnik (CZE/SLO) d. (6) Black/Vesnina (ZIM/RUS) 76(5) 61
(11) Kirilenko/Radwanska (RUS/POL) d. (7) Raymond/Stubbs (USA/AUS) 76(6) 64

Women's Doubles - Second Round
Niculescu/Peer (ROU/ISR) d. (8) Kleybanova/Schiavone (RUS/ITA) 62 76(5)

Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)/Max Mirnyi (BLR)[5] d. Julie Coin (FRA)/Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 62 63
Aurelie Vedy (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA) d. Yung-Jan Chan (TPE)/Eric Butorac (USA) 76(7) 57 10-8
Tathiana Garbin (ITA)/Marcin Matkowski (POL) d. Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)/Michal Mertinak (SVK) 63 62

Cara Black (ZIM)/Leander Paes (IND)[2] lead Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)/Bruno Soares (BRA) 75 20 - Suspended due to darkness

Roland Garros: R16 Round Up.

Everything it had promised to be.

Both women are clearly different forces of nature to those we saw in that infamous meeting between the two at the SEC back in 2007. And yet some things never change.

Early on yesterday Henin looked to be running away with with it, before Shaza slid, sliced, serve-volleyed -- artefacts not traditionally associated with the Masha repertoire -- to level the match at a set all. All before a small matter of the fading light ended up interfering with play.

I tend to go with the underdog in situations like these and thought it a little sad that Masha was unable to hold on to her 2-0, 40-0 lead today. For me her best chance was to keep Henin on the defence thus preventing her from moving her around – throttling her most pernicious route back into the match.

Early on this seemed plausible, but a succession of errors and impeccable defence from JuJu quickly saw momentum not so much shift, as remain suspended between the two as they fought out what appeared to be almost a microcosm of that match from 2007. It lasted three games. Henin came out on top.

Apparently the first time in five years Juju has dropped a set at RG – a thrilling stat that I’m not keen to over-emphasise. It is worth reminding ourselves that Henin’s not played here since 2008 and that she’s re-emerged with a more uncompromising and aggressive brand of tennis very different to what we used to know of her back then – the way she served out that last game should be proof enough of that.

Something else worrying me is the way in which many are now seizing upon what they perceive as a more one-dimensional facsimile of the Henin they know and love.

There is some truth in this – Henin does now, at times, seem as much a basher as many less gifted players in the top fifty – no artisan backhand’s going to hide that.

And I do have an ear for those that are tired of hearing dull maxims about her “variety” whilst at once dismissing others as “having no plan B” – I don’t have any time for neanderthals like that either – we’re past all that surely.

I would contend however, that Henin’s “variety” is still her modus operandi. That she’s chosen in her 2nd career, to try something different, if a little less prepossessing – given what we know of her ambitions at SW19 – is hardly surprising. Not a lack of variety, but it's deliberate neglect.

I only included this pic because I liked that Stan looks to be doing the triple jump.

In the wake of his loss to his compatriot in Madrid, Bodo did a piece in which he posited that Wawa might be persuaded to give Fed a free ride at the Masters events in order to maintain the status quo of tennis Switzerland - a nation that, as he put it, was “punching well above its weight”. Why rock the boat?

No mention, funnily enough, was made of Stan’s upset of Fed at MC last year. Presumably, he had yet to incubate into one of tens of thousands of Swiss Minions, or worse, was a lone minion making his bid for freedom.

Not going to bother to debate the rights and wrongs of this – but today’s loss, at a Slam no less, will presumably only intensify Bodo’s assessment of Stan’s assumed minionship.

Federling. Soderer.

Call it what you want - it’s on people. Your grimace ain’t got nothing on me.

Only a Marin shaped chalk outline remained on court after Soder-Pop was done with him today. It wasn’t pleasant.

Last year wasn’t pleasant either – at least not from Rafa’s end.

I remain fundamentally unconvinced that it will be any different from the final last year.

I wouldn’t wish a 12-0 H2H on anyone. Not even Andy Roddick…oh wait….

Sod thrives on rhythm. Fed will likely give him none.

Though if Sod does find some perverse way of executing, and my own inner Swedish Minion has anything do with it, we may have a match.

Dunno quite what happened here.

But somewhere in between Andy Roddick going down in straights (“Today I got outplayed from the first ball”) and Nadal’s straight sets win over Hewitt, both Ferru and Ferrero got their racquet butts handed to them.

It took Ginepri a full five sets to close out JCF, a match in which he lead at one point by a set and 5-0; Melzer only required three, one of which was baked entirely in cornflour.

Robby hadn’t won a single clay court match coming into the event, and is, for now at least, the last American male standing. Only at Roland Garros.

But there’s no escaping, nor should we wish to escape, the reality that two of the hottest clay courters out there were bundled out of RG by two other players, not renowned for their prowess on clay or anywhere else.

That’s probably too harsh. Jurgen’s ranked #26 in the world after all.

Though I’ve yet to find anyone that can meaningfully convey the appeal of Jurgen with out using cliched terms like “dangerous” or “sleeper” - or indeed anyone who can convince me not to persist in referring to him as Jurgen-Schmergen.

Until such time I intend to carry on doing just that.

Gone.

Disappointed. Much. Though kinda glad it was Nadia that took her down.

And if someone must “oust” Venus from the event (a word I abhor), then I’d rather it were Nadia too.

Whatever else you might think about her, Rezai’s clearly got that warrior queen thing going on – even when she’s being burnt at the stake. Not that that’s quite the way Nadia disposed of her.

I understand Boudica’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Mostly on account of the bling.

Let us leave it at this then. When you arrive at a Slam aspiring to overturn everyone's favourite poker table – you dress the part and arrive wielding more than just pleasant conversation and a copy of Henry James.

(Photos: Getty)

Roland Garros 2010 Day 8 Open Thread

AP

Austria's Jurgen Melzer reacts after defeating Spain's David Ferrer during their third round match for the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday May 29, 2010. Straight. Sets. With a middle-set bagel. Upset of the event so far.

::

Just returned from my Harvard 20th anniversary reunion. Tennis comes on ESPN at noon in my market today, so I'm sure they're air matches that have already been decided and since I haven't watched a lick of tennis today, I'm posting this thread as though play has only just begun.

Humor me.

Right not, I'm barely watching this pushy pushy dogfight between Caroline Wozniacki and Flavia Pennetta on Tennis Channel. Ugly day in Paris.

I won't be commenting because I don't want to read any spoilers.

Schedule for Day 8: Sunday, 30 May 2010

Court Philippe Chatrier 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Elena Dementieva (RUS)[5] v. Chanelle Scheepers (RSA)
Not Before 12:00
2. Women's Singles - Third Round
Maria Sharapova (RUS)[12] v. Justine Henin (BEL)[22] To Finish 2-6 6-3
3. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Nadia Petrova (RUS)[19] v. Venus Williams (USA)[2]
4. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)[20]
5. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)[11] v. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[8]

Court Suzanne Lenglen 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Maria Kirilenko (RUS)[30] v. Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[17]
2. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[14] v. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)[3]
3. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Marin Cilic (CRO)[10] v. Robin Soderling (SWE)[5]
4. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Andy Murray (GBR)[4] v. Tomas Berdych (CZE)[15]

Court 1 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Olga Govortsova (BLR)/Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS)[15] v. Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)[2]
2. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Julien Benneteau (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA)[15] v. Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK)
3. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Julian Knowle (AUT)/Andy Ram (ISR)[10] v. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)/Santiago Ventura (ESP)
4. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Serena Williams (USA)/Venus Williams (USA)[1] v. Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)/Lucie Hradecka (CZE)[16]

Court 2 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Oliver Marach (AUT)[6] v. Leonardo Mayer (ARG)/Horacio Zeballos (ARG)
Not Before 13:00
2. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Guillaume Rufin (FRA)/Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA) v. Daniel Nestor (CAN)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)[2]
3. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Lukas Dlouhy (CZE)Leander Paes (IND)[3] v. Santiago Gonzalez (MEX)/Travis Rettenmaier (USA)
4. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Vania King (USA)/Michaella Krajicek (NED) v. Nadia Petrova (RUS)/Samantha Stosur (AUS)[4]
5. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)/Bruno Soares (BRA) v. Cara Black (ZIM)/Leander Paes (IND)[2]

Court 3 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Liezel Huber (USA)/A. Medina Garrigues (ESP)[3] v. Iveta Benesova (CZE)/Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)[13]
2. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Alexandr Dolgopolov Jr (UKR)/Denis Istomin (UZB) v. Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL)/Marcin Matkowski (POL)[8]
3. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Maria Kirilenko (RUS)/Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[11] v. Lisa Raymond (USA)/Rennae Stubbs (AUS)[7]
4. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Yung-Jan Chan (TPE)/Eric Butorac (USA) v. Aurelie Vedy (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA)

Court 4 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Danka Kovinic (MNE) v. Kristyna Pliskova (CZE)[8]
2. Boys' Singles - First Round
Jozef Kovalik (SVK) v. Agustin Velotti (ARG)
3. Boys' Singles - First Round
Lucas Szewczyk (FRA) v. Dane Webb (USA)
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Micke Kontinen (FIN) v. John Morrissey (IRL)
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) v. Katarena Paliivets (CAN)

Court 5 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Morgane Pons (FRA) v. Karolina Pliskova (CZE)[2]
2. Boys' Singles - First Round
Sam Barry (IRL) v. Mitchell Frank (USA)[13]
3. Boys' Singles - First Round
Sebastian Lavie (NZL) v. Tiago Fernandes (BRA)[5]
4. Girls' Singles - First Round
Elina Svitolina (UKR) v. Jana Cepelova (SVK)
5. Boys' Singles - First Round
Filip Horansky (SVK) v. Darian King (BAR)

Court 6 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Gianni Mina (FRA)[3] v. Ricardo Rodriguez (VEN)
2. Girls' Singles - First Round
Monica Puig (PUR)[1] v. Clothilde De Bernardi (FRA)
3. Boys' Singles - First Round
Daniel Berta (SWE)[1] v. Junior A. Ore (USA)
4. Girls' Singles - First Round
Charlene Seateun (FRA) v. Jovana Jaksic (SRB)

Court 7 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Colin Fleming (GBR)/Ken Skupski (GBR) v. Wesley Moodie (RSA)/Dick Norman (BEL)[4]
2. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Marcelo Melo (BRA)/Bruno Soares (BRA) v. Daniele Bracciali (ITA)/Potito Starace (ITA)
3. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Marc Lopez (ESP)/Pere Riba (ESP) v. Frantisek Cermak (CZE)/Michal Mertinak (SVK)[9]
4. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)/Zi Yan (CHN)[9] v. Gisela Dulko (ARG)/Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[5]
5. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Julie Coin (FRA)/Nicolas Mahut (FRA) v. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)/Max Mirnyi (BLR)[5]

Court 8 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Grace Sari Ysidora (INA) v. Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR)
2. Boys' Singles - First Round
Alessandro Colella (ITA) v. Hugo Dellien (BOL)
3. Girls' Singles - First Round
Nour Abbes (TUN) v. Daria Gavrilova (RUS)[7]
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Mikhail Biryukov (RUS)[14] v. Juan Sebastian Gomez (COL)
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Timea Babos (HUN)[5] v. Ilona Kremen (BLR)

Court 9 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Dominic Thiem (AUT)[8] v. Ashley Hewitt (GBR)
2. Girls' Singles - First Round
Adriana Perez (VEN) v. Garbine Muguruza Blanco (ESP)
3. Girls' Singles - First Round
Paula Kania (POL) v. Silvia Njiric (CRO)
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Andrea Collarini (USA) v. Jiri Vesely (CZE)[4]
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Emi Mutaguchi (JPN) v. Doroteja Eric (SRB)

Court 10 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Ons Jabeur (TUN) v. Sophia Kovalets (UKR)
2. Boys' Singles - First Round
Carlos Boluda-Purkiss (ESP) v. Jannick Lupescu (NED)
3. Girls' Singles - First Round
Tamara Curovic (SRB)[12] v. Ester Goldfeld (USA)
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Andrew Whittington (AUS) v. Tobias Blomgren (SWE)
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Zarah Razafimahatratra (MAD) v. Lauren Davis (USA)[10]

Court 11 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Guilherme Clezar (BRA) v. Raymond Sarmiento (USA)
2. Girls' Singles - First Round
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) v. Grace Min (USA)
3. Boys' Singles - First Round
Facundo Arguello (ARG) v. Kevin Krawietz (GER)[7]
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Denis Kudla (USA)[6] v. Justin Eleveld (NED)
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN)[6] v. Chantal Skamlova (SVK)

Court 14 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Romain Arneodo (FRA) v. Renzo Olivo (ARG)[11]
2. Girls' Singles - First Round
Risa Ozaki (JPN) v. Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR)[13]
3. Boys' Singles - First Round
Mick Lescure (FRA) v. Oliver Golding (GBR)
4. Girls' Singles - First Round
Akiko Omae (JPN) v. Nanuli Pipiya (RUS)[16]
5. Boys' Singles - First Round
Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN)[16] v. Karue Sell (BRA)

Court 16 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Tristan Lamasine (FRA) v. Peter Heller (GER)
2. Girls' Singles - First Round
Jade Suvrijn (FRA) v. Richel Hogenkamp (NED)
3. Girls' Singles - First Round
Amandine Hesse (FRA) v. Luksika Kumkhum (THA)
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Thomas Szewczyk (FRA) v. Federico Gaio (ITA)
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Natalija Kostic (SRB) v. Estelle Cascino (FRA)

Court 17 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Caroline Garcia (FRA)[15] v. Mai Grage (DEN)
Not Before 13:00
2. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Cara Black (ZIM)/Elena Vesnina (RUS)[6] v. Kveta Peschke (CZE)/Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)[12]
3. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)/Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[8] v. Monica Niculescu (ROU)/Shahar Peer (ISR)
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Mate Pavic (CRO) v. Mathias Bourgue (FRA)

17:00 Start Time
1. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)/Michal Mertinak (SVK) v. Tathiana Garbin (ITA)/Marcin Matkowski (POL)
2. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Vania King (USA)/Christopher Kas (GER) v. Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK)

Face Of The Day

Reuters

Robby Ginepri of the United States reacts after winning his match against Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain during the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris May 29, 2010.

::

Last American man standing. Defeating a former champion in a his resurgent year. Nice work.

Roland Garros 2010 Day 7 Open Thread

Reuters

Had to cater a dinner party last night. Watched much of the tennis (too much, really) in between set up chores, but was too wiped out to write about any of it. Apologies.

Woke up late to see Serena Williams dizzy and Andy Roddick getting his clocked cleaned by Teimuraz Gabashvili. Whenever tennis genius (/snark) Brad Gilbert boasted that Roddick would be excited to play a qualifier in the third round, I wondered if he'd ever seen the Russian play. I thought Roddick might win a set, but if the Russian kept his head, no way would Roddick get through.

The Russian kept his head.

Funny how everybody else can hit through court Suzanne Lenglen but Roddick who thinks it's the slowest court in Stade de Roland Garros. Gabashvili, a flat ballstriker with virtually no topspin on his shots, hit 58 winners, Roddick 14.

Tennis is mental. It was too much to ask for Roddick to make the second week of Roland Garros twice in a row. At least Serena survived her dizzy spell.

Then the score scrolled by and I saw the Bryan Brothers are also lost while I was asleep. Now, Nadia Petrova is trying to serve for the match for the third or fourth or fifth time against Aravane Rezai in an unending chokefest. Both have held three match points, all of Miss Nadia's on her own serve, and yet they're still out their slugging away. I know the match was suspended by darkness, but it feels like it went on through the night for I can see no progress in this storyline. Much like a soap opera.

Anyway....

Schedule for Day 7: Saturday, 29 May 2010

Court Philippe Chatrier 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Third Round
Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)[29]
Not Before 12:00
2. Women's Singles - Third Round
Aravane Rezai (FRA)[15] v. Nadia Petrova (RUS)[19] To Finish 7-6(2) 4-6 7-7
3. Men's Singles - Third Round
Victor Hanescu (ROU)[31] v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3]
4. Men's Singles - Third Round
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)[28] v. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2]
5. Women's Singles - Third Round
Maria Sharapova (RUS)[12] v. Justine Henin (BEL)[22]

Court Suzanne Lenglen 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Third Round
Andy Roddick (USA)[6] v. Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS)
2. Women's Singles - Third Round
Shahar Peer (ISR)[18] v. Marion Bartoli (FRA)[13]
3. Men's Singles - Third Round
Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[7] v. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)[30]
4. Women's Singles - Third Round
Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[4] v. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)[27]

Court 1 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Third Round
Jarmila Groth (AUS) v. Anastasia Rodionova (AUS)
2. Men's Singles - Third Round
Jurgen Melzer (AUT)[22] v. David Ferrer (ESP)[9]
3. Men's Singles - Third Round
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)[16] v. Robby Ginepri (USA)
4. Women's Singles - Third Round
Anastasia Pivovarova (RUS) v. Samantha Stosur (AUS)[7]

Court 2 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Bob Bryan (USA)/Mike Bryan (USA)[1] v. Marcelo Melo (BRA)/Bruno Soares (BRA)
2. Women's Singles - Third Round
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)[23] v. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)[16]
3. Men's Singles - Third Round
Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)[14] v. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)[24]
4. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Serena Williams (USA)Venus Williams (USA)[1] v. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)/Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)

Court 3 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Thierry Ascione (FRA)/Laurent Recouderc (FRA) v. Andrey Golubev (KAZ)/Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)
2. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Alberta Brianti (ITA)/Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) v. Gisela Dulko (ARG)/Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[5]
3. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Julian Knowle (AUT)/Andy Ram (ISR)[10] v. Gael Monfils (FRA)/Josselin Ouanna (FRA)
4. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)/Oliver Marach (AUT)[3] v. Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA)/Thierry Ascione (FRA)
5. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Nicolas Almagro (ESP)/Santiago Ventura (ESP) v. Marc Gicquel (FRA)/Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA)

Court 5 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)/Julia Goerges (GER) v. Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)/Lucie Hradecka (CZE)[16]
2. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)/Zi Yan (CHN)[9] v. Sara Errani (ITA)/Roberta Vinci (ITA)
3. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Maria Kirilenko (RUS)/Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[11] v. Petra Kvitova (CZE)/Stefanie Voegele (SUI)

Court 6 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Darija Jurak (CRO)/Petra Martic (CRO) v. Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)[2]
Not Before 12:00
2. Men's Singles - Third Round
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)[11] v. Viktor Troicki (SRB) To Finish 2-6 7-6(4) 6-2 3-1
3. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Lucie Safarova (CZE)/Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) v. Iveta Benesova (CZE)/Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)[13]
4. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Mardy Fish (USA)/Mark Knowles (BAH)[13] v. Guillaume Rufin (FRA)/Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Rennae Stubbs (AUS)/Robert Lindstedt (SWE) v. Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)/Bruno Soares (BRA)
6. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Tathiana Garbin (ITA)/Marcin Matkowski (POL) v. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)/Mark Knowles (BAH)[4]

Court 7 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) v. Fabio Fognini (ITA)/Michael Russell (USA)
2. Women's Singles - Third Round
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)[28] v. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)
3. Men's Singles - Third Round
Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[19] v. Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr (UKR)
4. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Liezel Huber (USA)/Mahesh Bhupathi (IND)[1] v. Yung-Jan Chan (TPE)/Eric Butorac (USA)
5. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Elena Vesnina (RUS)/Andy Ram (ISR) v. Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)[6]/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)[6]

Court 8 11:00 Start Time
1. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Julie Coin (FRA)/Nicolas Mahut (FRA) v. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)/Horia Tecau (ROU)
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)/Albert Montanes (ESP) v. Wesley Moodie (RSA)/Dick Norman (BEL)[4]
3. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Viktor Troicki (SRB)/Dusan Vemic (SRB) v. Santiago Gonzalez (MEX)/Travis Rettenmaier (USA)

Court 16 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Jonathan Erlich (ISR)/Dudi Sela (ISR) v. Stephen Huss (AUS)/Andre Sa (BRA)
2. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Mahesh Bhupathi (IND)/Max Mirnyi (BLR)[5] v. Marc Lopez (ESP)/Pere Riba (ESP)
3. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)/Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) v. Frantisek Cermak (CZE)/Michal Mertinak (SVK)[9]
4. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Lisa Raymond (USA)/Wesley Moodie (RSA)[7] v. Vania King (USA)/Christopher Kas (GER)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Flavia Pennetta (ITA)/Dusan Vemic (SRB) v. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)/Max Mirnyi (BLR)[5]

Court 17 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Lukas Dlouhy (CZE)/Leander Paes (IND)[3] v. Yves Allegro (SUI)/Andreas Beck (GER)
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Oliver Marach (AUT)[6] v. Thiemo De Bakker (NED)/Rogier Wassen (NED)
3. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Simon Greul (GER)/Peter Luczak (AUS) v. Daniel Nestor (CAN)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)[2]
4. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) v. Chia-Jung Chuang (TPE)/Filip Polasek (SVK)
5. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)/Julian Knowle (AUT) v. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)/Frantisek Cermak (CZE)

Roland Garros: “Ladies & Gentlemen - Light is Suspended due to Awesome Play”

Don’t ask me about the match.

I only saw the first half of it on a live stream, which switched over inexplicably, at the beginning of the third set, …to Football.

Not premier league football mind you, not even Bundesliga football – but by the looks of it, a Sunday league event that might follow a village fete held somewhere in the provincial outskirts of Hungary.

I’m told it was good tennis. Best of the week even.

Which, to be honest, the tournament needed it to be.

It’s a sorry, and somewhat sodden, state of affairs when the rains wash out nearly two days of play, and the closest you get to having your fire lit involves Muzzard outlasting Reeshie in a match ‘The Talanted One’ should have won, and a more literal take on Lights Out Tennis.

How is it possible for a match on Chatrier involving two top twenty players – one of whom is not simply a home favourite, but the hottest player on tour right now with recent wins over Henin and Venus – to not receive even a minutes worth of coverage?

Oh I’m miffed alright. And by the looks of it, I’m not the only one.

Nice to know that whatever differences may exist with those folks over the pond, our respective broadcasters remain equally clueless and out of touch with their fanbases on what exactly constitutes ‘Box Office’ Tennis.

I’ve no qualms with having to sit through Marin procrastinating over closing out another one of those five setters he’s so fond of.

I’ve long since made my peace with the tennis universe ceasing to exist for the four or five sets it seems to take Murray to close out his matches nowadays.

And you can’t fault them for electing to broadcast the defending champion’s last gasp (didn’t see it, didn’t regret not seeing it), a result that will land Kuzzie around #18 in the rankings in two weeks time. 2005, before you ask, was when she last “did time” there.

But it’s a little much, is it not, when you’re forced to sit through Dementcha taking the path of least conformance through to a blundering three set victory over Aleksandra Wozniak – knowing as you do, how you’re being actively denied the sumptuous treats on offer in Chatrier.

And let’s reserve that pose for when you’re able to elevate your play to the level it was at during Wimby last year, shall we?

I didn’t sit around, as it happened, electing to use the “down time” to stock up on bog roll and beverages.

I returned to discover that I’d missed out on the event’s greatest shindig of the week. Both women had seen three match points come and go before, at 7-7, light was suspended due to awesome play.

***

-- “Viewer, I bagelled him”

And if you can’t place that reference I’ll find you unwell-read (or well-unread).

Nice to know that whatever else might be happening, the Naderer age of blemish-free straight-sets wins in the early rounds of Slams is upon us once more.

Leister tried to make things happen, but seemed as much a part of the furniture as Roddick was in Oz 2007, and before he knew it had been bagelled and was watching Federer double fault at match point. Not quite blemish free then.

-- Wawa bundled out AbFab in straights in a match I’m guessing no one knew was happening and no one cared about enough to see even if they did.

AbFab seems to me to resemble the the type of provincial Italian Charlotte Bartlett might have been keen to protect Lucy Honeychurch from in ‘A Room with a View’ , or for that matter, the strawberry sucking Adonis type that did seduce Winona Ryder in ‘How to Make an American Quilt’.

In other words, exactly the kind of shallow journeyman you don’t expect to make many waves on tour.

I wanted to sock him one when he made such a song and dance of wanting to stop play that night (and it was night) against La Monf – but I seem to have come away with a new found respect for the way in which he then held serve.

Poetic justice served then on La Monf and the-powers-that-be? I think so.

Wawa to play Federer next – ideally it’ll take a little longer than it did in Madrid.

-- Albert Montanes played 9 clay court events coming into the FO.

I’ve got this image in my head of Ed Rooney (of Ferris Bueller Fame) complaining to Albert Montanes’ management team about “how he’s been seen skipping the tour in favour of lower-tier clay court events no less than nine times this season......nine times."

Someone mind doing the research and telling me which ones?

(Photos: Getty)

Roland Garros 2010 Day 6 Open Thread

Getty

The fingernails of Serena Williams of the U.S. is pictured during her match against Julia Goerges of Germany during the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris May 28, 2010.

::

A buffet of tennis today. What's your delight?

Schedule for Day 6: Friday, 28 May 2010

Court Philippe Chatrier 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Horacio Zeballos (ARG) v. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2]
Not Before 12:00
2. Women's Singles - Second Round
Justine Henin (CZE) v. Klara Zakopalova (BEL)[22] - To Finish 6-3 3-2
3. Women's Singles - Third Round
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)[26] v. Venus Williams (USA)[2]
4. Men's Singles - Third Round
Thiemo De Bakker (NED) v. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[8]
5. Women's Singles - Third Round
Aravane Rezai (FRA)[15] v. Nadia Petrova (RUS)[19]

Court Suzanne Lenglen 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Julia Goerges (GER)
Not Before 12:00
2. Women's Singles - Second Round
Olivia Sanchez (FRA) v. Marion Bartoli (FRA)[13]
3. Men's Singles - Third Round To Finish 5-4
Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Julian Reister (GER)
4. Men's Singles - Third Round
Andy Murray (GBR)[4] v. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)[25]
5. Women's Singles - Third Round
Elena Dementieva (RUS)[5] v. Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN)

Court 1 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Kei Nishikori (JPN) v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3]
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[7] v. Florent Serra (FRA)
3. Women's Singles - Third Round
Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU)[31] v. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)[3]
4. Women's Singles - Third Round
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)[6] v. Maria Kirilenko (RUS)[30]

Court 2 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Jurgen Melzer (AUT)[22] v. Nicolas Mahut (FRA)
Not Before 12:00
2. Women's Singles - Second Round
Maria Sharapova (RUS)[12] v. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) - To Finish 6-3 2-2
3. Women's Singles - Second Round
Rossana De Los Rios (PAR) v. Samantha Stosur (AUS)[7]
4. Men's Singles - Third Round
Albert Montanes (ESP)[29] v. Robin Soderling (SWE)[5]
5. Men's Doubles - First Round
James Cerretani (USA)/Adil Shamasdin (CAN) v. Gael Monfils (FRA)/Josselin Ouanna (FRA)

Court 3 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Jie Zheng (CHN)[25] v. Anastasia Pivovarova (RUS)
Not Before 12:00
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Pablo Andujar (ESP) v. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)[24] - To Finish 6-1 3-6
3. Men's Singles - Third Round
Marin Cilic (CRO)[10] v. Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
4. Men's Singles - Third Round
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)[11] v. Viktor Troicki (SRB)

Court 4 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Cara Black (ZIM)/Elena Vesnina (RUS)[6] v. Dinara Safina (RUS)/Agnes Szavay (HUN)
2. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Liezel Huber (USA)/A. Medina Garrigues (ESP)[3] v. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)/Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
3. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Elena Vesnina (RUS)/Andy Ram (ISR) v. Mathilde Johansson (FRA)/Sebastien De Chaunac (FRA)
4. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)/Michal Mertinak (SVK) v. Monica Niculescu (ROU)/Michael Kohlmann (GER)

Court 5 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Doubles - First Round
Sara Errani (ITA)/Roberta Vinci (ITA) v. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)/Selima Sfar (TUN)
2. Women's Singles - Second Round
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)[23] v. Olga Govortsova (BLR)
3. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Vera Dushevina (RUS)/Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)[14] v. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)/Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR)
4. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Olga Govortsova (BLR)/Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS)[15] v. Maria Kondratieva (RUS)/Vladimira Uhlirova (CZE)

Court 6 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Xavier Malisse (BEL) v. David Ferrer (ESP)[9]
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)[16] v. Pere Riba (ESP)
3. Men's Singles - Third Round
John Isner (USA)[17] v. Tomas Berdych (CZE)[15]]

Court 7 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)[28] v. Denis Istomin (UZB)
Not Before 12:00
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)[14] v. Mardy Fish (USA) To Finish 6-2 6-7(8)
3. Women's Singles - Third Round
Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[14] v. Polona Hercog (SLO)
4. Women's Singles - Third Round
Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[17] v. Na Li (CHN)[11]

Court 8 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Victor Hanescu (ROU)[31] v. Yuri Schukin (KAZ)
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Ross Hutchins (GBR)/Jordan Kerr (AUS) v. Daniel Nestor (CAN)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)[2]
3. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Edina Gallovits (ROU)/Melanie Oudin (USA) v. Kveta Peschke (CZE)/Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)[12]
4. Men's Doubles - First Round
Mardy Fish (USA)/Mark Knowles (BAH)[13] v. Carsten Ball (AUS)/Chris Guccione (AUS)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
A. Medina Garrigues (ESP)/Marc Lopez (ESP) v. Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)[6]

Court 9 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Doubles - First Round
Mathilde Johansson (FRA)/Camille Pin (FRA) v. Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)[2]
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Marc Gicquel (FRA)/Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) v. Simon Aspelin (SWE)/Paul Hanley (AUS)[7]
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Stephen Huss (AUS)/Andre Sa (BRA) v. Marcel Granollers (ESP)/Tommy Robredo (ESP)[11]
4. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Pauline Parmentier (FRA)/Marc Gicquel (FRA) v. Cara Black (ZIM)/Leander Paes (IND)[2]
5. Men's Doubles - First Round
Philipp Marx (GER)/Igor Zelenay (SVK) v. Yves Allegro (SUI)/Andreas Beck (GER)

Court 10 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Andrey Golubev (KAZ)/Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) v. Alejandro Falla (COL)/Santiago Giraldo (COL) To Finish 6-2 3-4
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Thiago Alves (BRA)/Marcio Torres (BRA) v. Guillaume Rufin (FRA)/Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA)
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Colin Fleming (GBR)/Ken Skupski (GBR) v. Marco Chiudinelli (SUI)/Christopher Kas (GER)
4. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)/Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA) v. Aurelie Vedy (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)/Frantisek Cermak (CZE) v. Patty Schnyder (SUI)/Daniel Nestor (CAN)

Court 11 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL)/Marcin Matkowski (POL)[8] v. Tomasz Bednarek (POL)/Mateusz Kowalczyk (POL) To Finish 7-6(4) 2-1
2. Women's Doubles - First Round
Darija Jurak (CRO)/Petra Martic (CRO) v. Claire Feuerstein (FRA)/Stephanie Foretz (FRA) - To Finish 6-7(6) 6-2
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Marcelo Melo (BRA)/Bruno Soares (BRA) v. Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG)/Eduardo Schwank (ARG)
4. Men's Doubles - First Round
Nicolas Almagro (ESP)/Santiago Ventura (ESP) v. Xavier Malisse (BEL/ Olivier Rochus (BEL)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Gisela Dulko (ARG)/Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) v. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)/Max Mirnyi (BLR)[5]

Court 14 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Jill Craybas (USA) v. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)[29]
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Andreas Seppi (ITA) v. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)[30]
3. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Zi Yan (CHN)/Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL)[8] v. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)/Julian Knowle (AUT)
4. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)/Oliver Marach (AUT)[3] v. Virginie Razzano (FRA)/Dick Norman (BEL)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA)/Thierry Ascione (FRA) v. Iveta Benesova (CZE)/Lukas Dlouhy (CZE)

Court 16 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[19] v. Steve Darcis (BEL)
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Potito Starace (ITA) v. Robby Ginepri (USA)
3. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Regina Kulikova (RUS)/Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) v. Yung-Jan Chan (TPE)/Jie Zheng (CHN)[10]
4. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Daniele Bracciali (ITA)/Potito Starace (ITA) v. Benjamin Becker (GER)/Scott Lipsky (USA)

Court 17 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr (UKR) v. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)[12]
2. Women's Singles - Second Round
Sybille Bammer (AUT) v. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)[16]
3. Men's Singles - Third Round
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)[20] v. Fabio Fognini (ITA)
4. Women's Singles - Third Round
Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) v. Chanelle Scheepers (RSA)

Day 5: Rain

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Fabio Fognini shut down Gael Monfils 9-7 in the fifth and the French crowd actually applauded the Italian's effort. That was perhaps the biggest highlight of the day, given the drama that unfolded in the dark last night.

Andy Roddick lost his serve seven times and still won his match. That might not seem like a big deal, but I've never seen Roddick remain composed on any surface, much less his least favorite, when his opponent is returning his first serves with interest and breaking almost at will. If the American has ever been more patient, suffice it to say I've never noticed.

As for Blaz Kavcic. What a fighter. I overlooked all his gamesmanship today (imagine that) and just focused on his game. His return of serve is top notch. Yes, the conditions were slow and Roddick wasn't able to penetrate the court, but Kavcic got his racquet on more serves than I would have imagined and actually placed them well. If he ever developed a serve he might be a complete player.

To develop that complete game, he's got to get off the clay every once in a while. This is the time of year Americans are berated for their inability to "construct points" and slide on the slippery stuff, claims I just don't buy, especially since the evidence of things seen betrays such nonsense, but clay court specialists, exactly what the Kavcic is, can benefit from playing on faster surfaces so they're forced to at least consider developing a serve. Starting the point with a weak serve on clay is fine, but the Slovenian's serve would be eaten for lunch on hard courts or the lawns.

I wasn't able to watch much else today and with all the rain there wasn't much else to watch. If anyone saw any of the other matches, please give us an update in the comments.

Till tomorrow....

Roland Garros 2010 Day 5 Open Thread

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After nearly a five-hour rain delay, live tennis is underway. American Andy Roddick is playing clay court tennis against Blaz Kavcic, a Slovenian clay court challenger who dismissed Argentinean clay court player Edwardo Schwank in the first round and became the first Slovenian male to ever win a Slam match. As per John McEnroe.

Because of the delay, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, both scheduled last on their respective courts, have already been sent home.

Later the Gael Monfils, Fabio Fognini debacle from last night's darkness will commence after Jelena Jankovic cleans the dirt with her opponent. One would think, after all the wait, they would have put them first up. But that would have been too much like right.

Here's hoping the feisty one can send the clownish one home.

Schedule for Day 5: Thursday, 27 May 2010

Court Philippe Chatrier 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[4] v. Kaia Kanepi (EST)

Not Before 12:30
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Fabio Fognini (ITA) v. Gael Monfils (FRA)[13] To Finish 2-6 4-6 7-5 6-4 5-5
3. Women's Singles - Second Round
Klara Zakopalova (CZE) v. Justine Henin (BEL)[22]
4. Men's Singles - Second Round
Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[7] v. Florent Serra (FRA)
5. Men's Singles - Second Round
Horacio Zeballos (ARG) v. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2]

Court Suzanne Lenglen 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Andy Roddick (USA)[6] v. Blaz Kavcic (SLO)
2. Women's Singles - Second Round
Olivia Sanchez (FRA) v. Marion Bartoli (FRA)[13]
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Kei Nishikori (JPN) v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3]
4. Women's Singles - Second Round
Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Julia Goerges (GER)

Court 1 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)[28] v. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
Not Before 12:30
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Andy Murray (GBR)[4] v. Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) To Finish 6-2 3-3
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Jurgen Melzer (AUT)[22] v. Nicolas Mahut (FRA)
4. Women's Singles - Second Round
Maria Sharapova (RUS)[12] v. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL)
5. Men's Singles - Second Round
Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr (UKR) v. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)[12]

Court 2 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Elena Dementieva (RUS)[5] v. A. Medina Garrigues (ESP)
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)[16] v. Pere Riba (ESP)
3. Women's Singles - Second Round
Rossana De Los Rios (PAR) v. Samantha Stosur (AUS)[7]
4. Men's Singles - Second Round
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)[28] v. Denis Istomin (UZB)

Court 3 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[17] v. Sophie Ferguson (AUS)
Not Before 12:30
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Marcos Baghdatis (ESP) v. Marcel Granollers (CYP)[25] To Finish 4-6 6-1 7-5
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Pablo Andujar (ESP) v. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)[24]
4. Women's Singles - Second Round
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)[23] v. Olga Govortsova (BLR)
5. Men's Singles - Second Round
Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[19] v. Steve Darcis (BEL)

Court 4 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) v. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[8]
2. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Alize Cornet (FRA)/Aravane Rezai (FRA) v. Lisa Raymond (USA)/Rennae Stubbs (AUS)[7]
3. Women's Doubles - First Round
Sara Errani (ITA)/Roberta Vinci (ITA) v. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)/Selima Sfar (TUN)
4. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Maria Kirilenko (RUS)/Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[11] v. Petra Kvitova (CZE)/Stefanie Voegele (SUI)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)/Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA) v. Aurelie Vedy (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA)

Court 5 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) v. Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR)[32]
2. Women's Singles - Second Round
Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) v. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)[27]
3. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Lucie Safarova (CZE)/Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) v. Iveta Benesova (CZE)/Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)[13]
4. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Vera Dushevina (RUS)/Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)[14] v. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)/Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR)

Court 6 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) v. Jarmila Groth (AUS)
Not Before 12:30
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Marco Chiudinelli (USA)[17] v. John Isner (SUI) To Finish 7-6(3) 5-5
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Potito Starace (ITA) v. Robby Ginepri (USA)
4. Men's Doubles - First Round
Richard Gasquet (FRA)/Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) v. Gael Monfils (FRA)/Josselin Ouanna (FRA)
5. Women's Singles - Second Round
Jie Zheng (CHN)[25] v. Anastasia Pivovarova (RUS)

Court 7 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) v. Na Li (CHN)[11]
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)[14] v. Mardy Fish (USA)
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Xavier Malisse (BEL) v. David Ferrer (ESP)[9]
4. Women's Singles - Second Round
Sybille Bammer (AUT) v. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)[16]

Court 8 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)/Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) v. David Marrero (ESP)/Stephane Robert (FRA)
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Marc Gicquel (FRA)/Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) v. Simon Aspelin (SWE)/Paul Hanley (AUS)[7]
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Ross Hutchins (GBR)/Jordan Kerr (AUS) v. Daniel Nestor (CAN)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)[2]
4. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Anastasia Rodionova (AUS)/Paul Hanley (AUS) v. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS)/Simon Aspelin (SWE)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)/Frantisek Cermak (CZE) v. Patty Schnyder (SUI)/Daniel Nestor (CAN)

Court 9 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Lukas Dlouhy (CZE)/Leander Paes (IND)[3] v. Johan Brunstrom (SWE)/Jean-Julien Rojer (AHO)
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)/Albert Montanes (ESP) v. Wesley Moodie (RSA)/Dick Norman (BEL)[4]
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Stephen Huss (AUS)/Andre Sa (BRA) v. Marcel Granollers (ESP)/Tommy Robredo (ESP)[11]
4. Men's Doubles - First Round
Mardy Fish (USA)/Mark Knowles (BAH)[13] v. Carsten Ball (AUS)/Chris Guccione (AUS)

Court 10 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Andrey Golubev (KAZ)/Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) v. Alejandro Falla (COL)/Santiago Giraldo (COL)
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Oliver Marach (AUT)[6] v. Thiemo De Bakker (NED)/Rogier Wassen (NED)
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Marcelo Melo (BRA)/Bruno Soares (BRA) v. Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG)/Eduardo Schwank (ARG)
4. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)/Michal Mertinak (SVK) v. Monica Niculescu (ROU)/Michael Kohlmann (GER)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Rennae Stubbs (AUS)/Robert Lindstedt (SWE) v. Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)/Bruno Soares (BRA)

Court 11 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Tomasz Bednarek (POL)/Mateusz Kowalczyk (POL) v. Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL)/Marcin Matkowski (POL)[8]
Not Before 12:30
2. Women's Doubles - First Round
Darija Jurak (CRO)/Petra Martic (CRO) v. Claire Feuerstein (FRA)/Stephanie Foretz (FRA) To Finish 6-7(6) 6-2
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Karol Beck (SVK)/Jaroslav Levinsky (CZE) v. Guillaume Rufin (FRA)/Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA)
4. Men's Doubles - First Round
Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) v. Fabio Fognini (ITA)/Michael Russell (USA)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Pauline Parmentier (FRA)/Marc Gicquel (FRA) v. Cara Black (ZIM)/Leander Paes (IND)[2]

Court 14 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Jamie Delgado (GBR)/Evgeny Korolev (KAZ) v. Thierry Ascione (FRA)/Laurent Recouderc (FRA)
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Julien Benneteau (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA)[15] v. Leos Friedl (CZE)/David Skoch (CZE)
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Colin Fleming (GBR)/Ken Skupski (GBR) v. Marco Chiudinelli (SUI)/Christopher Kas (GER)
4. Women's Doubles - First Round
Mathilde Johansson (FRA)/Camille Pin (FRA) v. Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)[2]
5. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Edina Gallovits (ROU)/Melanie Oudin (USA) v. Kveta Peschke (CZE)/Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)[12]

Court 16 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) v. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)[21]
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Bob Bryan (USA)/Mike Bryan (USA)[1] v. Jan Hajek (CZE)/Lukas Lacko (SVK)
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Victor Hanescu (ROU)[31] v. Yuri Schukin (KAZ)
4. Men's Doubles - First Round
Philipp Marx (GER)/Igor Zelenay (SVK) v. Nicolas Devilder (FRA)/Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)

Court 17 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) v. Grega Zemlja (SLO)
2. Women's Singles - Second Round
Shahar Peer (ISR)[18] v. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Andreas Seppi (ITA) v. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)[30]
4. Women's Singles - Second Round
Jill Craybas (USA) v. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)[29]