Tennis FanHouse

Is Height a Tennis Advantage? Dominika Cibulková Doesn't Think So

Elie Seckbach — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:50:00 EST

Filed under: U.S. Open, Australian Open, French Open, WTA, FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Tennis star Dominika Cibulková is an outstanding athlete who was ranked as high as No. 12 in the world. Still, she has no ego in a sport full of self-centered stars. In this exclusive video we ask Dominika about her height disadvantage -- she's only 5-foot-3 -- compared to many much taller players. We also hear who she thinks is the number one tennis player today and who she would like to play her in a movie.

Check out the video after the jump.

Is Height a Tennis Advantage? Dominika Cibulková Doesn't Think So originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why You Won't Find Tennis Great Pete Sampras on Twitter

Elie Seckbach — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Grand Slam, U.S. Open, French Open, WTA, WTA Rankings, FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

During a time when so many top athletes are addicted to Twitter, tennis great Pete Sampras tells us why you'll never find him sending out updates on the social networking site. Also, hear what this former No. 1 ranked player has to say about the state of tennis today, and why the United States is no longer dominating the sport. Sampras, by the way, is second all-time in earnings, making over $43 million as an active player.

Check out the video after the jump.

Why You Won't Find Tennis Great Pete Sampras on Twitter originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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French Open Champ Bounced in First Round of Eastbourne

FanHouse Newswire — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:36:00 EST

Filed under: French Open, WTA, ATP

EASTBOURNE, England (AP)-French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova lost in the first round of the grass-court tournament at Eastbourne on Tuesday, falling 6-0, 6-3 to Aleksandra Wozniack of Canada.

"It's really tough for me," the second-seeded Kuznetsova said. "I played for two months on clay and I have it almost in my blood.

"On this surface, everything is opposite. For me, it's too much to change in three days."

Third-seeded Jelena Jankovic and No. 4 Vera Zvonareva also lost. The top-seeded men's player, Igor Andreev, also was toppled in the dual WTA and ATP event.

Anna Chakvetadze defeated Jankovic 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2, Amelie Mauresmo stopped Zvonareva 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 and Frank Dancevic downed Andreev 7-6 (6), 6-2.

Chakvetadze earned her first win over a top-10 opponent since beating Marion Bartoli at the Paris Indoor event in February 2008.

"I am pleased with every win right now because it's very important to me to get back my confidence," said Chakvetadze, a former No. 5 who has fallen to No. 31. "I lost a huge opportunity in the first set, but I'm glad I came back in the second and third."

Jankovic blamed her defeat on adjusting to the surface.

"It was obviously my first match on grass and it took me a while to get the rhythm out there," she said. "Getting those low balls, my legs got so tight and so tired. And especially in the third set, I didn't have the energy in my legs any more to bend down."

Fifth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus withdrew with a hip injury and was replaced by Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain.

French Open Champ Bounced in First Round of Eastbourne originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nadal Needs Change Now to Save Future

Greg Couch — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Wimbledon, French Open

Rafael Nadal is going to get through this one. This time. He's going to play at Wimbledon in two weeks, going to try to defend one of the greatest moments the sport has had, his victory in the finals last year over Roger Federer.

Doctors have analyzed Nadal's knees, taken pictures, poked and prodded, and have not found torn ligaments or major damage. They found tendinitis. On Tuesday, though, Nadal said he's still not sure he'll be able to play at Wimbledon, but that he's going to London for rest and rehab.

In other words, he's going to play.

"I have two difficult weeks ahead of me, especially because I won't be doing what I like doing most, which is to play tennis, but I will be working on my recovery through physiotherapy treatments as well as recovery work on the specific muscular area. . ." he wrote on his website.

"I am going to give my 200 percent to be ready for the most important tournament in the world, the tournament that I always dream about. I will not go out and play, especially on the Wimbledon Centre Court, if I am not 100 percent ready to play."

Look, he's going to play, OK? He doesn't have to go all the way to London for physical therapy. They sell Advil in Mallorca. (I think.) And on top of that, Uncle Toni is a drama queen. He has been sounding alarms for years that his nephew and pupil, Rafa, has career-threatening injuries. And this time, the timing was in bad taste, announcing that Nadal might not play in Wimbledon just as Roger Federer was about to win the French Open.

It smelled too much of trying to steal Federer's moment. Nadal is too big and too tough to let someone cry out excuses like that. He has refuted Uncle Toni's warnings in the past, too.

So I'm a little conflicted here, because it's hard to believe that this injury, today's, at this moment, is not being overstated. Even Federer pointed out that Nadal wasn't taping his knees at the French Open, that he knows from experience on the other side of the net when Nadal is hurt, and that he didn't think the threat to skip Wimbledon was too serious.

I think Nadal probably needed a mental break as much as physical after losing in the French.

But don't take too deep of a breath, tennis. The long-term on Nadal's problems are serious.

Just 23 years old and how many injuries has he already had to his knees and feet?

No one in tennis history has put as much of a beating on his body as Nadal has. No one has stormed the court the way he has.

"I have been playing with pain on my knees for some months now and I simply can't go on like this," he said.

"The pain was limiting certain movements in my body, which affected me mentally as well."

Players who rely so much on foot speed and footwork tend to have shortened shelf lives. You lose that half-step and it's major. If Nadal can't run down balls that have already passed him, then he becomes a different player.

Nadal needs to be Nadal, and it won't be easy to change styles to save on the pounding. Shorter points. More aggressive serve?

He's going to have to make some changes, for his career, and for his game. Men's tennis is not prepared to thrive without him, and nothing would be sicker than to watch him slowly fade.

Federer was dominating the world, but his popularity didn't take off, not in the U.S. anyway, until Nadal offered a contrast.

Start with Uncle Toni, who also called the French fans idiots last week. He has a genius knack for Nadal's game. So have him stick with that and tell him to shut up.

Then, fix the schedule. Nadal needs to cut back now. His schedule is too tough on his body with his style.

He has complained that the tennis tour's schedule overall is too grueling. And that's true. Several players have wanted the Australian Open moved from January to March, providing tennis with a clear offseason. Great idea.
But until it happens (never?) maybe Nadal should stop playing the Australian entirely, take plenty of time off between the U.S. Open in September and the French in May every year.

In January, there was talk of his sore knees and Nadal said it was just muscular fatigue, not a "pain that concerns me." In February, he said his problem was not the knee, that it was "nothing similar to last year."

Clearly, something was wrong. And then he played tournaments he could have skipped during the buildup to the French.

This makes no sense. If his knees have been hurting him for months, as he said, then why didn't he rest them?

It's the warrior thing, I know. He wants to fight through the pain, and what he has done so far has worked.

No way will a guy who fights like that miss Wimbledon now. But it's time for grown-up decisions before Nadal gets old-man knees.

Nadal Needs Change Now to Save Future originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Federer Is Greatest of All Time, for Now

Greg Couch — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:57:00 EST

Filed under: French Open, ATP

By the time he got off his knees, pulled his face out of his hands and reached into his pocket for the ball he would hit it to screaming fans, the tears were already flowing.

Five months ago, Roger Federer's tears were supposed to be the sign of his dismantling. On Sunday, they were about all that is good in tennis: Good guy. Doing things right. Overcoming. And they were also about history, and whether Federer is now the greatest player of all time.

First, the moment: Federer won the French Open Sunday, beating Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4. He has shown us so much about the agony and ecstasy of sport in the past 12 months alone.

We've seen him celebrate. We've seen him cry. We've seen him, once a guy who never had a hair out of place, destroy a racket in anger. He has shared all of it, and there's just something more honorable about a guy fighting back than a guy who was placed for a lifetime on the mountaintop.

So when he was giggling on the trophy stand, and when he walked over to John McEnroe for the TV interview on NBC, still carrying that French Open cup like something he might take with him everywhere he goes from now on -- the grocery store, the dentist's chair -- well, it was OK.

But let's get to the GOAT argument. Is Federer now the Greatest Of All Time? Andre Agassi said so. And so did McEnroe, who asked Federer how it felt for people to say so.

"We don't know,'' Federer said. "Definitely, I have something going for me.''

Here's my opinion: Yes he is. But while I love a great crowning moment as well as anyone --and no, I'm not talking about the nutcase who ran onto the court during the match and tried to put a cap on Federer -- this goes down in pencil for now.

We live in the moment, not in history books. And Federer's moment is not finished. On Sunday, he tied Pete Sampras' record with 14 major titles. He has won the French now, on the red clay, and that's something Sampras never did.

But while I hate to bring up this small point, the moment needed Rafael Nadal. Or maybe history needed it, I'm not sure which.

The French Open was not the final hurdle for Federer's supremacy. Nadal is. Nadal has beaten Federer nine times in their 15 matches, five of seven in major finals. This Federer-Nadal rivalry should go on four or five more years, and when the story is finished, if Nadal keeps destroying Federer the way he has lately, then the pencil turns over and Federer's name is erased from the top line.

You cannot be the best player ever if you can't beat your rival.

"It wasn't Rafa on the other side of the net, but I beat him a couple weeks ago on clay,'' Federer said. "So I think I deserved it.''

Soderling beat Nadal last Sunday, knocking him out of the tournament he was trying to win for a record fifth straight time. Bjorn Borg, who won four straight, wrote a text message to Soderling to thank him. For now, a No. 2 ranking and a victory over a journeyman is not enough to put GOAT in ink.

It's impossible to know for sure, of course. Eras change, the game changes. You can't just count majors. When I was kid, people didn't bother to play the Australian Open. It was only in the late 1980s, when the tournament was moved from December to January that the tournament really mattered.

Rod Laver won two Grand Slams, meaning he won all four in the same year twice. Federer now has won what they're calling a career Grand Slam, meaning he has won all four over the course of his career. Laver missed several years of majors in the heart of his career, because he was a pro, and the majors wanted amateurs.

Borg belongs in the discussion. He won 11 majors, but never a U.S. Open or Australian. But he only bothered to play the Australian once. But those guys were from a different era. And this era is much, much deeper, with dozens of good, athletic players, rather than a handful.

Laver was too small to play today and Borg too thin. Advantage Federer. Sampras, who has been sending texts to Federer wishing him luck, played in the modern era, with modern scheduling, modern fitness, modern ease
of travel. And most importantly, the modern power rackets. And he never got past the semis of the French.

But Sampras dominated his rival, Andre Agassi. And that's what Federer has left.

He has beaten Nadal in two Wimbledon finals, but that during Nadal's rise. Federer was there first, and then Nadal took over while Federer, now 27, was still in his prime. Federer is going to have to beat him back. In the majors. In finals.

The GOAT cannot walk around with a hole in his psyche, his nerve, his confidence.

But that's a history argument, and don't let it take from Federer's great moment.

French Open Photos

Swiss Roger Federer kisses the trophy after winning against Swedish player Robin Soderling during their French Open tennis men's final match on June 7, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. Roger Federer won his 14th major on June 7, 2009 with victory over Robin Soderling in the French Open final. It was the Swiss star's first Roland Garros title and helped him become only the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam. Fererer won 6/1,7/6,6/4. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Swedish player Robin Soderling returns a ball to Swiss player Roger Federer during their French Open tennis men's final match on June 7, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. Roger Federer won his 14th major on June 7, 2009 with victory over Robin Soderling in the French Open final. It was the Swiss star's first Roland Garros title and helped him become only the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam. Fererer won 6/1,7/6,6/4. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Spectators perform a Mexican Wave during the French Open tennis men's final match between Swiss Roger Federer and Swedish player Robin Soderling on June 7, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Fererer won 6/1,7/6,6/4. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

PARIS - JUNE 07: Roger Federer of Switzerland hits a forehand during the Men's Singles Final match against Robin Soderling of Sweden on day fifteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Roger Federer

Getty Images

PARIS - JUNE 07: Robin Soderling of Sweden servesduring the Men's Singles Final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland on day fifteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Robin Soderling

Getty Images

PARIS - JUNE 07: Robin Soderling of Sweden reacts during the Men's Singles Final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland on day fifteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Robin Soderling

Getty Images

PARIS - JUNE 07: Roger Federer of Switzerland serves during the Men's Singles Final match against Robin Soderling of Sweden on day fifteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Roger Federer

Getty Images

PARIS - JUNE 07: Former Tennis player Bjorn Borg watches Roger Federer of Switzerland in action during the Men's Singles Final match against Robin Soderling of Sweden on day fifteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bjorn Borg;Roger Federer

Getty Images

"It's, I guess, the most satisfying victory in my life, next to my first Wimbledon,'' he said. "For so many years, I've been trying so hard to get this title.''

It looked hopeless after last year, when Nadal beat him in the final 6-1, 6-3. 6-0. A few weeks later, Nadal beat Federer in the classic Wimbledon final -- GMOAT? Greatest Match Of All Time? -- and then Federer won the U.S. Open, but Nadal hadn't gotten to the finals.

And when Nadal beat Federer in the Australian final this year, Federer broke into tears. Since then, we've seen him fall apart against the best players, lose his backhand and his head. He was in denial. He wouldn't get a coach, wouldn't change his style, wouldn't get aggressive. He seemed to think his brilliance was enough.

But finally something clicked, and he did change. He did start to go for more on his serve, did get aggressive, did mix things up with dropshots. He put himself through marathon practice sessions, simulating a five-set French Open final. He spent time working on sliding on the clay. It was a champion trying to conquer his last hurdles. The French Open, yes. But moreso: Nadal.

One down, one to go.

The confidence started to show through in May, when he Nadal in Madrid, not a major, but on red clay. Nadal, though, had played a marathon match the day before.

So this week was huge for Federer even after Nadal lost. Lose without Nadal there, and what would that say about the GOAT? He had beaten Soderling nine times in a row. So each match felt like a final to him, and the pressure built. And what happened in the real final?

He was light on his feet. His serve: Great. His footwork: Great. His toughness: Great.

"You really gave me a lesson of how to play tennis today,'' Soderling said to Federer over the public address system. "To me, you're the greatest in history, so you really deserved to win this title.

"Yesterday, me and my coach were joking: Nobody can beat me 10 times in a row.''

Maybe Federer can do anything to anyone again. He can do anything and beat anyone again.

The GOAT needs just one more thing.

Federer Is Greatest of All Time, for Now originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man Jumps Out of Stands at French Open, Tries to Put Cap on Roger Federer

Bruce Ciskie — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: French Open

Fans at Roland Garros sounded rather surprised Sunday during the French Open men's final. While Roger Federer was getting ready to receive serve from underdog opponent Robin Soderling, a fan ran onto the clay court.

As security descended on the surface to run the guy down, he tried to put a hat on Federer's head. When security got too close for comfort, the man took off running. While it may have been easy to jump on the court, he found it a bit more difficult to get off it. Video after the jump.

Man Jumps Out of Stands at French Open, Tries to Put Cap on Roger Federer originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Safina Finishes French a Chicken Instead Of Champion

Greg Couch — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: French Open

Why am I such a chicken?

That's what Dinara Safina said. This was her crowning moment. And, oh man, did women's tennis need this. It needs a star desperately. And Safina needed a big win desperately, as she is No. 1 without a major title. That's No. 1 with an asterisk.

But here she was in the final of the French Open Saturday, and instead of a grand moment for Safina and for women's tennis, it just turned into something that turned your stomach.

In the end, Safina lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-2. And yes, I said that in the right order. The story of the match is that Safina lost, not that Kuznetsova won.

Recap: Kuznetsova Wins French Open | Couch: Something Missing for Federer

Safina lost. Women's tennis lost.

Safina could not swing the racquet without her brain and nerves getting in the way. You had to feel bad watching her, like watching a bird with broken a wing desperately trying to take off.

But honestly Safina choked. Plain and simple.

And down 6-4, 4-2, she turned and looked up to her coach in the stands.

Panic and desperation all over her face, on worldwide TV, with tennis hoping to have a moment, Safina looked up to her coach in the stands and said out-loud, clear as day:

"Why am I such a chicken?"

What a moment.

And you know how tennis players win majors? They drop to their knees, raise arms to the heavens, throw their racquet to the skies. They jump and laugh and cry?

Forget all that. Safina double-faulted, and Kuznetsova walked grimly to the net, shook hands and kissed Safina on each cheek.

"I know exactly how she feels," Kuznetsova said. "Always when I play with friends, I try to respect them."

Yes, Kuznetsova knows. She has done the same thing. In fact, even though she has won a U.S. Open, she has made a career of doing what Safina did.

It's a nice moment for Kuznetsova. She has been known as a choker ever since that Open, mostly because, well, she has choked. So she won at Roland Garros, where she has blown it before.

And at the same time Safina was asking her coach about being a chicken, Kuznetsova was having flashbacks about her failures in the past. You'd like to think these were two women, strong of mind and body. Instead, it was time to cover your daughter's eyes.

Dinara Safina Snapshots

Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova (C) walks through the stands after beating Russia's Dinara Safina during a French Open tennis final match on June 6, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Kuznetsova won 6/4,6/2. TOPSHOTS/AFP PHOTO/CYRILLE CADET (Photo credit should read CYRILLE CADET/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Russia's Dinara Safina holds the runners-up trophy during the award ceremony following the French Open women's tennis final match against Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova on June 6, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Kuznetsova won 6/4,6/2. TOPSHOTS/ AFP PHOTO/LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

(C)BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA RIGHTS*** Svetlana Kuznetsova defeats current #1 player Dinara Safina in the Women's Singles Finals match at the 2009 French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium. Picture Shows: Svetlana Kuznetsova NON-EXCLUSIVE June 6, 2009 Job: 56880EX Paris, France www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

ELIOT PRESS/bauergriffinonline.com

(C)BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA RIGHTS*** Svetlana Kuznetsova defeats current #1 player Dinara Safina in the Women's Singles Finals match at the 2009 French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium. Picture Shows: Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina NON-EXCLUSIVE June 6, 2009 Job: 56880EX Paris, France www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

ELIOT PRESS/bauergriffinonline.com

(C)BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA RIGHTS*** Svetlana Kuznetsova defeats current #1 player Dinara Safina in the Women's Singles Finals match at the 2009 French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium. Picture Shows: Svetlana Kuznetsova and Steffi Graf NON-EXCLUSIVE June 6, 2009 Job: 56880EX Paris, France www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

ELIOT PRESS/bauergriffinonline.com

(C)BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA RIGHTS*** Svetlana Kuznetsova defeats current #1 player Dinara Safina in the Women's Singles Finals match at the 2009 French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium. Picture Shows: Bill Gates NON-EXCLUSIVE June 6, 2009 Job: 56880EX Paris, France www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

ELIOT PRESS/bauergriffinonline.com

(C)BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA RIGHTS*** Svetlana Kuznetsova defeats current #1 player Dinara Safina in the Women's Singles Finals match at the 2009 French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium. Picture Shows: Bill Gates NON-EXCLUSIVE June 6, 2009 Job: 56880EX Paris, France www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

ELIOT PRESS/bauergriffinonline.com

(C)BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA RIGHTS*** Svetlana Kuznetsova defeats current #1 player Dinara Safina in the Women's Singles Finals match at the 2009 French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium. Picture Shows: Bill Gates NON-EXCLUSIVE June 6, 2009 Job: 56880EX Paris, France www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

ELIOT PRESS/bauergriffinonline.com

Still, feel good for Kuznetsova. She called her mother courtside right after the match, "but she couldn't hear me," Kuznetsova said on TV.

"She hung up on me."

What fun. And now, Kuznetsova is the champ.

No, that's wrong. Women's tennis doesn't have a champ now. It's not Kuznetsova, whose semifinal match might have been the worst match in the history of the game. She beat Samantha Stosur, and neither player could do anything right. At one point, I figured that match might never end because neither player would have the courage to win the last point.

So Kuznetsova is not the champ. Safina is not the champ. Serena Williams, who won't commit unless it's during a major, does not bother to be the champ. Venus Williams isn't quite good enough, I guess, to be the champ anywhere but Wimbledon.

Maria Sharapova isn't it, but maybe soon. And women's tennis has had a list of others as the No. 1 in the past year alone, because even the computer can't land on a champ.

Safina is No. 1 in the rankings now, but that's more as a seat-warmer than anything.

"Here I am back in the same situation as I was last year ..." she told the crowd afterward in a tennis tradition that must have been torture for her to follow. It was her most courageous moment of the day.

"I wish I can come next year and play again in front of you. Hopefully, one day I can win here. Thank you."

She declined to talk to NBC on court after the match, with John McEnroe explaining it by saying she was "seconds or moments away from a complete breakdown."

Safina has lost twice in major finals before, and needed this one to prove she was worthy of No. 1.

"Well, its, how you say, third is the victory," she said two days before the match, a Russian confusing the third-time-is-the-charm thing through language barrier. "I hope this time will do it."

Tennis wanted that "do." She was looking like the closest thing to a champ, winning almost everything since getting the top ranking.

But it was all forced. At this point, she's not quite good enough to be a champion. The game is there, but not the attitude, charisma, presence.

Tennis is the one women's sport that has broken into the mainstream. A women's tennis champion then sends young girls the best message of any athlete.

You go girl, stuff like that.

On Saturday, we got "Why am I such a chicken?"

Safina Finishes French a Chicken Instead Of Champion originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kuznetsova Wins French Open

FanHouse Newswire — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:43:00 EST

Filed under: French Open, WTA

PARIS (AP) -- Svetlana Kuznetsova conquered her nerves and beat a shaky Dinara Safina to win the French Open.

Showing uncharacteristic calm, Kuznetsova earned her second Grand Slam title Saturday by defeating Safina 6-4, 6-2 in an all-Russian matchup. Jitters have often betrayed Kuznetsova down the stretch in big matches, but she swept the final four games with steady play.

Instead it was the top-ranked Safina who battled her emotions. She double-faulted seven times, struggled with her movement and appeared near tears late in the match.

"Today I think she was too tight," Kuznetsova said. "She had so much pressure on her. But I could bring my better game today-that's why I won."

Four-time French Open champion Justine Henin and others have criticized Safina's ranking because she has yet to win a major. She climbed to No. 1 in April and will remain there through at least late July, but she's now 0-3 in Grand Slam finals.

The younger sister of two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin was runner-up at Roland Garros last year to Ana Ivanovic.

"Hopefully, one day I can win here," Safina said during the trophy ceremony, her voice cracking. The loss ended her 16-match winning streak.

On Sunday, Roger Federer will play in his fourth consecutive Roland Garros final, with one big difference this year: He's facing Robin Soderling, not Rafael Nadal. Federer will bid for his 14th major title to match Pete Sampras' record, and he'll try to become the sixth man to win all four Grand Slam titles.

Soderling will play in his first major final after upsetting four-time defending champion Nadal in the fourth round.

Kuznetsova beat 10-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, and against Safina she had the more varied game, mixing the angle and pace of her groundstrokes as she scooted across the clay. She hit an occasional drop shot and won all six points when she came to the net.

Cool, damp weather made for slower conditions that lessened the impact of Safina's booming groundstrokes. And her serve was woeful: Safina lost more than half her service points and was broken five times.

She double-faulted for the last time on championship point, then slammed her racket to the court. Kuznetsova's reaction to the victory was subdued. The two finalists, whose friendly rivalry dates back a decade, traded kisses on the cheek at the net. Kuznetsova then allowed herself a brief smile and acknowledged the cheering crowd by patting her chest.

No. 7-seeded Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion, won $1.5 million while Safina received $750,000.

By STEVEN WINE, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Dinara Safina Snapshots

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(C)BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA RIGHTS*** Svetlana Kuznetsova defeats current #1 player Dinara Safina in the Women's Singles Finals match at the 2009 French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium. Picture Shows: Svetlana Kuznetsova and Steffi Graf NON-EXCLUSIVE June 6, 2009 Job: 56880EX Paris, France www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

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(C)BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA RIGHTS*** Svetlana Kuznetsova defeats current #1 player Dinara Safina in the Women's Singles Finals match at the 2009 French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium. Picture Shows: Bill Gates NON-EXCLUSIVE June 6, 2009 Job: 56880EX Paris, France www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

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(C)BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA RIGHTS*** Svetlana Kuznetsova defeats current #1 player Dinara Safina in the Women's Singles Finals match at the 2009 French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium. Picture Shows: Bill Gates NON-EXCLUSIVE June 6, 2009 Job: 56880EX Paris, France www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

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Kuznetsova Wins French Open originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Without Nadal, a French Win Means Less For Federer's Legacy

Greg Couch — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: French Open

Roger Federer needs Rafael Nadal. History might not care, because if Federer beats Robin Soderling in the final of the French Open Sunday, that will be his 14th major title. He will tie Pete Sampras' record, and will have done something Sampras never did: win the big one on red clay.

Federer can only beat the player standing on the other side of the net. And the tennis world will be buzzing about King Roger, and his crowning, if he wins. But deep down, everyone will feel it: Something will be missing.

Nadal.

"No, not really," Federer said. "Not really."

But you have played him in the French final three years in a row.

"Four years. Four years."

Federer advanced to the final Friday when he beat Juan Martin Del Potro, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-4. An awfully tight match against a guy that the general sports fan has never heard of, I know. But don't worry. Del Potro is the real deal.

He's the fifth-best player in the world, just 20 years old and 6-foot-6, thin, strong and athletic. He's basically a basketball player with a racquet in his hand, and he has a big future.

That just goes to show Federer's problem, though. He beat Gael Monfils in the quarters, demolishing a darn good player. Then he fought past Del Potro, but no one notices that, or counts it.

The Main Event in tennis is Federer-Nadal. It's last year's Wimbledon final. It's the greatest individual rivalry in sports. If Nadal had beaten Soderling last year at Wimbledon, it wouldn't have been the same, either.

See, Nadal needs Federer, too. And in the past year, since the rivalry became so big, that's who he has beaten to be the best.

So will the French Open itself be enough for Federer? I don't think so.

But honestly, we'll have to watch and see how it feels.

"I just congratulated him and wished him good luck," Del Potro said.

"I said everybody wants him to lift the trophy at the end."

Federer lost the French and Wimbledon final to Nadal last year, and the Australian this year. He won the U.S. Open, but Nadal -- on his worst surface, hard courts -- had lost earlier and wasn't there.

But while Federer's fans were just thrilled to learn that their guy could still win majors, they missed Nadal, too.

No, Federer says. And sure, he has had his head knocked off by Nadal enough times to feel some relief without him. But every champion wants a shot back at the guy who beat him.

Pete Sampras never won the French, but was considered the best ever because of all the majors. And because he beat Andre Agassi. He was better than Agassi early in his career, and they traded places occasionally in the middle. And in the end, Sampras beat Agassi in the U.S. Open final.

This talk matters only if Federer wins, of course. He has beaten Soderling nine times, and never lost to him. So lose to this guy, at this moment, and the doubts will be there about Federer.

The best-ever argument, or the why-can't-he-do-it argument. One match can mean so much in tennis. That's Federer's pressure.

French Open Photos

Swedish player Robin Soderling jubilates after winning against Chili's player Fernando Gonzalez during a French Open tennis semi-final match on June 5, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. TOPSHOTS / AFP PHOTO / Tom Gandolfini (Photo credit should read Tom Gandolfini/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina waves after losing his semi-final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 5, 2009. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

Reuters

Combination photograph of Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrating after winning his semi-final match against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 5, 2009. REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel/Charles Platiau/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Reuters

PARIS - JUNE 05: Roger Federer of Switzerland looks on during the Men's Singles Semi Final match against Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina on day thirteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 5, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Roger Federer

Getty Images

PARIS - JUNE 05: Roger Federer of Switzerlandlooks on during the Men's Singles Semi Final match against Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina on day thirteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 5, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Roger Federer

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PARIS - JUNE 05: (L to R) Geoff Pollard the Chairman of Tennis Australia and Tim Philips the Chairman of the All England Club watch the action during the Men's Singles Semi Final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland and Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina on day thirteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 5, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Geoff Pollard;Tim Philips

Getty Images

PARIS - JUNE 05: A dejected Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina reacts during the Men's Singles Semi Final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland on day thirteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 5, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Juan Martin Del Potro

Getty Images

Soderling is talented, but has never been consistent. He knocked Nadal out on Sunday, and he has worked to get into serious shape. He's having one of those dream tournaments. The funny thing about Soderling is this: While every tennis coach, and every kid is trying to wing as much topspin as possible to be like Nadal, here came Soderling with the gameplan to beat him: Take any short Nadal spinning shot, step in and crush it.

Flat. If he beats Federer, too, then there are going to be coaches scampering in panic.

I would like to know where Federer's head is now. He has been perfection flawed since that Wimbledon final. We've seen him smash racquets, fall apart to top players, cry in Australia.

He has been getting better the past several weeks, but even at the French, his game has simply deserted him several times, briefly.

The truth is, Nadal, for the first time, has lost his perfection now, too.

On Friday, Nadal pulled out of the Queen's Club tournament, a grass court warmup for Wimbldeon.

"I have been having some problems in the past months with my knees, that's no secret, that did not allow me to compete at 100 percent always," he wrote on his website. "I need to work with my team to recover well, work on my physical condition to be at my top form and get ready for the grass to play at Wimbledon. I hope I can be ready to compete by then."

Nadal's knees have been an issue, and he has been criticized for playing too much. But, just guessing here, I wonder if Nadal's problems might be partly in his head. Maybe he needs to step away for a week or two for a mental break.

Nadal should be strong enough to come back, but with a loss on his best surface, word is now out that he can be beat, even on clay. His opponents won't be finished before the match starts anymore.

Federer knows about this. Nadal knocked him there last year. He has finally accepted what's happening, and has been changing, working on being more aggressive, and on mixing in dropshots. He underwent grueling preparation the past few months, with four-hour on-court sessions, serving and running and sliding sessions on the clay.

The idea was to simulate a five-set French Open final, and do it over and over.

"It's been a good clay court preparation,'' he said.

No, it was a Rafa Nadal preparation.

Now, he gets Soderling instead. That's not what he needed, not who he needed.

Without Nadal, a French Win Means Less For Federer's Legacy originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Federer Rallies Past del Potro

FanHouse Newswire — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:05:00 EST

Filed under: French Open

PARIS (AP)-Sentimental favorite Roger Federer did not quite follow the script Friday at the French Open. He decided to go for high drama.

Striving to complete a career Grand Slam, Federer came from behind twice in the semifinals to beat big-serving Juan Martin del Potro 3-6, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Playing in his fourth consecutive Roland Garros final, Federer will try for his 14th major title to match Pete Sampras' record.

"There's still one more step," Federer said. "I was a bit lucky but I fought well. Juan Martin was playing really well."

Federer's opponent Sunday will be No. 23-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden, who extended his improbable Roland Garros run by beating No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez in another seesaw semifinal, 6-3, 7-5, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4.

With nemesis Rafael Nadal eliminated in the fourth round, Federer faces a less daunting path to that elusive Roland Garros championship. He's 9-0 against Soderling.

But then Federer had swept his previous five matches and 12 sets against del Potro. The 6-foot-6 Argentine rose to the occasion in his first major semifinal and kept on the offensive for much of the match, but began to tire in the fourth set.

Federer broke for the first time 2 1/2 hours into the match to lead 3-1. Del Potro lost his next two service games as well, allowing Federer to sweep seven games in a row and finally take the lead.

By then, Federer was in top form, gliding across the clay that has vexed him in the past. He won a frantic rally and a standing ovation by lunging to slice a forehand into the open court for a 3-1 lead in the fifth set. There were more highlight-reel shots down the stretch, and he closed the victory with forehand winners on back-to-back points.

In the all-Russian women's final Saturday, top-ranked Dinara Safina will try for her first Grand Slam title against Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Federer trailed for much of the semifinal, struggling to hold serve and unable to break. Sensing his once-a-year opportunity again slipping away, he slapped himself in the face after losing one frantic rally.

Maybe that helped. And maybe he was buoyed by a crowd that kept chanting "Ro-ger! Ro-ger."

Del Potro made one last charge in the final set, hitting several ferocious shots to break for 3-all. But he missed all eight first serves in the next game and finally dumped a weary second serve into the net on break point.

On a cool, cloudy, evening, Federer looked out of sorts early, failing to convert two early break points and losing serve at 2-all. He twice fell behind love-40 while serving and shanked an easy overhead, perhaps a sign of nerves.

Federer served better in the second set but was broken when he played a sloppy game to start the third set and again found himself trailing a bigger, younger, more powerful opponent.

One point-blank exchange forced Federer to retrieve three del Potro volleys, and he failed to reach a fourth. Federer hung his head, and as he walked back to the baseline he slapped himself.

A game later, del Potro closed the third set, before Federer mounted his latest comeback. He overcame a two-set deficit to beat Tommy Haas in the fourth round.

Next up: Soderling. He scrambled the draw with his win Sunday over the four-time defending champion. Federer has been beaten at the French Open each of the past four years by Nadal, the past three times in the final.

The Swede is beyond the third round for the first time in 22 career major tournaments, and he'll play in his first clay-court tournament final.

"He deserves it," Federer said. He's still the one who beat Rafa, who was the man to beat in this tournament."

Against Gonzalez, Soderling let a big lead slip away when he lost his serve in the final game of the third and fourth sets. He fell behind 3-love and 4-1 in the final set, but down the stretch came up with the kind of shotmaking that has carried him through the tournament, and he swept the last five games.

"I had maybe the biggest challenge in tennis right now to beat Nadal here on clay in Paris," he said. "I was still in the tournament, so even though I played a great match, I wanted more. I still feel that way."

The victory over Gonzalez was only his fourth in a five-set match.

"I did a good job of coming back," Gonzalez said. "But Soderling is playing at a really high level. He gets to every ball. I couldn't take him out of position."

The first semifinal had lots of drama, and a little controversy. Gonzalez challenged a call late in the fourth set, contending a shot by Soderling had landed wide, and when the umpire denied his appeal, Gonzalez sat on the disputed mark in the clay to smooth it out.

"I did something for fun," Gonzalez said. "One point doesn't affect a five-set match."

Gonzalez won the game anyway, but played the rest of the match with dirt caked on his shorts.

The quality of play was high throughout. Soderling had 74 winners, including 16 aces, and Gonzalez totaled 59 winners, including 22 aces.

When Soderling hit a forehand winner on the first match point, he fell to his knees and covered his eyes.

"My first feeling was actually relief that the match was over, because it was a really long match, and I was tired at the end," Soderling said. "And then after a few seconds, I got really, really happy."

He has won nine consecutive matches, a career best, and is expected to climb to a career-high ranking of No. 12 next week.

By STEVEN WINE, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Federer Rallies Past del Potro originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Soderling Beats Gonzalez to Reach French Open Final

FanHouse Newswire — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: French Open

PARIS (AP)- Robin Soderling's upset of Rafael Nadal cleared a path to the French Open final.

The player who took advantage: Soderling.

The surprising Swede extended his improbable Roland Garros run by beating Fernando Gonzalez in a seesaw semifinals Friday, 6-3, 7-5, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4.

Soderling let a big lead slip away when he lost his serve in the final game of the third and fourth sets. He fell behind 3-love and 4-1 in the final set, but down the stretch came up with the kind of shotmaking that has carried him through the tournament, and he swept the last five games.

On Sunday, the No. 23-seeded Soderling will play the winner of the second semifinal between No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro.

"I have very far to go," Soderling said.

Federer is trying to complete a career Grand Slam and win his 14th major title, which would tie Pete Sampras' record. Federer has been beaten at the French Open each of the past four years by Nadal, the four-time defending champion who lost to Soderling in the fourth round Sunday.

Soderling never advanced beyond the third round in his previous 21 major tournaments, and he has never won a clay-court title. The victory over Gonzalez was only Soderling's fourth in a five-set match.

By STEVEN WINE, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Soderling Beats Gonzalez to Reach French Open Final originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Safina, Kuznetsova Reach French Finals

FanHouse Newswire — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:35:00 EST

Filed under: French Open

PARIS (AP) -- Dinara Safina shanked shots, squandered chances, screamed profanities at herself and still won, setting up an all-Russian final at French Open.

The top-ranked Safina beat Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals Thursday and needs one more win for her first Grand Slam title.

On Saturday, she'll face No. 7-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat Samantha Stosur of Australia, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3.

The combustible Safina won despite seven double-faults. Twice in one game, her shots landed short of the net.

"I'm trying to control my emotions," she said. "I'm not playing my best, but still it's not easy to beat me."

Safina was runner-up to Ana Ivanovic last year at Roland Garros, and lost this year's Australian Open final to Serena Williams. Safina has an 8-5 record against Kuznetsova, and they split two meetings in finals last month.

"I really want to win this tournament," Safina said. "I had a very good experience last year, and I hope to do better this year. I still have a match to play, and I will give everything I've got."

The all-Russian final will be the second at Roland Garros in five years. Anastasia Myskina beat Elena Dementieva for the 2004 title.

Like Safina, Kuznetsova was playing a first-time Grand Slam semifinalist. Coming off a grueling win Wednesday over Serena Williams, Kuznetsova missed a chance at a straight-sets victory, allowing Stosur to overcome a 5-2 deficit in the tiebreaker.

Kuznetsova regrouped and held every service game in the final set. The 2004 U.S. Open champion is bidding for her second major title.

In the men's semifinals Friday, Roger Federer will try to move a step closer to a career Grand Slam and 14th major title, which would tie Pete Sampras' record. He's 5-0 against his opponent, 6-foot-6 Argentine Juan Martin del Potro.

No. 23-seeded Robin Soderling will look to continue his improbable run against No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez. Soderling reached beyond the third round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. Gonzalez is the first Chilean since 1960 to advance to the Roland Garros semifinals.

Safina's ranking has drawn criticism because she has yet to win a major. But in the four tournaments since she climbed to No. 1 in April, she's 20-1 with two titles, a runner-up finish and the strong showing at Roland Garros, where she has lost only one set.

"Since I became No. 1, I'm playing finals and winning the titles," she said. "So how much more proof I need to give the people that I think I deserve that spot?"

Her brother, Marat Safin, is a former No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion.

The family's notorious temper was evident in the semifinal. At least twice Safina screamed a vulgarity at herself in English that TV microphones picked up, and an announcer apologized to the European audience.

Her language was cleaner when she shanked a backhand into the dirt at her feet.

"That was a great shot," she said.

Later in the same game, Safina misfired so badly on a first serve that she drove the ball into the clay in front of the net. She held anyway for a 4-2 lead in the second set.

"It wasn't an easy match," she said. "I have to be much more dominant on the court."

Safina kissed the corner with a forehand winner to reach match point and closed out the victory when Cibulkova put a backhand in the net.

The match was played from behind the baseline, and it was into the seventh game before either played attempted a volley. The 5-3 Cibulkova was at a disadvantage in rallies because she often had to hit the ball above eye level, while high-kicking shots were right in the 5-11 1/2 Safina's wheelhouse.

"I was planning to serve better, and to make pressure with the return," Cibulkova said. "But today I was just standing so, so far from the baseline, and I couldn't do anything."

On a sunny, cool afternoon, Safina started slowly. She fell behind 2-love, then began to find the range and won five consecutive games. She struggled to close the set, sailing returns long on three successive set points, but converted on the fourth try with a booming forehand.

A lob winner over Cibulkova helped Safina earn the first break of the second set for a 3-2 lead, and she secured the victory despite her fitful moments. Safina finished with 24 winners, while her opponent had 11 winners and 21 unforced errors.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Safina, Kuznetsova Reach French Finals originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Serena Double Faulting on Legacy

Greg Couch — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: French Open, WTA

I am the best.

I am power. I am history. I am smarts. I am beauty.

I am intimidation. I am determination.

I am unstoppable. I am limitless.

Just working on a Serena Williams shoe commercial here. The only one of these things she has actually said was the first one. "Quite frankly," she said, "I'm the best in the world."

It's true. She is. The best. All of those other things are true, too.

How about this one?

I am Tiger Woods.

No, she's not. But she should be. Every last thing you see in Woods, every reason we watch him and love him, she should be, too. In fact, she should be more.

Serena Williams should be bigger than Tiger Woods. Why isn't she?

"Honestly, I think I lost because of me and not because of anything she did."

That's what Williams said Wednesday after losing 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 7-5 to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals of the French Open.

"It makes me realize that, you know, had I done different things, I would have been able to win."

And that says everything about Williams. Why isn't Serena bigger than Tiger?

It's because of her.

She has grumbled about her ranking, which is No. 2. When Dinara Safina moved to No. 1, that's when Williams made her quite-frankly statement.

And her fans have grumbled about race. You can't ignore the relationship between her race and her sport. Maria Sharapova, a gigantic Barbie doll and the ideal white tennis playing stereotype, gets more endorsements than Williams, who is beauty in a different, less traditionally tennis way. She is thick and muscular. And black.

I'm not sure she realizes how important she can be. But the biggest problem is Williams herself. She has done this to herself through lack of commitment, lack of fitness.

Serena Williams Snapshots

Serena Williams reacts during her quarter-final match against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 3, 2009. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Reuters

PARIS - JUNE 03: Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia hangs on the net after missing a point during the Women's Singles Quarter Final match against Serena Williams of USA on day eleven of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Svetlana Kuznetsova

Getty Images

PARIS - JUNE 03: Serena Williams of USA hits a forehand during the Women's Singles Quarter Final match against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia on day eleven of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Serena Williams

Getty Images

PARIS - JUNE 03: Serena Williams of USA serves during the Women's Singles Quarter Final match against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia on day eleven of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Serena Williams

Getty Images

PARIS - JUNE 03: Serena Williams of USA hits a backhand during the Women's Singles Quarter Final match against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia on day eleven of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Serena Williams

Getty Images

PARIS - JUNE 03: A dejected Serena Williams of USA heads towards defeat during the Women's Singles Quarter Final match against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia on day eleven of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Serena Williams

Getty Images

US Serena Williams reacts to play against Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 3, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Kuznetsova won 7/6,5/7, 7/5. AFP PHOTO / BERTRAND GUAY (Photo credit should read BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova jubilates after winning against US Serena Williams during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 3, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Kuznetsova won 7/6,5/7, 7/5. AFP PHOTO / BERTRAND GUAY (Photo credit should read BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Williams is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, but her career is a failure so far because she could have been so much more.

I am out of shape. I am enjoying my celebrity. I am fully committed and prepared to win four to six weeks a year, during the majors.

This tournament was a typical mess for Williams. She arrived carrying a little too much weight, nearly lost to a nobody -- Klara Zakopalova? -- while moping through her first match.

She was booed. She accused another player of cheating. She only decided to turn it on in the fourth round. Serena Time, someone called it. And she didn't argue. And then she lost, "because of me."

That's the whole problem.

Tiger Woods is the picture of fitness. At the TPC a few weeks ago, the question was whether he was too muscular for his own swing. Serena Williams showed up maybe her heaviest ever at the Australian Open two years ago and won anyway.

Tiger Woods skips plenty of tournaments, but when he's there, he's there to kill. Serena Williams showed up the tournament before the French, played one set and left. She said she was too hurt to come at all, but came because the tour mandated that she play. If she hadn't, she would have been fined $75,000.

"I don't know about you, but $75,000 is a lot of money to me," Williams said. "I'm redecorating a house, and $75,000 is my furniture budget, some stairs ... I can't just go writing checks for $75,000 in this economy."

I am eyeing a chaise lounge.

Williams has won 10 majors, but she could dominate this game, dominate the sports world. She could win everything, be the best ever, like Tiger, and wipe away Sharapova. And she could mean so much more.

Consider not only her talent, but also her marketing edge. Think about American pop culture and what draws people, advertisers. Be honest: If Williams were fit and focused, this is what you'd have: A beautiful, strong woman dominating a sport where everyone is a fit woman in skimpy clothes.

That sells.

Tiger wears slacks and plays a slow game against a bunch of middle-aged guys. This is not meant as a rip job on Serena, but as a plea to her. Five years. Just give it five years of commitment for your legacy, for your sport, for young girls.

True, this isn't all her fault. Not 100 percent.

The pressure of sex appeal is on a woman much more than a man. When I've mentioned Sharapova and Barbie dolls before, in contrast to Williams, I've inevitably gotten e-mails from black women telling me that Williams' curves are not just diet, that this is about an African-American woman's body type.

There is something galling about Sharapova being the richest female athlete in the world when she has accomplished so much less than Williams. A few years ago, Forbes Magazine said that Sharapova made $23 million, and Williams $14 million.

"That's totally a black thing," said Sonny Vaccaro, the former shoe company rep who created the Shoe Wars by pitting sneaker companies against each other to get athletes to represent them. "If Serena and [her sister] Venus would have been named Chrissy [Evert] and Steffi [Graf], they would have made $100 million, no question. These girls, in my estimation, probably made less of their fame financially than anyone I have seen."

Bob Williams, CEO of Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing, Inc., a Chicago-based company that matches celebrities with advertisers, disagrees.

"If you look over the last 15 years of the top endorsers, you see at least half of them are African-Americans," he said. "So I don't think you can make the argument that it's racial at all. Fortunately for Maria and unfortunately for Serena, most people consider Maria's looks to be at a model-type level.

"But part of it is the international factor in Europe; Serena does not have that. But also, there's no doubt that Tiger is the best golfer to carry a club, or second best to Nicklaus. MJ was no doubt the greatest player of his era, maybe the greatest of all time. With Serena, you can't make that argument. She doesn't play for a while because she wants to do other stuff, and her game kind of suffers, and then she comes back. She wins majors, but she doesn't win enough other tournaments to be No. 1."

She won one non-major last year.

Yes, black athletes get endorsements, but those are black men. But appearance and the white ideal are a much bigger issue for women. Serena Williams shouldn't have to come in behind Sharapova as tennis' It Girl. Instead, she can change the model.

I am that good.

If she stayed fit, and fought hard the way Woods does, she would win everything, and create a new ideal.

For years, she listed herself as 5-9, 134 pounds. Now, she says 150. And she weighs way more than that. Why lie? Why play into the false ideals, telling young girls out there that the ideal is blonde and thin?

You don't have to be 5-9, 134 to win Wimbledon. But that's the message she pushes.

Come on Serena. This kind of talent doesn't come around often. We don't see too many Serena Williams. Fight hard, get fit -- and you still won't be anywhere near 134 pounds -- stay committed, bypass Woods and get out the word:

I am the best possible me. I am better than a Barbie. I am stronger than a Tiger.

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French player Gael Monfils returns a ball to Swiss Federer Roger Federer during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 3, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. TOPSHOTS/AFP PHOTO / PATRICK KOVARIK (Photo credit should read PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina celebrates winning his quarter-final match against Tommy Robredo of Spain at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 3, 2009. REUTERS/Charles Platiau (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS IMAGES OF THE DAY)

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Swiss Roger Federer returns the ball to French player Gael Monfils during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 3, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Federer won 7/6,6/2,6/4. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)

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French player Gael Monfils returns the ball to Swiss Roger Federer during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 3, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Federer won 7/6,6/2,6/4. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)

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Spanish player Tommy Robredo looks on during play against Argentinian player Juan Martin Del Potro during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 3, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Del Potro won 6/3,6/4,6/2. AFP PHOTO / BERTRAND GUAY (Photo credit should read BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images)

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French player Gael Monfils serves a ball to Swiss Federer Roger Federer during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 3, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Federer won 7/6,6/2,6/4. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)

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Serena Double Faulting on Legacy originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Serena's Grand Slam Bid Falls Short

FanHouse Newswire — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: French Open

PARIS (AP) - Serena Williams' bid for a third consecutive Grand Slam title has been ended by Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Williams was unable to convert a set point in the opening set and lost a seesaw struggle 7-6 (3), 5-7, 7-5 Wednesday.

The No. 7-seeded Kuznetsova faced a break point serving at 5-6 in the first set but erased it with a slam. That started a stretch where she won nine of 10 points to take the lead.

Williams rallied three points from defeat to win the second set and led 3-1 in the third. But Kuznetsova mounted her comeback and broke in the final game when Williams pushed a backhand wide.

Williams, seeded second, had won 18 consecutive Grand Slam matches and was bidding for her 11th major title.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Serena's Grand Slam Bid Falls Short originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Let's Hope for a Serena-Safina Final

Greg Couch — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: French Open, WTA

This has the potential to be a nice, fresh new rivalry for tennis. Nothing special, but at least something interesting.

The question was whether Serena Williams cared enough, was still interested. And then she turned it on and played great. And the question was whether world No. 1 Dinara Safina had grown enough, had learned how not to choke in the big moment. And then on Tuesday, she came from way back and won.

We seem to be headed for the most interesting match in the French Open final. Williams still has to win twice more to get there, and Safina once. But Williams said that women's tennis is more interesting than men's, partly because it's more "catty.
And she and Safina have had their public spat the past six weeks, since Safina jumped Williams in the rankings, over who is really the best player. And the ugly truth is that if neither of them makes it to Saturday, and we get, say, Dominika Cibulkova against Svetlana Kuznetsova, then the French Open is going to have a big problem, as NBC usually likes for more than 17 Americans to watch its programming.

"You're thinking way too far," said Safina, after beating Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. "I just finished my quarters and I'm a little bit tired. I still have the semis, so I don't think that far."

Believe me, French officials, NBC and the tour are not only thinking that far ahead, but also praying. The women's game is suddenly short of star power. Venus Williams is already out. And Maria Sharapova, who returned from major shoulder surgery, went all the way to the quarterfinals in an amazing run. But she lost Tuesday to Cibulkova, 6-0, 6-2.

Sharapova was actually down match point at 6-0, 5-0, about to suffer the ultimate embarrassment, the double-bagel. But then she won two games and almost broke again. She nearly got back into the match.

"I guess you could only ask your body to do so much," she said. "You know, everything fell a little short today. The pace wasn't there on my strokes and I was five steps slower."

So for star power, that leaves only Williams and, to a lesser level thanks to the ranking and public bickering, Safina.

Look for ESPN to start pushing a Williams-Safina final Wednesday. So let's get an early start on it. Here are the two quotes at the heart of things, after Safina passed Williams in the rankings on April 20:

"We all know who the real number on is. Quite frankly, I'm the best in the world," Williams said.

"They're jealous that I'm so young and No. 1," Safina said.

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Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan plays a shot as her partner Shuai Peng of China looks on during their quarter-final doubles match against Agnieszka Radwanska and Urszula Radwanska of Poland at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 2, 2009. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

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Andy Murray of Britain returns the ball to Fernando Gonzalez of Chile during their quarter-final match at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 2, 2009. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

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Andy Murray of Britain reacts during his quarter-final match against Fernando Gonzalez of Chile at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 2, 2009. REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

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Britain's Andy Murray speaks during a media conference following his quarterfinal defeat to Chile's Fernando Gonzalez at the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Tuesday June 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Andy Murray of Britain reacts during his quarter-final match against Fernando Gonzalez of Chile during their at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 2, 2009. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

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Fernando Gonzalez of Chile reacts during his quarter-final match Andy Murray of Britain at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 2, 2009. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

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So now we'll find out. Probably.

The knock on Safina is that she has never won a major, and has choked both times she got close. Williams beat her 6-0, 6-3 in the Australian Open final. Safina's ranking is based on doing well each week. Consistently good, never reaching the mountaintop.

When Williams won the Australian, she held the cup and raised her index finger, No. 1, for the cameras.

But through the first four rounds of the French, Safina has lost a total of just five games. On Tuesday she couldn't keep up in the first set, and this was the first mental test for Safina. It's the type of test she has failed before. But not this time.

"She started to miss more," Safina said. "I'm not really happy with my game today."

Well, maybe Safina wasn't her best in the comeback, but she didn't fold, either. Safina, 23, was spurred on by Williams' comments, and people questioning whether she deserved the top rank. She has been at her best since then.

Williams, meanwhile, had come to the French having lost four straight matches for the first time in her career. She has won the past two majors, though, and a win here would give her a real shot at the Grand Slam.

But she dropped in the rankings because she's inconsistent and seemingly not interested during the non-majors. Then, she nearly lost in the first round of the French to a no-name, Klara Zakopalova. She struggled the first week of the tournament, but was sharp in Monday's fourth round, beating Aleksandra Wozniak 6-1, 6-2.

So which one will win the final? Safina, who is ready to emerge, or Serena, who is always at her best in the big matches?

I'll go with Williams as the winner. That's assuming she gets there. If she doesn't, and Safina doesn't either, then we all lose.

Let's Hope for a Serena-Safina Final originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharapova Barely Avoids Shutout in Loss

FanHouse Newswire — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:10:00 EST

Filed under: French Open

PARIS (AP) -- Facing match point in the quarterfinals, Maria Sharapova was no longer focused on winning her first French Open title. She merely wanted to win a game.

That she did. A weary, rusty Sharapova barely averted a shutout but lost Tuesday to Dominika Cibulkova 6-0, 6-2.

Cibulkova was one point from victory at 5-love in the second set before Sharapova finally found her form. She won that game and then another, hitting a flurry of winners and saving four match points before Cibulkova closed out the win.

Sharapova was playing in just her second tournament after a layoff of nearly 10 months because of a right shoulder injury. The three-time Grand Slam champion had 27 unforced errors to nine for the No. 20-seeded Cibulkova, a Slovak who advanced to her first major semifinal.

Cibulkova's opponent Thursday will be top-ranked Dinara Safina, who rallied to beat Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

In men's play, Robin Soderling came up with an impressive encore to his upset of top-ranked Rafael Nadal by beating Nikolay Davydenko. The No. 23-seeded Soderling swept the first five games and won 6-1, 6-3, 6-1.

Soderling's opponent in his first Grand Slam semifinal will be No. 3 Andy Murray or No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez.

Sharapova had won three-setters in all four previous rounds at this year's tournament, and the long matches took a toll. Sharapova's legs looked wobbly, and she repeatedly hit the ball late and sent it wide against Cibulkova.

The 20-year-old Cibulkova relied on steady strokes from the baseline, and the margin in unforced errors in the opening set was 13-1.

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Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia serves to Maria Sharapova of Russia during their quarter-final match at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 2, 2009. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

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Maria Sharapova of Russia serves to Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia during their quarter-final match at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 2, 2009. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

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Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia returns the ball to Maria Sharapova of Russia during their quarter-final match at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 2, 2009. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

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Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova jubilates after winning against Russia's Maria Sharapova during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 2, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Cibulkova won 6/0, 6/2. AFP PHOTO / PATRICK KOVARIK (Photo credit should read PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Maria Sharapova of Russia returns the ball to Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia during their quarter-final match at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 2, 2009. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

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Britain's Andy Murray wipes his face as he plays Chile's Fernando Gonzalez during their quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Tuesday June 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Britain's Andy Murray returns the ball to Chile's Fernando Gonzalez during their quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Tuesday June 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Chile's Fernando Gonzalez backhands to Britain's Andy Murray during their quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Tuesday June 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Britain's Andy Murray reacts as he plays Chile's Fernando Gonzalez during their quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Tuesday June 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

The games were closer early in the second set, but Sharapova looked increasingly desperate. Caught out of position, she even tried a left-handed forehand.

It went wide too, putting her behind 5-love.

When Sharapova finally won a game by smacking a return winner, she reacted with only a subdued fist pump. She then clubbed three winners to hold at love for 5-2, but although she erased three match points in the next game, there would be no comeback.

Sharapova pushed a forehand into the net on the final point, and Cibulkova collapsed to the clay in glee and relief.

Safina, seeking her first Grand Slam title, lost only five games in the first four rounds. Against Azarenka, Safina was repeatedly lunging for shots early but regained her dominating form at 4-all in the second set.
Safina was the runner-up at the 2008 French Open and this year's Australian Open. She became No. 1 for the first time on April 20 and is 19-1 this year on clay.

On a cloudless, mild afternoon, the No. 9-seeded Azarenka played nearly flawless tennis at the outset. She hit 10 winners with one unforced error in the opening set, which took only 23 minutes.

But after Safina fell behind 1-love in the second set she dug in, running off four consecutive games. Her groundstrokes became steadier, while mistakes crept into Azarenka's play. The Belarussian double-faulted on consecutive points and made four unforced errors to lose a service game at love.

When Azarenka sailed a return long on the final point of the second set, she angrily threw down her racket, caught it on the bounce and threw it again as the crowd hooted.

By the final changeover, a frustrated Azarenka sat with a towel draped over her face. Safina, the sister of two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin, swept the last three games and the final five points.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Sharapova Barely Avoids Shutout in Loss originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roddick, US Hopes Fade into the Night

Greg Couch — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: French Open, ATP

American tennis sat on its chair begging to stop the fight. What an image. It was too dark to see. Yes, that was the problem. That had to be it.

It couldn't have been that Andy Roddick, the face and caretaker of the U.S. men's game, was hopelessly losing. And panicking.

More Coverage: Roddick Falls in Straight Sets

"When we started, what did the sky look like?" he stomped at the chair umpire, Enric Molina, complaining late in the second set Monday evening that it was too dark to continue. He repeated himself, demanded that Molina answer just so he knew that the ump knew. Then, after getting an answer, American tennis said this: "Now look up to the sky and tell me what's changed?"

Petulant and pathetic, this was a nightmare at the French Open. It was American tennis' No Mas moment.

No more. Please. Let me go.

Roddick was begging to get out of the rest of the match, but officials wouldn't budge. And between points, he would get a towel from a ball kid, then work his way to the corner to complain about the dark to an official sitting there.

We've seen American bad behavior in the past. John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors. Sure, they said awful things, did awful things. But they were winners, and their goal was to fight. To win.

Roddick wanted to go home for the night.

And maybe that was tactically smart, as Gael Monfils was demolishing him. Maybe something could have been better the next day. But it just seemed so symbolic to see the face of American tennis begging to quit.

"Don't tell me what's OK and what's not," Roddick snapped. "You're not the one playing."

No, Monfils was the one playing, and he beat Roddick in the fourth round 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Roddick was the last American man standing at Roland Garros. Serena Williams is the only woman left.

Roddick humiliated himself and American tennis. It's not just that he lost when it appeared, with Rafael Nadal out of the way and Roddick at his best in years, that a slim ray of hope was there for the U.S. It was also that Roddick was so condescending to the ump, lecturing about what the sky looked like.

When the match was over, he was magnanimous and thoughtful, as he can be. "He handled the conditions better than I did," Roddick said.

And he noted that Monfils is the best athlete tennis has ever seen. But it was too late.

McEnroe to Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi to this. Roddick has all the characteristics of an American star tennis character. But one thing is missing: He hasn't won enough.

Yes, he reached No. 1 briefly and he won the U.S. Open. Once. One major title in his life.

The funny thing is that Roddick might be playing his best tennis now. This was the first time he had reached the second week of the French. He's at his fittest. His backhand has suddenly developed from an intermediate level to a decent pro's. He had been mixing up his serves instead of just dropping the big bomb every time.

And Nadal was out.

This was it.

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French player Gael Monfils jubilates after winning against US player Andy Roddick during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6/4,6/2,6/3. TOPSHOTS/AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

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French player Gael Monfils jubilates after winning against US player Andy Roddick during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6/4,6/2,6/3. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

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French player Gael Monfils jubilates after winning against US player Andy Roddick during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6/4,6/2,6/3. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

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French player Gael Monfils falls during play against US player Andy Roddick during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6/4,6/2,6/3. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

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Andy Roddick of the U.S. sits during a break during his match against Gael Monfils of France at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 1, 2009. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

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French player Gael Monfils jubilates after winning against US player Andy Roddick during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6/4,6/2,6/3. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

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US player Andy Roddick hits a return to French player Gael Monfil during their French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 24 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)

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French player Gael Monfils waits for a return by US player Andy Roddick during their French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 24 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)

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French player Gael Monfils hits a return to US player Andy Roddick during their French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 24 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

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Five minutes. That's about how long hope lasted, how long it took to see that Roddick had no chance against Monfils, who must be the fastest, most flexible man on the planet. It was 111 minutes of condemnation of Roddick and of American tennis. Monfils showed not one bit of respect for Roddick's game.

Instead, Monfils stood so relaxed that he might have been on Ambien. He served aces, hit winning drop shots, and hung around the baseline effortlessly doing no more than keeping the ball in play, figuring that Roddick couldn't get it past him and surely would miss sooner or later.

So American tennis started to panic. First, it couldn't live by its own plan of mixing up serves, and instead did what was comfortable, blasting everything. Monfils stood way back and timed Roddick's serve. So that didn't work.

Then Roddick tried coming to the net. Didn't work.

He moved up to the baseline and hit from there to add pressure to Monfils. Didn't work.

He tried swinging out a little more, adding power. Didn't work.

It was so desperate that Patrick McEnroe, the ESPN2 announcer who also is the American Davis Cup captain, called Monfils bush league for trying to get the crowd to rally around him when Roddick was fumbling around after a missed overhead.

"The crowd did a good job supporting me," said Monfils, who is French. "At times, I asked them to wake up and try to bury Andy. They responded, and I think he was a bit annoyed. As for Andy, I apologize for that."

Look, there was nothing wrong with what Monfils did. It's hard to think of an American player who wouldn't have done the same. Monfils isn't there to feel bad for Roddick. He is there to -- what was the word Monfils used? -- bury him.

He had the mental edge and he was playing it up while Roddick was crumbling under it. That's what you're supposed to do in tennis. Patrick McEnroe knows better. And Roddick didn't complain about it.

"It's certainly his right," Roddick said. "It's his advantage to use."

The next American No. 1 men's player is not here now. We don't know his name. He's just now getting ready for summer vacation from school.

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association says that tennis is the fastest growing traditional American sport, with 43 percent more people playing since 2000, and 9.6 percent more since last year alone. Junior racquet sales are way up.

So that's your hope, America.

Roddick is playing well, and is still good enough to make a run at a major on hard courts, maybe the U.S. Open.

But even on its worst surface, American tennis should have been trying to find a way, any way, to fight through that match Monday. Not arguing about the clouds.

Roddick, US Hopes Fade into the Night originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andy Roddick Falls to Gael Monfils at French Open

Shane Bacon — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:06:00 EST

Filed under: French Open, ATP

There was one Frenchmen and one American left at the French Open in Paris as Andy Roddick and Gael Monfils took to the clay Monday night, but Roddick couldn't muster the magic that he'd brought to the early matches at Roland Garros and Monfils couldn't miss.

Monfils, with his quick-footed play and jubilant attitude, never seemed to give Roddick an inch, taking down Andy 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 as light was fading on the beautiful Paris skyline.

You would have only known about the light because of Andy's outrage at having to continue play as time was nearing 9:30 PM local time, ending the match around the 9:41 mark. Roddick wanted the match suspended, and the fire he brought to his game about the light seemed to push him to another level, but it just wasn't enough to take down Monfils.

In the fifth game of the first set, Monfils broke Andy's serve and never looked back from there. The first game of the second set was much of the same and, with the light nearly gone from the Paris sky, Monfils broke Andy again in the ninth game of the third set to much applause for the hometown favorite.

Monfils played Roddick's serve ridiculously deep all match, leading to Andy only accumulating four aces to Monfils' 17.

Roddick had never advanced this far at the French Open, so making it to the fourth round has to be a step in the right direction for the now 26-year-old American. He has worked hard on his conditioning and it paid off on clay. His backhand is still the weakest part of his game, but a few times during the Monfils match, including 15-15 in the sixth game of the first set, Roddick hit a winner with his backhand that he never used to hit. If he can continue to improve that part of his game, he might become a factor again on a different surface that suits his game.

Monfils now has Roger Federer in the quarters in a match that should be viewed by anyone that loves the game. Federer faced Tommy Haas on Tuesday and was down two sets to zero before winning 18 of the next 24 games to take the match.

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French player Gael Monfils jubilates after winning against US player Andy Roddick during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6/4,6/2,6/3. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

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French player Gael Monfils jubilates after winning against US player Andy Roddick during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6/4,6/2,6/3. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

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French player Gael Monfils jubilates after winning against US player Andy Roddick during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6/4,6/2,6/3. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

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French player Gael Monfils returns a ball to US player Andy Roddick during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on June 1, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Monfils won 6/4,6/2,6/3. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

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Andy Roddick Falls to Gael Monfils at French Open originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gael Monfils at the French Open: Jump, Slide, Dive, 'I Go For It'

Michael David Smith — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:32:00 EST

Filed under: French Open

Gael Monfils delivered the best highlight of this year's French Open on Saturday when he slid for one shot and dove for another to win a point on his way to defeating Austria's Jürgen Melzer, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Asked about his playing style, Monfils said this after the match:

First of all, well, I saw the ball, and every time, I mean, for me, like the point is never over. I mean, the ball is a little bit far, but I have to find a solution -- to jump or to dive or slide or whatever, I mean, to reach it. And when I think I can, I will try to ‑‑ I mean, to do like the magic is coming. So I try to do whatever, and more important point like very ‑‑ I mean, it was like break point, so you have to jump or dive. I mean, I go for it.

Monfils, a Frenchman, will have the crowd on his side Monday at Roland Garros when he takes on Andy Roddick.

Gael Monfils at the French Open: Jump, Slide, Dive, 'I Go For It' originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nadal Upset Hits Tennis' Reset Button

Greg Couch — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: French Open, ATP

Not to overstate things, but a bomb just dropped right into the heart of everything that makes the world feel normal. Well, the tennis world at least.

Here is something that has never been said before: Rafael Nadal lost at the French Open. He's out. Andy Roddick has been unstoppable at the French, has not lost his serve and not lost a set, and Rafael Nadal is gone.

Never. Been. Spoken.

Thirty-one straight wins there. It was 31-0 for Nadal's career. And he lost Sunday in the fourth round to Robin Soderling 6-2, 6-7 (7-2), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).

"You need a defeat to give value to your victories," Nadal said.

More Coverage: Nadal Tumbles Out at Roland Garros

"It's the end of the road, and I have to accept my defeat as I accepted my victories. With calm ...

"This is not a tragedy, losing here in Paris. It had to happen one day."

My ears are burning after hearing those words. And now, with the earth spinning the wrong direction, eternal sinners putting on winter coats and mittens, and all of tennis' value system gone kaplooey -- not to overstate things -- everything else looks so different.

We haven't heard from Roger Federer since Nadal's loss, and he'll be complimentary and philosophical once he comes down from the ceiling.

A few weeks ago, the question about Federer was whether he could get his head on straight again. He had smashed a racquet in anger and had blown all matches against top players. Then, he beat Nadal before the French, and it was a little hope for him, for sometime after this tournament.

Now, Federer, who was fantastic in the final three sets Saturday, is one week from being crowned not only the French champ, but also the greatest player of all time. Four more matches, and he can tie Pete Sampras' record of 14 major titles. And unlike Sampras, Federer will have won the French, won each of the four majors at least once.

Sure, people have been calling him the best of all time for a while, but over the past year, since Nadal beat him in the Wimbledon final, you've had to say it quietly, head turned. Or maybe say that Federer is the greatest of all time, but Nadal is best now.

Whatever that means.

"Federer is the favorite, in my opinion," Nadal said.

Meanwhile, Andy Roddick? Can this possibly be happening? As of now, his chances of winning the French are, what? 5 percent. A week ago, he had two chances: ha and ha.

Roddick, who hasn't ever shown the smarts to play on clay, is now more fit than ever, is swinging away at his backhand for a change, and is occasionally mixing in slice serves.

Andy Murray suddenly matters, too. He is the third-ranked player, a U.S. Open finalist last year, and was supposed to play Nadal in the semis this week. He has added chance-taking to his cerebral game. Just a few weeks ago, Andre Agassi, at an exhibition and ceremony for the new roof at Wimbledon's Centre Court, said that Murray was ready to win a big one.

See, all reset buttons have to be pushed. Everything must be reconfigured.

Five straight French titles would have beaten Bjorn Borg's record.

Nadal is the best on the slow red clay of all time. Unless it's Borg.

But on Sunday, Nadal said he was not calm enough for the big points.

"I had to fight," he said. "But sometimes fighting is not enough.

You have to play good tennis.

"He didn't surprise me because I know how he plays, how dangerous he can be. I didn't play my best tennis. I didn't attack, not even for one moment. I played very short and made it very easy [for Soderling] to play. When one player is bad, he must lose."

My nose just started bleeding.

That's a lot better than what Nadal said about Soderling after beating him at Wimbledon in 2007. In that match, Soderling stalled several times during the match to make fun of Nadal's notorious stalling.

Soderling also tugged at the seat of his pants, making fun of Nadal's notorious, well, shorts-tugging.

Later, Nadal described Soderling's behavior at the worst, "In the locker room, for the other players, is not the best guy. ... The truth is, it's not nice, not for him."

Nadal beat Soderling 6-1, 6-0 a month ago.

So what happened? Well, Soderling is a hard-hitter who usually lacks consistency. And the tennis world has spent a year, at least, alternately marveling at Nadal and trying to figure out how to beat him.

The only hope is to play much more aggressively than you want. Usually, players are hanging on for life against him. But when he hits short, you have to attack right then. Federer has been altering his game, finally, just for that attack against Nadal.

For Nadal, the world's No. 1 player, this could be the first real bump in his career.

Everything was always getting better, better, better.

And it's going to be interesting to see how he handles it.

Afterward, reporters asked about the wind. Andy Murray said the wind has been a problem. Nadal said that Soderling had the same wind.

Someone asked if he has been playing too much, if his knees hurt.

"Yeah, when you lose, always everybody starts to analyze if I play too much, if I'm tired," he said. "The truth is, I won four years in a row playing the same. That's the truth. This year, I play the same and I lost.

"What happened? I lost. That's it."

The clocks are blinking 12:00 on the tennis world's VCRs. Not to overstate it.

French Open Photos

Spanish player Fernando Verdasco walks during play against Russian player Nikolay Davydenko during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on May 31, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. AFP PHOTO / PATRICK KOVARIK (Photo credit should read PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Spanish player Rafael Nadal attends a press conference after loosing against Swedish player Robin Soderling during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on May 31, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Soderling won 6/2,6/7,6/4,7/6. AFP PHOTO / BERTRAND GUAY (Photo credit should read BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images)

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Rafael Nadal of Spain leaves the court after losing his match against Robin Soderling of Sweden at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris May 31, 2009. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

Reuters

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts at a press conference after losing to Robin Soderling of Sweden at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris May 31, 2009. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE SPORT TENNIS)

Reuters

Russian player Nikolay Davydenko returns a ball to Spanish player Fernando Verdasco during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on May 31, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Russian player Nikolay Davydenko returns a ball to Spanish player Fernando Verdasco during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on May 31, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. AFP PHOTO / PATRICK KOVARIK (Photo credit should read PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Spanish player Rafael Nadal arrives to a press conference after loosing against Swedish player Robin Soderling during a French Open tennis round of 16 match on May 31, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Soderling won 6/2,6/7,6/4,7/6. AFP PHOTO / BERTRAND GUAY (Photo credit should read BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images)

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Nadal Upset Hits Tennis' Reset Button originally appeared on Tennis FanHouse on Sun, 31 May 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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