Paris – Don’t stand too close to a lion. You might get bit. A nice young woman a long way from home, Aussie Samantha Stosur, found that out Saturday as 14,845 tennis devotees shrieked, clapped, howled and flapped the flags of Italy and Australia in wild disbelief while the new champion of France was sharpening her teeth, both participants playing in their first major … [Read more...] about HISTORIC CHAMPIONSHIP: FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE IS THE ONLY ITALIAN WOMAN TO WIN A MAJOR
French Open
AN UNFORGETTABLE SHOT KEEPS ROGER ALIVE; NO NEED TO FIGURE OUT NADAL
For weeks people kept asking me, “What does Roger have to do to beat Rafa and win the French Open?” That was the question perplexing journalists and fans. Schemes and theories were set forth with a lot of advice and hope. The Federerians outnumber all other player-followers, and they were suffering. So what is the answer to the question? Nothing. Nothing, as it turns out, … [Read more...] about AN UNFORGETTABLE SHOT KEEPS ROGER ALIVE; NO NEED TO FIGURE OUT NADAL
MARIA’S BACK WITH A BIG WIN — AND HER SOUND SYSTEM, TOO, IS INTACT
Better to see her than hear her. Nevertheless it was good to have the Siberian Siren — Maria Sharapova (ranked 102) — among us again, despite her shrieks that cause many to turn off the sound whenever she appears on their TV screens. Noise and all she was welcome as a long-legged gem of the game, who just might slug her way back to No. 1. All right, am I going … [Read more...] about MARIA’S BACK WITH A BIG WIN — AND HER SOUND SYSTEM, TOO, IS INTACT
A SHOOTING GALLERY DUCK NAMED HEWITT ESCAPES THE BANG-BANG-BANG!
PARIS — Lleyton Hewitt must have felt like one of those ducks in a carnival shooting gallery. Bang…bang…bang! — it went on for about four hours as a carnival called the French Open set up shop again in the sunny Bois de Boulogne neighborhood of Paris. It will go on, as always, for two weeks, but the biggest shooter in tennis is gone. Ivo Karlovic’s pursuit of an Australian … [Read more...] about A SHOOTING GALLERY DUCK NAMED HEWITT ESCAPES THE BANG-BANG-BANG!
THERE’S NEW LIFE IN ROGER YET, AND THE FRENCH BECOMES INTERESTING
PARIS — So, does Roger return to his former status as “the greatest player of all time”? Probably, at least with some of his countless idolaters, who took his recent hammerings by Rafa Nadal personally. They suffered. He suffered. The Federer family suffered. But Madrid alleviated some of that suffering. However, Madrid isn’t Paris. Just as Little Rock isn’t Las Vegas. The … [Read more...] about THERE’S NEW LIFE IN ROGER YET, AND THE FRENCH BECOMES INTERESTING