PARIS — A shotmaking frenzy! What else could you call the two firefights — aka semifinals — that lit up Roland Garros Saturday, leaving Fernando Gonzalez and Juan Martin Del Potro biting the swirling salmon-toned dust. Hail to them. Though defeated, they made a showdown such as this old ball park hasn’t seen in 39 years: a brilliant final four, two heatedly contested … [Read more...] about TUMULTUOUS MENS’ SEMIS DAY IN PARIS
TITLE RIVALRY: MOSCOW (SAFINA) AGAINST ST. PETE (KUZNETSOVA)
PARIS — This is like Ohio State-Michigan, if I may use a fierce American football rivalry and apply it to tennis. What I have in mind is a great long-time Russian rivalry – Moscow and St. Petersburg – and a representative of each bumping heads with the Championship of France at stake. Both are 23, proud to have put together the second all-Russian French final. But they come … [Read more...] about TITLE RIVALRY: MOSCOW (SAFINA) AGAINST ST. PETE (KUZNETSOVA)
KOOZY DOESN’T GO WOOZY THIS TIME; FEDERER’S LOOKING LIKE FEDERER
PARIS – It was a good day for the heartbreak kids. The year’s first major, the Australian Open was a crusher for both of them: Svetlana Kuznetsova and Roger Federer. He actually wept, on court, after losing the final to Rafa Nadal. I bet she bawled in the dressing room after blowing a true shot at the title by bungling in her semifinal against Serena Williams, who became the … [Read more...] about KOOZY DOESN’T GO WOOZY THIS TIME; FEDERER’S LOOKING LIKE FEDERER
SWEDEN’S BACK IN THE PICTURE AGAIN, RIDING SODERLING’S SCRUFFY BEARD
Sweden. Remember Sweden? Used to send platoons of tough guys to the French Open, starting with Bjorn Borg, winning the first of his record 6 titles as a teen-ager in 1974. Then there were Mats Wilander, the champ in 1982, 1985 and 1988, runnerup in 1983 and 1986, and Mikael Pernfors, runnerup in 1986, Stefan Edberg, runnerup in 1989, Magnus Norman runnerup in 2000. Plus … [Read more...] about SWEDEN’S BACK IN THE PICTURE AGAIN, RIDING SODERLING’S SCRUFFY BEARD
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