, in the Paris suburb Boulogne-Billancourt, in the final of the 2006 French Open, the 2003 & 2005 champion, 24-years-old-last-Thursday 5th-seeded # 5
from St. Petersburg, Russia (who now lives in Barcelona, Spain, where she trains),
, and after the third deuce her serve was broken when she sent a forehand wide. Things settled down for the next three games, then Svetlana double faulted on break point, giving Justine a 4-1 lead.
Svetlana broke back immediately, but was still down one break, and both players held serve to the end of the 1st set, Justine winning it 6-4.
Svetlana had held her serve at love in the 9th game of the match, and she started out the 2nd set the same way. In fact, she won the first ten points of the 2nd set, breaking Justine to take a 2-0 lead, and then going ahead 30-0 on her serve. But Justine won the next 4 points to break back, and then held serve to reach 2-2.
Both players held serve to 3-3, and then, in the 7th game, Justine broke Svetlana at 15. This would give Justine the match, as both ladies held the final three games, Svetlana hitting a forehand long on Justine's first match point.
The match was rather sloppy overall, with Justine (16 winners and 30 unforced errors) tending to put the ball into the net unusually often, while Svetlana (17 winners and 38 unforced errors) sending hers long. Justine put only 51% of her first serves in the box, but she won 76% of her first serve points, while Svetlana, who made 71% of her first serves good, won only 60% of those points.
"[Svetlana] tried to put a lot of pressure on my serve. I was playing too short. Physically I did suffer a lot. It was time for me that this Grand Slam would end because I wasn't sleeping well at all for a couple of nights. I was feeling very tired with the heat also.
"When she came back in the match, just trying to play point after point. There were crucial games. And this game at 4-3 in the first set, I could go to 5-3, was very important. Then in the second set, she gave me some error, 2-0, 30-Love. Then I come back to 2-1. But she did a couple of mistakes at that point, and that was very important for me to come back very early in the set. Then crucial game at 3-all in the second. I played my best tennis. I did return and volley. I took the opportunity.
"So I probably didn't play my best tennis during the whole match, but at very important games, that's what I did. That's been the same during all my seven matches this week. So I'm very happy about that."
"I was trying to play the way I wanted to play, but I didn't expect that the ball would come so easy... I had so many chances to go forward and play my forehand that I was just overdoing it. I was not ready for, like, sitter, you know...
"I was expecting her ball a bit heavier. Today it was not so heavy. But also the court was very slippery today, and the ball was--she hit it flat, it will bounce very fast, and if you hit it with a spin, it's bounce very high. I was playing a lot with the spin and I was not serving that well... I was just thinking the match was going to be different."
, and won their last 6 meetings in a row. Their most recent encounter had been in the Berlin quarterfinals 3 weeks ago, where Justine won 6-4, 7-6(2). Svetlana's only win over Justine was on a hardcourt in the Doha final in 2004, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; on dirt
. This racquet is not yet available to the public (it is not even described on Wilson's website yet); they say it will ship in "late June." All of the nTour ladies (Ana Ivanovic, Jie Zheng, Iveta Benesova...) seem to be switching to the new axe, which is very much like the old nTour (and in the same 95" and 105" head sizes), but is said to have increased comfort at ball impact due to the addition of "nFoam" and "Double Hole" technologies.
(8 doubles titles, 3 with Ai), 6-3, 6-2. Surprisingly, these fine doubles players had only faced each other (with these partners) once before, in the semifinals last year in Zurich, where Ai and Daniela won, 7-6(6) 6-3.
They have put it in a Flash interface, so you cannot simply copy and paste the photos to save them (screen grabbers will work). Ridiculous.
WTA SCOREBOARD: French Open, Roland Garros
Kim Clijsters was photographed practicing at Roland Garros on Thursday, Venus Williams on Wednesday, and Maria Sharapova on Friday, May 26, the day of the draw--which although now conducted by machine, left room for 2003 & 2005 French Open champ Justine Henin-Hardenne to keep a hand in.
On Saturday, May 27, Maria Sharapova could not figure out what happened to her visor, which Daniela Hantuchova said fit just fine, thanks. This led Martina Hingis to offer Maria a nice 3-striped model (hoping to collect a recruiting commission), prompting Ai Sugiyama to say that Maria will leave Nike the day Martina starts giving hula-hoop lessons.
So Martina began giving the players hula-hoop lessons immediately, sans hoop. Justine Henin-Hardenne, who perfers caps to visors anyway, ignored this while practicing the psychobelgian ball control techniques that brought her two French titles so far. Meanwhile, Kim Clijsters and Ana Ivanovic were putting their palmprints on an "art object".
Also on Saturday, top seed Amelie Mauresmo entertained her countryfolk with an exhibition at the Benny-Berthet Day festivities, Swiss Misses Patty Schnyder and Martina Hingis practiced (Martina didn't goof off all day), and Frenchwoman Virginie Pichet celebrated after defeating Kirsten Flipkens in qualifying final-- her 1st round opponent: Kirsten, in the draw as "Lucky Loser".
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French Open, 1st Round Sun-Tue May 28-30 11am Tue WTA story
loser's prize: €12,600 =US $16,183.43; points: 2
#1 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #59 Meghann Shaughnessy USA 6-4, 6-4 Sun
Amelie serving, Meghann about to swat a forehand, and Amelie following her forehand
Amelie said: "It's satisfactory for the first round, even if it was not the match of the century. I know everybody is expecting me to do well. I hope to do well, too. I'm going to try and enjoy myself and see where it leads me." AP story
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#2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #66 Virginie Razzano FRA 6-0, 7-6(4) Mon
Kim twisting a serve, belting a backhand, and after winning a point (no pics of Virginie were posted)
Kim hit 17 winners to Virginie's 8, but Kim had 32 unforced errors (Virginie: 25), 5 of which were double faults (Virginie: 4). match stats
Kim's inconsistent performance may have been in part due to very heavy winds. Kim said: "At the beginning I was allowed to step in, but in the second set [Virginie] started to play aggressive tennis, and I was making too many unforced errors... This has been the most wind I've ever played in. It was tough conditions out there." AP story - Reuters story
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*#67 Akiko Morigami JPN d #3 s3 Nadia Petrova RUS 6-2, 6-2 Tue
Akiko's forehand, Nadia's backhand, Akiko's backhand, and Akiko after match point
Nadia was slowed by a left leg injury she incurred in practice on Saturday. Nadia said: "I did want to go out there and play and perform because if I could have played a couple of matches, I would have some time in between to recover and get some more treatments. I was hoping that my leg would get better, but, unfortunately, I started to feel it again in the beginning of the first set.
"But I must say, Morigami did play her best tennis today. I just have no excuses to losing that match. I wish all the best to Morigami for the matches, because she's quite a good player, and she can really do well this time."
Akiko said: "I know Nadia was injured, but I tried to focus on my game. I think it worked pretty well".
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#4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #97 Mashona Washington USA 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 Sun
Maria serving, Mashona's backhand, Maria having her injured right ankle retaped after losing the 2nd set, Maria following her forehand, and after match point
Mashona, who hit 8 more winners than Maria (40-32) but trailed slightly in most other statistical categories, led 5-2 in the 3rd-set, and held, but could not convert, three match points before Maria climbed back into the lead. match stats
Maria had twisted an ankle while training in California on Wednesday, April 26. The injury caused a bone bruise, which led to Maria's withdrawal from the May 15 Italian Open. As a result, Maria had not played since the final in Miami 8 weeks ago, and this was her first match on a clay court this year.
Maria said: "I knew the ankle wouldn't be 100%, but it was my decision to gut it out. The injury was slowly getting better last week, but on Friday I aggravated it and took the MRI. I was surprised to get to three sets and I was even more surprised to win it... I was playing with pain, and I blocked it out somehow and started moving better, and she got a little bit tight... I'm obviously not moving great." BBC story
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#5 s5 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL d #68 Maret Ani EST 6-3, 6-0 Tue
Justine following her flying forehand, her backhand, and after match point
Playing conditions were again difficult due to cold weather (57°F) and light rain showers. Justine had her racquets' string tension reduced to adjust for the low temperature. Justine said: "Just one kilo less. I tried it at the warm-up. That's something I don't do very often. But in Berlin we lost 10 degrees in two days. I did the mistake of not changing my tension. I was feeling like I couldn't hit the ball as hard as I did the days before. Today I said it's pretty cold out there so I'm going to try something else. I was feeling good with my tension on the court." interview
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#8 s6 Elena Dementieva RUS d #63 Martina Sucha SVK 7-6(3), 6-2 Mon
Elena about to serve, and following her backhand
#9 s7 Patty Schnyder SUI d #54 Michaella Krajicek NED 6-1, 6-2 Mon
Patty's backhand, Michaella's forehand, and both at net after match point-- Patty has been trying to switch from the Head Liquidmetal Prestige to the newer Flexpoint Prestige model, but has had difficulty adjusting to the different bat; she used the Liquidmetal against Michaella
#10 s8 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #47 Laura Granville USA 6-4, 6-0 Mon
Svetlana and Laura firing forehands
#11 s9 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #56 Alona Bondarenko UKR 6-3, 6-4 Mon
 Francesca about to swat a forehand
#12 s10 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #38 Sania Mirza IND 6-4, 6-1 Tue
Sania's forehand, Anastasia's backhand, and another backhand from Anastasia
#13 s11 Venus Williams USA d #48 Sybille Bammer AUT 6-4, 6-3 Mon
Venus launching a forehand, and after match point
Venus scored on 19 of 25 trips to the net. Venus said: "That's always important, to come in on the short balls. I got quite a few of those today. Definitely had even more opportunities to come in... At this point, I feel like I understand how to approach the net. I do have a heavy ball, good volleys, lot of reach. It's hard to get one over my head, too. That's definitely an advantage for me to be moving forward-- for anyone." interview
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#14 s12 Martina Hingis SUI d #80 Lisa Raymond USA 6-2, 6-2 Tue
Martina's service toss, Lisa fielding a forehand, Martina's backhand, and after match point
Temperatures were in the mid-50s (Fahrenheit), and light rains fell, but did not stop play, as the clay can soak up water without becoming slippery. Martina said: "I saw it's like 11 degrees [Celsius]. I watched the weather forecast, like 13 yesterday. I'm like, 'Oh. Prepare the best you can early in the morning. Stay warm, keep warm.'
"It doesn't affect you that much once you're running and everything. It's more the warm-up that is really important before going on court, that you're warm so you can start running. But other than that, where I come from, I'm from a cold country, so it shouldn't be such a big factor...
"I'm just happy that the first round's over, you can just keep practicing, keep playing on these courts. Definitely coming from a victory like in Rome, my confidence is higher..." interview - match stats
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#15 s13 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER d #96 Camille Pin FRA 6-1, 6-1 Tue
 Anna-Lena's backhand
#16 s14 Dinara Safina RUS d #58 Vera Zvonareva RUS 6-3, 7-5 Sun
Dinara's backhand, Vera electing to punt (sorry, Vera, there were no other photos), and Dinara after match point
#17 s15 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #44 Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP 6-1, 6-4 Tue
#18 s16 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #61 Marta Domachowska POL 6-1, 6-3 Mon
#19 s17 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #101 Bethanie Mattek USA 6-3, 6-1 Mon
*#78 Karolina Sprem CRO d #20 s18 Elena Likhovtseva RUS 6-1, 6-1 Mon
#21 s19 Ana Ivanovic SCG d #43 Samantha Stosur AUS 6-0, 6-3 Tue
#22 s20 Maria Kirilenko RUS d #127 wc Severine Bremond FRA 1-6, 6-2, 8-6 Tue
#23 s21 Nathalie Dechy FRA d #76 Stephanie Foretz FRA 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 Mon
Nathalie's backhand, and after match point
#24 s22 Ai Sugiyama JPN d #62 Eleni Daniilidou GRE 6(1)-7, 6-0, 6-3 Sun
Ai delivering a forehand on the run, Eleni's backhand drive, and Ai after match point
*#40 Jie Zheng CHN d #25 s23 Tatiana Golovin FRA 6-3, 7-6(5) Tue
Jie's forehand, Tatiana charging a forehand, the trainer retaping Tatiana's ankle, and Jie after winning a point
This was Tatiana's first match since she twisted her left ankle during a close semifinal against Maria Sharapova in Miami in late March, resulting in torn ligaments. About 4 weeks later Maria sprained her right ankle, putting both in a similar postion entering this year's French Open.
Tatiana said: "Honestly, I had to play. I decided not to skip it because I'm French, I'm here in Paris, I wanted to try. I tried everything I could find in myself. It's a pity because I had a number of possibilities during the second set. It's difficult to draw any conclusion on a match like that."
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#26 s24 Katarina Srebotnik SLO d #50 Anna Smashnova ISR 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 Mon
#27 s25 Marion Bartoli FRA d #261 wc Aurelie Vedy FRA 6-1, 6-0 Sun
 Marion's 2-handed forehand
Marion is unusual among WTA players who hit 2-handed from both sides, because she keeps her hands in the backhand postion (for a right-handed player): whether hitting backhand or forehand, the left hand is always closer to the head of the racquet-- most 2H-FH&BH (Akiko Morigami, Maria Sanchez Lorenzo...) switch hand positons, as a switch-hitting baseball player would. Shuai Peng of China also hits the ball Marion's way, 2-handed, keeping the backhand grip on both sides.
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#28 s24 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d #112 q Victoria Azarenka BLR 0-6, 6-3, 9-7 Tue
#29 s25 Anna Chakvetadze RUS d #107 q Eva Birnerova CZE 7-5, 6-4 Mon
*#177 q Anda Perianu ROM d #30 s28 Lucie Safarova CZE 6-1, 7-6(7) Mon
#31 s29 Sofia Arvidsson SWE d #125 Maria Vento-Kabchi VEN 6-4, 6-2 Mon
*#72 Tathiana Garbin ITA d #32 s30 Klara Koukalova CZE 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 Tue
#33 s31 Shahar Peer ISR d #102 Olga Savchuk UKR 6-1, 6-1 Tue
#34 s32 Gisela Dulko ARG d #138 q Yulia Beygelzimer UKR 6-3, 2-6, 11-9 Tue
#35 Jelena Jankovic SCG d #91 Laura Pous Tio ESP 7-5, 6-4 Mon
#36 Catalina Castano COL d #55 Aiko Nakamura JPN 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 Mon
Catalina's forehand, and Aiko following her 2-handed forehand
#37 Mara Santangelo ITA d #118 Arantxa Parra Santonja ESP 6-4, 6-1 Mon
#39 Na Li CHN d #57 Amy Frazier USA 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-1 Mon
Na's forehand, and Amy about to launch a backhand
*#74 Kaia Kanepi EST d #41 Kveta Peschke CZE 6-2 6-3 Tue
#42 Vera Dushevina RUS d #109 Anastassia Rodionova RUS 6-3, 6-2 Mon
*#98 Hana Sromova CZE d #45 Roberta Vinci ITA 6-1, 7-5 Mon
#46 Emilie Loit FRA d #168 q Clarisa Fernandez ARG 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 Tue
*#65 Anastasiya Yakimova BLR d #49 Jill Craybas USA 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 Tue
#51 Iveta Benesova CZE d #196 wc Pauline Parmentier FRA 7-5, 6-3 Sun
Iveta's forehand, and Pauline's backhand
*#77 Ashley Harkleroad USA d #52 Jelena Kostanic CRO 7-5, 2-6, 7-5 Mon
 Ashley's backhand
*#104 Emmanuelle Gagliardi SUI d #53 Maria Elena Camerin ITA 6-4, 6-2 Tue
*#114 Zuzana Ondraskova CZE d #60 Julia Schruff GER 6-4, 6-2 Tue
*#92 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL d #64 Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo ESP 6-3, 6-2 Tue
*#70 Shuai Peng CHN d #69 Elena Vesnina RUS 6-2, 6-2 Mon
Elena's forehand, and Shuai's backhand
#71 Emma Laine FIN d #267 wc Youlia Fedossova FRA 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 Mon
*#81 Jamea Jackson USA d #73 Zi Yan CHN 6-2 6-3 Tue
*#243 wc Alize Cornet FRA d #75 V Ruano Pascual ESP 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 Tue-dark-Wed
*#103 Tiantian Sun CHN d #79 Ekaterina Bychkova RUS 6-2, 7-5 Mon
*#489 wc Alicia Molik AUS d #82 Antonella Serra Zanetti ITA 7-5, 7-6(3) Mon
#83 Martina Muller GER d #106 Nathalie Vierin ITA 4-6, 6-4, 3-0 retired Mon
#84 Yuliana Fedak UKR d #99 Kristina Brandi PUR 6-2, 6-3 Tue
#85 Melinda Czink HUN d #110 q Sandra Kloesel GER 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 Tue
*#94 Conchita Martinez Granados ESP d #87 Mariana Diaz-Oliva ARG 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 Mon
*#90 Shenay Perry USA d #88 Shinobu Asagoe JPN 6-3 6-1 Tue
*#105 Viktoriya Kutuzova UKR d #89 Vania King USA 7-6(11), 6-2 Mon
*#135 q Julia Vakulenko UKR d #93 Meng Yuan CHN 6-1, 6-2 Mon
#100 Jarmila Gajdosova SVK d #159 wc Stephanie Cohen-Aloro FRA 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 Mon
#111 Ivana Lisjak CRO d #130 q Galina Voskoboeva RUS 6-2, 6-3 Tue
*#169 wc Mathilde Johansson FRA d #117 q Su-Wei Hsieh TPE 6-4, 6-4 Tue
#141 q Aravane Rezai FRA d #185 q Alberta Brianti ITA 6-4 7-6(1) Mon
#150 LL Kirsten Flipkens BEL d #203 q Virginie Pichet FRA 6-2, 6-3 Mon
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French Open, 2nd Rd Wed-Thu May 31-Jun 1 11am Wed WTA story - Thu WTA story
loser's prize: €20,950 =US $26,908.16; points: 32
Rain at Roland Garros suspended play for a few hours on Wednesday. Play resumed shortly before 4:30pm, and schedule was completed before darkness (there are no lights at Roland Garros), kind of, with Venus Williams finishing off Emma Laine at about 9:45pm.
Rain again stopped play at Roland Garros for several hours on Thursday; play resumed around 5:30pm local time. Rather than try to finish the schedule, some matches were rescheduled to Friday, and two matches begun on Thursday were suspended (due to darkness), to finish on Friday.
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#1 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #42 Vera Dushevina RUS 6-1, 7-6(5) Wed
Amelie serving, Vera wishing the announcers at Radio Roland Garros would bother to pronounce her name right after she went to the trouble of changing the English spelling (or possibly wishing the media would post better photos of her--this was the only one available), and Amelie's backhand
Amelie said: "I struggled a lot in the second set. I think when I needed to stay a little bit more focused, or to make sure I was not doing so many errors, I was able to control, at least in the key moments. That's what made the difference in that second set. But I have to say the level of the game was not as high as I wish it was for me." interview
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#2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #94 Conchita Martinez Granados ESP 6-0, 6-3 ppd-Fri
Kim following a light forehand, Conchita's forehand, and Kim after winning a point
About the streak when Conchita won her three games, Kim said: "I ended well, so that's important. I think I was going for my shots too early in the rally. Just not patient enough. I just wasn't making the right decisions at the right time in those few games. Luckily enough, when I was down, I broke back and got my game back to where it should be." interview
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#4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #51 Iveta Benesova CZE 6-4, 6-1 Wed
Maria serving, Iveta lunging for a backhand, Iveta serving, Maria chasing a forehand, and after match point
About her injured right ankle, Maria said: "It was a lot better actually than my previous match. I didn't feel like I was moving great still. Just being a little cautious out there naturally with the tape on. But definitely pain-wise, it felt a lot better...
"At this point, I'm taking it one match at a time. I mean, in my situation, when I haven't had a lot of matches, I don't really know what to expect with injury, with the way I'm playing, confidence basically doesn't exist at the point." WTA story
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#5 s5 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL d #65 Anastasiya Yakimova BLR 6-2, 7-5 Thu
Justine firing a forehand, slicing a backhand at net, and after match point
Justine said: "When I was under pressure, I played my best tennis. I wasn't in my best day, but it's good to win that way. On the crucial points I played very well. It's disappointing I couldn't do it during the whole match, but it's in this kind of day that you have to win even if you're not playing your best tennis." WTA story
In the 3rd round on Saturday, Justine will play # 72 Tathiana Garbin of Italy. Few players hold winning records against Justine, Tathiana is one of them; leading Justine 2-1 in career matches. They have not met since the 2nd round at Roland Garros in 2004, when Tathiana defeated the defending champion 7-5, 6-4.
Justine said: "Garbin, yes, it's true, I've had problems playing her, not only here... I'm going to try and improve what didn't work today. I don't want to get excited about that beforehand."
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#8 s6 Elena Dementieva RUS d #105 Viktoriya Kutuzova UKR 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 Thu-dark-Fri
Elena on Friday about to serve (she trailed 1-5 when darkness fell on Thursday), Viktoriya's forehand, Elena following her backhand, and Elena with her job well done
#9 s7 Patty Schnyder SUI d #100 Jarmila Gajdosova SVK 6-4, 6-2 Wed
#10 s8 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #37 Mara Santangelo ITA 7-5, 6-2 Wed
 Svetlana's backhand
#11 s9 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #83 Martina Muller GER 6-2, 6-2 Wed
#12 s10 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #85 Melinda Czink HUN 6-2, 6-4 Thu
Anastasia beginning her service toss, Anastasia serving, Melinda's forehand, and Anastasia belting a backhand
Anastasia said: "The first set I thought was great. Of course the second set was a little bit shaky, but I just wanted to finish the match. I started rushing maybe. But it was not bad."
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#13 s11 Venus Williams USA d #71 Emma Laine FIN 7-6(2), 6-2 Wed
Venus reaching for a backhand, and Emma fielding a low ground ball
Venus said: "I was able to really kind of focus back in, pull in the reins and really realize what I needed to do. I really found my rhythm a lot in that match. By the time I got to the tie-break, I was really hitting them well. In that second set, I still had to hit a lot of balls, but they were solid shots. She kept on coming back with some variety and some pace. For me, it was a nice test, a real opportunity to really find some good rhythm."
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#14 s12 Martina Hingis SUI d #114 Zuzana Ondraskova CZE 6-1, 6-3 ppd-Fri
Martina serving, Martina giving her opinion of the latest Sean Penn movie, Zuzana's backhand, and Martina after match point
Martina said: "I think it was a very solid performance. I played pretty well until a set and 4-0. I couldn't even mis-hit a shot or anything without touching a line at the end. I almost felt sorry. But I'm very happy with the performance. It all is coming together again. I hope it's going to continue like that. I want to save the best for last."
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#15 s13 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER d #81 Jamea Jackson USA 6(8)-7, 6-2, 6-1 Thu-dark-Fri
Anna-Lena's forehand, and Jamea's backhand
#16 s14 Dinara Safina RUS d #98 Hana Sromova CZE 6-0, 6-2 Wed
 Dinara fielding a drop shot
#17 s15 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #104 Emmanuelle Gagliardi SUI 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 Thu
Battle of Monaco: backhands from Monte Carlo residents Daniela and Emmanuelle
#18 s16 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #103 Tiantian Sun CHN 6-1, 6-3 Wed
Tiantian's backhand, Nicole's backhand, and after match point
#19 s17 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #150 LL Kirsten Flipkens BEL 6-1, 6-0 Wed
#21 s19 Ana Ivanovic SCG d #46 Emilie Loit FRA 6-1, 6-1 Thu
Ana ready to swat a serve, and doing so, and Emilie about to connect with a forehand
#22 s20 Maria Kirilenko RUS d #169 wc Mathilde Johansson FRA 6-0, 6-1 Thu
Maria after running down a backhand, Mathilde serving, and Maria following another backhand
#23 s21 Nathalie Dechy FRA d #36 Catalina Castano COL 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 Thu
Catalina following her backhand, a reverse angle view of Nathalie fetching a backhand, and Nathalie after match point
Nathalie said: "Obviously, apart from the second set, this was a very good match. I was really delighted I made it through. Today I was able to free my mind, play and have fun on court. I like to play at Roland Garros. I know I have an opportunity."
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*#141 q Aravane Rezai FRA d #24 s22 Ai Sugiyama JPN 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 Wed
Aravane's service toss, Ai lining up a backhand, and Aravane's backhand
Aravane is coached by her father Arsalan. Aravane said: "He's been a tough coach with me because without working, you can't get results. That's normal. It's got to be tough. If it isn't tough, you never make it...
"It's always a pleasure to see that the French crowd is with me. I'm not used to playing in a grand glam, in particular here in France. It's quite extraordinary. I'm playing for France. I suppose it's a little bit normal that the crowd is on my side. But I do try to give a show for the crowd." Reuters story
Arvane hasn't been seen much on the WTA Tour because she hasn't been able to afford to travel to tourneys. With her 3rd round (or more) prize money, Arvane said: "I'm going to buy plane tickets so I can go to tournaments." AP story
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#26 s24 Katarina Srebotnik SLO d #77 Ashley Harkleroad USA 6-3, 6-2 Wed
Katarina about to serve, and Ashley's forehand
*#35 Jelena Jankovic SCG d #27 s25 Marion Bartoli FRA 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 Wed
Prince O³ Reds counterpoint: Jelena's forehand, and Marion's backhand
#28 s24 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d #74 Kaia Kanepi EST 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 ppd-Fri
*#39 Na Li CHN d #29 s25 Anna Chakvetadze RUS 7-5, 6-3 Wed
Na's forehand, and Anna's backhand
*#135 q Julia Vakulenko UKR d #31 s29 Sofia Arvidsson SWE 6-1, 7-5 Wed
#33 s31 Shahar Peer ISR d #92 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 6-2, 6-3 Thu
#34 s32 Gisela Dulko ARG d #84 Yuliana Fedak UKR 6-2, 6-4 Thu
 Gisela following a backhand
*#111 Ivana Lisjak CRO d #40 Jie Zheng CHN 6-4, 6-4 ppd-Fri
Ivana and Jie delivering backhand drives
*#90 Shenay Perry USA d #67 Akiko Morigami JPN 6-3, 6-0 Thu
*#78 Karolina Sprem CRO d #70 Shuai Peng CHN 6-4, 4-3 retired Wed
#72 Tathiana Garbin ITA d #243 wc Alize Cornet FRA 6-2, 6-4 Thu
Tathiana's forehand, and 16-year-old Alize walloping a backhand
*#489 wc Alicia Molik AUS d #177 q Anda Perianu ROM 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 Wed
Former # 8 Alicia is playing in only her 3rd WTA event of the year after recovering from an inner ear infection that affected her balance and vision.
Alicia said: "I actually felt like I wasn't going to lose no matter what the score was, no matter how my form was out there. That's a great feeling to have because that would be the case in the past, when I was playing some of my better tennis, I would have a lot of not so high quality matches I still felt I could pull through. I came very close to losing the match. But funny, that thought really didn't enter my mind today."
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French Open, 3rd Rd Fri-Sat Jun 2-3 11am WTA stories: Fri 1 - Fri 2 - Sat 1 - Sat 2
loser's prize: €34,740 =US $44,620.04; points: 56
#1 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #35 Jelena Jankovic SCG 6-3, 6-3 Fri
Amelie serving, Jelena chasing down a forehand, Amelie about to slice a backhand, and Jelena's flying forehand
Amelie said: "There were some moments where I could have done better in this match, but overall I'm satisfied. The first two matches, I mentioned a few points I had to solve. I think I'm doing better. There's maybe a few details, like taking the initiative more frequently. Otherwise it's positive. I hope it continues."
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#2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #28 s24 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP 6-3, 6-4 Sat
Anabel's backhand, Kim's backhand, and Kim after match point
Kim said: "It was important to go for my shots. I definitely missed a lot, but also made a lot. Luckily, I made some good ones at the right time. It was important for me to try and step in and not let myself get drawn behind the baseline, because once you start going there, [Anabel] can move you from side to side."
About her 4th round opponent, Daniela Hantuchova, Kim said: "Daniela is a player that if you play into her racquet, she's one of the cleanest ball hitters out there. She strikes the ball so well and clean. I have to try to go for the lines and be aggressive, but also make sure I use the angles well."
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#4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #489 wc Alicia Molik AUS 6-0, 7-5 Fri
Alicia serving, Maria's forehand, Alicia's backhand, Maria after winning a point, and Maria chatting with the former Moscow Mayor and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (and the Mrs.) after the match
Maria said: "I thought I was lucky to hold serve and win the set 6-0, then my concentration kind of dropped. Alicia, she's a big server and has a big game. You never know. She can hold her serve, and there you go. With one break the match can go to a third set. I felt I needed to concentrate a little bit better today."
Former # 8 Alicia reached the 3rd round while playing in her 3rd WTA event since spending months off the Tour recovering from an inner ear infection that affected her balance and vision.
Alicia said: "It's very disappointing, but at the same time it's pretty encouraging also. There are always matches, matches against people like Maria, players in the Top 10, that I believe I'm always in with a shot. I wasn't playing with my best tennis today and still in with a chance in the second set."
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#5 s5 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL d #72 Tathiana Garbin ITA 6-4, 6-0 Sat
Justine following her forehand, Tathiana's backhand, Justine while launching a backhand, and Justine after match point
Tathiana, who had upset 2003 & 2005 Roland Garros champ Justine in the 2nd round in 2004, led early in the match, but scored only 13 points in the 2nd set. Justine said: "When I was down 4-3 in the first set, I just tried to go to another level. In the first set, I thought a little bit about what happened two years ago, but you need to forget about the past. It happened. You can't do anything about that. I just tried to change the way I was playing and be a little more aggressive. I won a lot of points at the net. That was good for my confidence." interview
About her 4th round opponent, 2004 French Open champ Anastasia Myskina, Justine said: "We always had tough matches in the past. We had just great fights. She's a real fighter... It's going to be a tough match."
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*#33 s31 Shahar Peer ISR d #8 s6 Elena Dementieva RUS 6-4, 7-5 Sat
Shahar slicing a backhand, Elena's forehand, and Shahar after match point
Shahar said: "Whenever I go on the court, I just fight for every ball and every point. I never give up. Both sets were only one break and I could reach these two breaks. I was playing a little bit better today. I was playing a lot of winners. I was just consistent more than [Elena]." interview
Elena said: "[Shahar] really put a lot of pressure on me. Even with the leads in the both sets, she never gave up. She was playing until the end. She has talent and she was playing really well today, very aggressive. I know she just won a tournament in Istanbul, so she got her confidence."
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#9 s7 Patty Schnyder SUI d #135 q Julia Vakulenko UKR 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 Fri
Julia's right-handed and Patty's left-handed backhands, and Patty after match point
#10 s8 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #39 Na Li CHN 6-3, 7-6(4) Fri
Na delivering a twist serve, and Svetlana running down a forehand
#11 s9 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #19 s17 Flavia Pennetta ITA 4-6, 6-1, 9-7 Fri
Battle of Milan: Francesca's service toss, and Flavia's backhand
#12 s10 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #21 s19 Ana Ivanovic SCG 6-2, 6-3 Sat
Ana firing a forehand, Anastasia following her backhand, after match point, and getting a hug from her lucky ex-President after the match--Anastasia has never lost when Boris Yeltsin is in the house
Anastasia said: "I played really solid today, the whole match--not just one set, not three games. It was two-set solid match. It was really close, though. It was really good." interview
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#13 s11 Venus Williams USA d #78 Karolina Sprem CRO 7-5, 6-3 Fri
Venus belting a backhand, and after match point; at last check, 19 news photos of Venus in this match had been posted-- and zero of Karolina, which isn't very nice, but is typical
Venus said: "This is an improvement on my second round. My serve and movement were better. Everything was better. Definitely match by match I'm just raising the level of my game." interview
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#14 s12 Martina Hingis SUI d #111 Ivana Lisjak CRO 6-1, 6-1 Sat
Martina serving, Ivana's backhand, Martina fielding one, and Martina after match point
About the 45-minute match, Martina said: "There is really no need to stay out there longer than you have to. I really did well. I did my job. Very focused from the bottom of the game, beginning to the end.
"I have expectations and hopes but I have nothing to lose. I can only gain from this week, this tournament. I really have nothing to lose." Reuters story
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#15 s13 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER d #22 s20 Maria Kirilenko RUS 6-2, 7-6(2) Sat
Anna-Lena lining up a forehand, Maria firing one, and Anna-Lena after match point
#16 s14 Dinara Safina RUS d #26 s24 Katarina Srebotnik SLO 6-3, 6-4 Fri
Dinara's forehand, Katarina's forehand, and Dinara after match point
#17 s15 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #23 s21 Nathalie Dechy FRA 6-3, 3-6, 10-8 Sat
Daniela serving, Nathalie's backhand, Daniela's forehand, and after match point
Daniela said: "It was a great match, especially in the third set. Nathalie was playing unbelievably. She came up with some great shots. I was always expecting a tough match because she's a very experienced player, she knows the game very well, plus she had the support of her home crowd.
"It was always going to be a tough match for me. That's why it makes it even more special for me, this win." interview
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#18 s16 Nicole Vaidisova CZE v #141 q Aravane Rezai FRA 6-1 6-7(6) 6-0 Fri
Nicole's forehand, Aravane chasing a backhand, and Nicole launching one
#34 s32 Gisela Dulko ARG d #90 Shenay Perry USA 6-1, 6-1 Sat
Shenay serving (her fastest of the tourney was 119 mph, 4th fastest WTA serve in the first 4 rounds), Gisela's gaucha western forehand (mucho topspin), and after match point
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French Open, 4th Rd Sun Jun 4 11am WTA story 1 - WTA story 2
loser's prize: €59,625 =US $76,582.32; points: 90
*#18 s16 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #1 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA 6(5)-7, 6-1, 6-2
Nicole's forehand, Amelie's backhand, Nicole's backhand, and after match point
Nicole said: "I knew I had to be more aggressive than I was in our first two matches because [Amelie] moves very well. I am definitely happy the way I played. In long rallies she gets tough. I wanted to play a little faster, get the points shorter. It worked for me today."
Amelie said: "I went down a little bit physically at the beginning of the second set, and my shots were not so disturbing for [Nicole], and so she could step in and really play better and better. I was also expecting her to make a few more errors. When I played her in Australia, she made a couple errors here and there, which are pretty important. But she didn't today. She has really improved over the past few months."
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#2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #17 s15 Daniela Hantuchova SVK 6-1 6-4
Kim delivering a twist serve, Daniela apparently using wind power, Kim following her forehand (Kim's feet do touch the ground between shots), and Daniela congratulating Kim after match point
*#16 s14 Dinara Safina RUS d #4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS 7-5, 2-6, 7-5
Dinara's forehand, Maria chasing one down, and Maria congratulating Dinara after match point
214 points were played in the match; Dinara won 108 and Maria 106. Dinara went to net only 3 times in the match. Maria had 63 unforced errors against 44 winners (Dinara 38 errors, 28 winners). match stats
Maria was up two breaks at 5-1 in the 3rd set, but could not finish Dinara off. Dinara said: "I just didn't want to leave the court. I was enjoying myself. It was nice to play. I just wanted to stay more. I started to take everything in my hands. Before [Maria] was dictating and I had to run corner to corner. So then I tried to make her run. I started to look for the lines and I started to be more aggressive from every point. It finished my way today."
Maria said: "[Dinara] picked up her game a little bit and mine went down, and that's not a good combination. In that first set, I should have closed it out. Then in the third, that's really what happens when someone's down 5-1. All of a sudden, she's swinging freely. That's just the way it goes. It's tennis. She felt the momentum come back to her, just took the opportunity and went for it."
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#5 s5 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL d #12 s10 Anastasia Myskina RUS 6-1, 6-4
Justine fielding a forehand, Anastasia's backhand, Justine's backhand, and after match point
*#13 s11 Venus Williams USA d #9 s7 Patty Schnyder SUI 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Patty's backhand, Venus firing a forehand, and after match point
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