2005 French Open News
By Alix Ramsay| May 25, 2005

Lindsay Davenport has always been one to shun the limelight, preferring to drag her major trophies back into the shadows rather than make a big fuss about her achievements. Even so, not even she has entered a Grand Slam quite so anonymously.

Davenport, lest anyone should forget, is the current world No.1 and, thus, the top seed here. She is supposed to be the woman to beat, and yet not even she can quite believe that. Clay is, to put it politely, her least favorite surface, and she prepared for the second Grand Slam of the year by going on holiday.

Rather than bother with all that huffing and puffing around Europe on the way to Paris, she and her husband took themselves off to Hawaii for a well earned rest. It is not the most conventional way to prepare for a major championship, but it does not seem to have done Davenport any harm.

Facing Shuai Peng, Davenport looked as miserable as sin, dropping the first set and looking awfully glum during the second. But with Davenport it matters little whether she is prepared or not, she can turn on the power, screw down the concentration and wallop the opposition whenever she feels like it. And against a young upstart like Peng, she was in no mood to be beaten. From 5-4 down in the second set, she got to work, and that was the end of Peng, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-0.

Tim Henman has been banging on about being a "late bloomer" throughout his career - listening to his argument, he should be ready to burst into flower at the age of 47 - but now, as a rather middle-aged 30-year-old, he is beginning to show signs of blight.

Last year Tiger Tim cleared his throat and roared all the way to the semi finals at Roland Garros. It was his first trip through to the second week of any Grand Slam other than Wimbledon, and he was awfully pleased with himself. The French were stunned. Twelve months on and normal service has been resumed: Henman was sploshed in the second round 7-5, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 by Luis Horna. The French can rest easy.

For all that Henman reckons he can play on the slow red dirt, those who grew up on the stuff are better at it than him. It was not that Henman played badly but rather that Horna played very well.

Looking like a part-time night club bouncer, Horna is a muscular chap. Even so, he shifts that bulk - most of which has settled in his thighs - with remarkable speed around the court. Wherever Henman tried to hide the ball, Horna would find it and belt it away for a winner. Should it come to his forehand, he was in danger of breaking Henman's arm with his raw power.

As Horna was going through his paces, so Henman was getting increasingly grumpy. Swearing at himself, the spectators and anyone who came within grunting distance, he earned a warning for his industrial language while Horna made the most of his chances.

Now that he is getting on a bit, Henman is not what he was. He has had a dodgy shoulder and now he has a gammy back and winces when he stands up or sits down. And the more Horna made him run around, the more Henman winced. Presumably, he will get Paul Annacone to carry his bags all the way to the Eurostar terminal and his return trip to the green, green grass of home.

"It's obviously a disappointing loss today," Henman said in his usual over-emotional way. "But hopefully the next time I step on to a court, it's going to be a green one."

Roger Federer has been dominating the green courts over the past couple of years, winning and then retaining the titles in Halle and Wimbledon. This year he has turned his attention to the red stuff and, so far, is making swift progress. He nipped past Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 and so far looks happy as Larry on the Paris clay.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal has come up with a cunning ploy to beat the tiredness built up over two months on the stamina-sapping clay - he is winning in the twinkling of an eye. Having hardly worked up a sweat to get through his opening round, he took one look at Xavier Malisse and simply brushed him aside 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. He now faces Richard Gasquet, the 6-3, 7-6, 6-1 winner over Peter Wessels. And if the sight of the two 18-year-olds going toe to toe doesn't make Henman feel old, nothing will.

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