2005 French Open News
By Alix Ramsay| May 26, 2005

The French Open, like all Grand Slams, is a test of endurance. Following Darwin's theory of the survival of the fittest, the winners will be the man and woman who hurt the least. Playing the best helps - a lot - but coming through seven rounds with both legs still attached and the ability to stand unaided is what it is all about.

Alas, Andy Roddick was as fit and ready as he had ever been for his stay at Roland Garros, and yet, for the second year running, he failed to get beyond the second round. Only once has he won more than one match in Paris and that was back in 2001 when he knew little about progressing at a Grand Slam tournament and even less about clay court tennis. These days he is supposed to be a real contender for the major prizes at the major events, but put him on slow red dirt and he collapses.

From holding a two-set lead over Jose Acasuso of Argentina, Roddick flapped and fluffed and finally went out 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 8-6. He was in good company, mind you, as the last remaining American men all headed for the airport as Vince Spadea and James Blake also made their excuses and left.

Roddick, though, should have been in the third round. From a position of authority, his patience evaporated, his game began to crumble and he was out-thought and out-played by his Argentine opponent. Even when Acasuso was halted by an injury to his left leg at the start of the fifth set, Roddick still could not make any headway. He broke the Acasuso serve but then surrendered his own to let the Argentine back in. And as soon as Acasuso saw his chance, he left Roddick scrambling after lost causes and swearing into his towel. Roddick, clearly, is not made for the mental battle of clay court tennis. "He started going for broke and making those shots," Roddick said. "I had a couple of looks at a couple of chances, didn't take them and the momentum shifted.

"I was about as prepared as I've ever been coming in here. This is always going to be the toughest challenge for me. The clay takes away the strengths in my game and plays to the strengths of the other guys.

"I want to do well here so badly and it just hasn't happened. I hate it. Especially losing matches like this one. It makes it that much harder."

Spadea came to a grinding halt against Tommy Haas, pulling out after two sets with a "pulled a stomach muscle in my oblique" as he described it, less than clearly. He picked up the injury in his first round against Albert Costa and then made the problem worse playing doubles on Wednesday. By the time he faced Haas, he knew he was in desperate trouble but decided to give the match a shot - it was the French Open, after all. But after losing the first two sets 6-4, 6-3, he threw in the towel.

"I was in extreme pain out there," Spadea said. "I wasn't taking anyone's spot by playing, I wasn't losing that much except some pride if I went out there and humiliated myself. I went out there and broke in the first game so I just tried to ride through the pain."

The doctors have told Spadea that it could be anything up to six weeks before the injury heals, which will put his Wimbledon hopes in jeopardy. "It's not great but nothing is looking great at the moment," he said. "Who knows? It could take two weeks, it could take six months."

James Blake fell apart at the seams, blowing a two-set lead against Stanislas Wawrinka, losing 6-7, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3, 6-4. As only Blake can, he had the match is his grasp and then allowed it to slip through his fingers. Having fought his way through qualifying and put himself within reach of the third round, he started to crumble and, on a blisteringly hot day, he ended up seized with cramp.

Justine Henin-Hardenne knows more than she cares to about the business of playing through pain. Spending most of last year trying to summon the puff to get out of bed - playing tennis was beyond her - she finally felt well enough to return to the tour in March. Since then, she has been all but unstoppable, establishing herself as the nearest thing to a favorite for the Roland Garros title. And then she did her back in.

The pain first started six weeks ago, and while it's better now than it was, it is still not great. It was not enough to stop her advance to the third round - she beat Virginia Ruano Pascal 6-1, 6-4 - but it is something she will have to manage carefully in the coming days if she is to recapture her French Open crown.

"It's something that when I'm a bit tense, it comes back," she said. "Obviously it's painful. It doesn't bother me too much when I'm playing but in the evening it hurts when I have to sit down and drive. I don't think it will be a problem at this tournament but I can't go on with this pain for months. It will take a few days rest, but I'm in the middle of a Grand Slam. It's out of the question."

Henin-Hardenne's bad back may just help Maria Sharapova on her way to the No. 1 ranking. If Sharapova can stick around until the last eight - and beat Nathalie Dechy along the way, and so pick up some extra bonus points - she will overtake Lindsay Davenport at the top. And if Henin-Hardenne is not waiting for her in the quarterfinal, Sharapova can advance and consolidate her lead at the top of the rankings race.

Sharapova moved cautiously past Aravane Rezai of France 6-2, 6-2. The match was the easy part, or relatively so, but the slightly sprained ankle was more of an issue. "Early on, third game, I sort of twisted my ankle," she said. "My next game I felt it a little bit. I was distracted by it. But it got better after that game. I just tried to find a way."

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