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 2005
FRENCH OPEN
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June 05, 2005
Pressure is a strange thing. It can turn some men to
jelly and turn others into world beaters. Rafael Nadal
falls into the latter category. Coming to Roland Garros,
he was the odds-on favorite to win his first
grand slam title on his debut here and he was the man
who had not been beaten in 23 clay court matches. Surely
no one could stop him lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires?
No, pressure, then.
ll
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - June
04,
2005
Tennis
has a habit of creating comeback stories
and yesterday Justine Henin-Hardenne created
one of her own by winning the French Open
title with a 6-1, 6-1 rout of Mary Pierce.
Although, just twelve months earlier Henin
had been so ill that she could barely get
off the couch. ///
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - June
03,
2005
What
a way to celebrate your 19th birthday: you
reach your first grand slam final, you do
it on your first visit to Roland Garros and
you do so by beating the magnificent Roger
Federer. Rafael Nadal - the birthday boy
- beat, confused and infuriated Federer 6-3,
4-6, 6-4, 6-3, to claim his ticket to Sunday's
final and set up his appointment with the
resurgent Mariano Puerta. ///
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - June
02,
2005
The
headline of L’Equipe, France’s
national daily sports newspaper, said it
all. “It’s Mary’s Day” read
the headline. The Mary in question is Mary
Pierce, the woman who will once more bear
the hopes of her adopted nation when she
takes on Justine Henin-Hardenne in Saturday's
women’s final. ///
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - June
01 ,
2005
The
omens are looking good. The last time Mary
Pierce reached the semi finals at the French
Open, she went on to win the title. At the
time she had been working with her brother,
David, for a few months, she had rediscovered
her faith (she was born a Catholic) and she
had relaxed into her position of France's
top player. ///
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - May
31,
2005
As
renaissance women go, Mary Pierce is in a
class of her own. The 30-year-old has always
been capable of doing the opposite of what
one might predict, but by making the semi-finals
of the French Open she may well have excelled
herself this time. What’s more, with
a winnable semi against Elena Likhovtseva
in prospect and a rabidly patriotic French
crowd noisily supporting her, she may yet
have more surprises up her sleeve. ///
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - May
30,
2005
Many
players have come to Roland Garros and felt
the wrath of the French crowd and, once it
is over, they have left in tears and a taxi.
Rafael Nadal, though, is not as other men
and having taken on Sebastien Grosjean, 15,000
raucous and patriotic spectators in the Philippe
Chatrier stadium and an overnight rain delay,
he stormed into the quarter finals of the
French Open 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3. ///
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - May
29,
2005
If
Lindsay Davenport looked shocked after beating
Kim Clijsters 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 you could hardly blame
her. It was easy to think of reasons why she should
have been packing her bags and heading for the
airport check-in desk, yet instead, somehow, she
was contemplating a quarter-final at Roland Garros
against Mary Pierce. ///
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - May
28,
2005
If
tennis is, as they say, played in the mind then Marat
Safin is either a genius or a maniac. The temperamental
Russian kept body, soul and brain in check just long
enough to progress to the fourth round of the French
Open, beating Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6, 7-5, 1-6, 7-6.
But it was touch and go - but with Safin it always is.
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - May
27,
2005
It
seems 15-year-old Sesil Karatancheva was born to be
famous. After winning the junior French Open last year
she said as much, but it took Friday’s 6-3, 1-6,
6-1 win over Venus Williams in the third round of the
women’s event to really confirm it.
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - 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.
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - 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.
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - May
24,
2005
There
was a moment during Andre Agassi’s 7-5, 4-6, 6-7,
6-1, 6-0 loss to Jarkko Nieminen when the American buried
his eyes in his towel in a picture of despair. It was
as if he was trying to hide his face from the watching
world. But his comments afterwards suggested that what
he may really be shying away from is the realization
that his 35-year-old body can no longer cope with professional.
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2005 FRENCH OPEN NEWS - May
23
, 2005
Making
history at a grand slam tournament is something most
players dream of, but it proved to be a dubious honor
for Anastasia Myskina, who became the first women’s
defending champion in the open era to lose her opening
match at Roland Garros when she was beaten 6-4, 4-6,
6-0 by Maria Sanchez Lorenzo on Monday. ///
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