Roland Garros - Men's Second Round
2 Rafael Nadal d Denis Istomin - 62 62 60
Full-flight Rafa.
W/L: He is now 47-1 at RG and 151-21 in his career in the 4 Slams.
And he still thinks there is room for improvement:
I can improve things. The serve is the first one.
I think I improved the level of my serve during the match...
But I started the match serving badly.
For the rest, more or less, I have to be happy.
Yikes.
Roland Garros - Men's Second Round
David Goffin d Arnaud Clement - 36 76(2) 06 62 61
In 15 trips to RG Arnaud's best result was the 4th round in 2003.
He ends his run at Roland Garros with a career W/L of 12-15.
Also, in doubles he was a Sf-ist in 2001.
Nice touch FFT.
Photo: Reuters
Roland Garros - Men's Second Round
Paul-Henri Mathieu d 10 John Isner 67(2) 64 64 36 18-16
It took Paul nearly 6 hours and 7 match points to seal the victory.
This is the 2nd year Isner has lost in 5-sets - last year to Nadal in 1st R.
Remember: Isner went 70-68 in the 5th at Winby against Mahut in '10.
Mathieu: I remember Mahut's match, so I just couldn't believe it was over.
I had match point. It was tough. Every time I needed to concentrate and...
Focus again on my serve, so when the match was over...
I had trouble realising it was really over.
Photo: Getty Images
Roland Garros - Men's Second Round
4 Andy Murray d Jarkko Nieminen - 16 64 61 62
Strange match. In the 1set Andy could bare move.
He was dinking his serve in and going for broke early in points.
The trainer came out and then the back loosen up enough to roll.
He said he was a couple points from pulling the plug at on point.
After the match Andy tweeted:
Thanks to everyone that supported me through a really tough day today.
#alwaysbelieve
With Wimby & the London Olympics on the horizon what will he do?
Carry on or get better for Great Britain's sake.
Decisions. Decisions.
Roland Garros - Men's Second Round
3 Roger Federer d Adrian Ungur - 63 62 67(6) 63
The GOAT dropped a set. That had to just be a blip.
The '09 champ has now been to the 3rd round at RG 11 times: 9-1.
Rog is desperately trying to get back to #1 if just for a few weeks...
He's wants that 'weeks at #1' record that Sampras owns.
A second title here would certainly get home close.
But with runner-up points to defend Wimby may be where it's accomplished.
May be...
Photo: From Nike Tennis Facebook page.
Serena will not be leaving Paris after that shocking singles loss.
She's sticking around to play mixed doubles with Bob Bryan.
Serena has not played mixed since 1999.
She's won 2 mixed Slam titles: Wimby & USO both in 1998 with Max Mirnyi.
Serena & Bob - a preview to an Olympic pairing?
Photo: Bob with his baby along the Champs-Elysees from his Twitter.
Roland Garros - Women's First Round
Virginie Razzano d 5 Serena Williams - 46 76(5) 63
In 46 Slam appearances this is Serena's first loss in the 1st round.
It will be talked about as one of the biggest upsets of all-time.
Remember: She was a co-favorite to take the title.
Serena was up 5-1 in that 2nd set tie-break and then completely melted.
Between the 2nd & 3rd sets Serena cried. I've never see that before.
WOW.
Serena post match: Things could be a lot worse.
I haven't had the easiest past six months. It's nothing I can't deal with.
My Roland Garros happens to be over, but I'm in mixed doubles...
So hopefully I can do better and win a match in that event.
***
Virginie post match: In my mind I just never lost.
Yes, it was 5-1 in the tie-break, but in my mind I knew I could win this set.
I knew I could come back, and I knew I had to do that.
You don't need to think about other things, you just try to come back...
And try your best every time, on every point.
Photo: Getty Images
Roland Garros - Men's First Round
2 Rafael Nadal d Simone Bolelli - 62 62 61
Rafa is now 46-1 at RG. This was also his 150th Slam match win.
He moves his W/L on the year to 34-4 with 3 tournament titles.
Playing in his 32nd Slam Rafa has never lost in the 1st round.
Remember: He is looking for a record-breaking 7th title here.
From a presser the other day:
I played fantastic tournaments in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, and Rome.
That's it. I'm playing well.
I arrived here with positive feelings, and I will try my best to be very...
Competitive and to be in the right level to have my chances.
Photo: From a practice session yesterday.
Roland Garros - Women's First Round
1 Victoria Azarenka d Alberta Brianti - 67(6) 64 62
Opening round jitters? Well she dug deep to fend off a huge upset.
Post match: Before maybe I would just give up and go home.
I was kind of thinking there was a flight straight to Minsk...
Around 3 o'clock tomorrow, so I could catch that.
But I didn't want to leave too soon.
We're glad you're sticking around.
Photo: At practice with sometime coach Amelie Mauresmo.
Yikes. And here I thought he just wanted to skip the clay court season.
Mardy underwent surgery for an arrhythmia in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
He told USA Today: It felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest.
During days, I'm totally fine. I can track it and work out fine.
But every time I would go to bed my mind would start racing.
Is this going to happen tonight? Is this going to be another night like that?
It was super hard to go to sleep.
I was completely panicking, I thought I was going to die.
***
He says he'll be back in time for Wimbledon, possibly even Queens Club.
***
I want to stress that I'm good now, I'm fine, they've fixed the problem.
I don't want people to think I missed the French Open because...
I didn't want to go because I was just tired. That's just not the case.
Look, I'm still in the top 10 in the world and still the No. 1 American.
This is still a very fun time for me.
I don't want to sit on my ass while I'm 10 in the world.
***
Get well soon, Mardy.
Roland Garros - Men's First Round
Arnaud Clement d Alex Bogomolov, Jr. - 62 36 46 76(2) 54 A ret.
Alex cramped and couldn't serve to save match point and gave up.
Thus handing Arnaud a nice veteran win.
This is Arnaud's 15th and last French Open. His W/L is 11-15.
His best result was a 4th round showing in 2003.
It's the only Slam where he failed to get to the quarterfinals.
He will next face the winner of 23 Stepanek/Goffin.
Of course, I'm pulling for my old favorite.
Allez Arnaud, allez.
Roland Garros - Men's First Round
1 Novak Djokovic d Potito Starace - 76(3) 63 61
6 matches to history.
A trophy lift in 2 weeks would give him all 4 Slams.
This has not happened since Rod Laver won the calendar Slam in 1969.
And I hear Laver is flying to Paris next week.
Stay tuned.
Photo: From Novak's Facebook page.
Roland Garros - Men's First Round
Nicolas Mahut d 26 Andy Roddick - 63 63 46 62
I guess this comes as no big surprise.
In 10 trips to Paris he's walked of the court a loser in the 1st round 5 times.
And most of those losses came on Court Lenglen - like today.
He now has a losing record at Roland Garros: 9-10.
To go with his losing record on the year: 7-10. Far from his glory days.
London calling: I suppose his grass season will begin tomorrow.
Photo: Getty Images
Roland Garros - Men's First Round
5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga d Andrey Kuznetsov - 16 63 62 64
After a shocking 1st set Jo-W woke up and moved into the 2nd round.
He has 3rd round points to defend here.
And is on a collision course with Novak Djokovic in the quarters.
Post match: Vous n'êtes jamais sombre.
Whatever that means.
Roland Garros - Women's First Round
13 Ana Ivanovic d Laura Arruabarrena-Vecino - 61 61
Can it really 4 years since Ana won here already? Time sure does fly.
With the win today she has already bettered last years result.
Post match she said she's getting back to feeling like "the old Ana".
And that folks would be a good thing.
Photo: Getty Images
Roland Garros - Men's First Round
18 Stanislas Wawrinka d Flavio Cipolla - 63 63 46 36 62
Stan dug deep to pull this one out.
Stan has been to the 4th round here the last 2 years.
He will next play Pablo Andujar (who also won a 5-setter) - H2H: 2-0/SW.
They are in the Djokovic/Tsonga quarter.
Photo: Getty Images
Even without Novak Team Serbia is a handsome lot.
They beat a very sturdy Czech team.
This is their second team title in Dusseldorf - they also took it in 2009.
Ok boys, get your butts to Paris.
WTA Brussels - Final
1 Agnieszka Radwanska d Simona Halep - 75 60
This is Aga's 10th WTA title and 3rd on the 2012 season.
She has lost to only 8 matches this year - 6 of them to Victoria Azarenka.
Aga is the #3 seed heading to Roland Garros.
And yep, you guessed it - she's in Vika's half of the draw.
But she'll have to get by Venus Williams in a possible 2nd round match.
And former champ Svetlana Kuznetsova in a possible 3rd rounder.
Yikes.
***
ATP 250 Nice - Final
3 Nicolas Almagro d Q Brian Baker - 63 62
Nico wins his 12th ATP title and 2nd of 2012 - both on clay.
He heads to Paris as the 12th seed. And zero points to defend.
There is definately upward movement in the rankings to be had here.
Proveded he avoids the 'win a title 1 week/lose early the next' curse.
He's seeded to meet Tipsarevic in the 4R & Nadal in the Qf's.
***
WTA Strasbourg - Final
2 Francesca Schiavone d WC Alize Cornet - 64 64
This is Fran's 5th WTA title.
And her first since winning Roland Garros in 2010.
Speaking of... she'll play Kimiko Date-Krumm in the 1st round.
They have a combined age of 70-something.
Possibly the oldest match we'll see all year.
Fran is also in the Petra Kvitova/Li Na quarter.
Men's Draw
There are 2 really history-making stories in play at the tournament.
Rafael Nadal could pass Bjorn Borg with the most titles at 7.
And Novak Djokovic could hold all 4 Slams for the 1st time since Laver in '69.
Who could spoil this showdown? Federer, Murray, Tsonga, Ferrer? Maybe.
Quarterfinal Projections
1 Novak Djokovic vs 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
3 Roger Federer vs 7 Tomas Berdych
4 Andy Murray vs 6 David Ferrer
2 Rafael Nadal vs 8 Janko Tipsarevic
Predictions
Sf's: Djokovic d Federer, Nadal d Ferrer
Final: Nadal d Djokovic
***
Women's Draw
Sure seems like it's a 2 woman race to the title, no?
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Too bad they'll meet in the Qf's.
Quarterfinal Projections
1 Victoria Azarenka vs 6 Samantha Stosur
3 Agnieszka Radwanska vs 8 Marion Bartoli
4 Petra Kvitova vs 7 Li Na
2 Maria Sharapova vs 5 Serena Williams
Predictions
Sf's: Azarenka d Radwanska, S Williams d Schiavone
Final: S Williams d Azarenka
Photo: Reuters
Sloane Stevens into 4th Round at Roland Garros
Roland Garros - Women's Third Round
Sloane Stevens d Mathilde Johansson - 63 62
Who says American women's tennis is dead?
She is in a rankings race with King & Lepchenko for the last Olympic spot.
She will next face US Open champ Samantha Stosur - their first meeting.
New territory: This is Sloane's first trip to a Slam round of 16.
Post match: I always feel really comfortable here at Roland Garros.
I really like it here. I was like...
'I know if I just do the right things, the good things will happen.'
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