Doug's Sports Dish

Gay ATP Pro Comes Out to Out Mag

Douglas Robson — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:56:31 GMT

Out Magazine is reporting a story this month about Francisco Rodriguez of Paraguay, the first former ATP pro to talk "about being gay on the tour.” I haven’t seen the article in print, but if it’s the same as this online version, it’s hardly groundbreaking material. Or much talk.

Frankly, I’ve never heard of the guy. The article suggests the 32-year-old lives in Atlanta (it doesn’t say what he’s doing) and played from 2001-2006. I looked him up and indeed there is a Francisco Rodriguez on atptennis.com who reached a career-high ranking of No. 373 in October of 2004. He went 10-6 in ATP Tour events, won no titles, and earned $31,717. He also played some Davis Cup and still does, according to the article.

The article quotes, among others, recently disowned Justin Gimelstob, Sports Illustrated’s L. Jon Wertheim, ATP board member Ivan Ljubicic and the queen of all tennis queers, Martina Navratilova. It’s also full of deep stuff, like this: “Until recently, however, a boyfriend in Francisco’s corner -- or even a group of gay fans -- was unthinkable. ‘If you came out on the tennis tour,’ Francisco says, ‘you would be an outcast.’ It’s light fare, to say the least.

What impact will this make in tennis? Not nearly as much as Ashley Harkleroad posing semi—nude in Playboy, which comes out any day now. Unlike John Amaechi, the retired NBA journeyman from England who published a coming out memoir last year, I don’t expect Rodriguez’s step out of the closet to make many waves in tennis.

For one, he’s a nobody. Second the article that I’ve seen doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the issues at hand. Third, tennis is an individual sport and a second-tier sport, so it will never have the same reach as in baseball, football, basketball or hockey. Finally, it will take a much higher profile retired player – someone who was a top-10 or Grand Slam winner - or an active man in the top 50 to make the media fault lines crack a little.

Speaking of change, the more I thought about the advent of the retractable roof at Wimbledon’s Centre Court the more I disliked the idea of it. I admit that I’ve been a proponent, especially after my first Wimbledon several years ago when it rained so much and they fell so far behind the first week that they played the middle Sunday. No fun. But something quaint will be missing – the flash and professionalism of the ball boys and girls whipping the protective tarp across the grass in the blink of an eye; the umpire calling “Play is suspended!”; the disruptive ebb and flow of rain breaks long and short that added tension and drama to a contest (if also headaches) such as the magnificent, all-day Shakespearian battle fought this weekend by Federer and Nadal. It will be no more, and it will be missed. TV has won again.

I spoke to Cliff Drysdale today and he disagreed. The veteran ESPN commentator said from a TV production value perspective, the translucent roof is a winner. “What other sport that you have to deliver to an audience in a given time can be completely wiped out?” he said. Well, there are others, such as golf, but I see his point. But I still think a certain charm will be lost, and I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks that way.

The Beginning of the End: Brit Robson Wins

Douglas Robson — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:06:05 GMT

Laura Robson, the 14-year-old who won today's girls' title at Wimbledon, can pretty much forget about the rest of her life. The British media will smother her. She had already appeared on the front page of today's London Times, and the BBC actually showed the remainder of her match after the women's final. As my respected colleague Chris Clarey of the New York Times said, it's almost a form of child abuse. The best thing that could have happened to Robson is to have lost. Too late for that. But I will say this: She has shown a great deal of composure and maturity in her press conferences.

Dementieva: All-Williams Final a "family decision," But What Did She Mean?

Douglas Robson — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:29:55 GMT

An old controversy reared its head Thursday -- or did it? -- when Elena Dementieva seemed to suggest match fixing on the part of the Williams clan in her post-match press conference following her straight-set semifinal loss to Venus. Here’s the transcript:

Q. If it is an all Williams final, how do you see it?

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: I mean, if they're going to play against each other, I mean, I don't know what to say. I mean, I cannot imagine myself playing against someone from my family. It's really hard. For sure it's going to be a family decision.

A few moments later, a reporter asked the Russian to clarify.

Q. When you say it's a family decision, do you mean they're going to sit down and decide who the winner's going to be?

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I don't know how it's gonna be because. I mean, I have never faced that situation in my life so, I mean, it's really hard for me to say. But I just don't know.

Venus was then asked in her presser about the comments and minced no words.

Q. Some have noted, believe it or not, there's still a skepticism in the public in terms of one Williams sister playing another. Elena Dementieva just said that she felt the outcome of the final would be a result of a family decision. Could you talk to the public in terms of what happens when Venus plays Serena and whether there's any family decision, any discussion beforehand.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, the main thing is that I find the question pretty offensive because I'm extremely professional in everything that I do on and off the court.

I contribute my best in my sport, and I also have a ton of respect for myself and my family. So any mention of that is extremely disrespectful for who I am, what I stand for, and my family. That's pretty much how I feel about the whole subject.

Dementieva, it should be noted, was the player who fanned the flames of the infamous Williams sisters incident at Indian Wells in 2001 when Venus beat her and was slated to play her younger sister in the semifinals. "Richard is going to decide who wins tomorrow," Dementieva said, the the rest is one big ugly history. Venus ended up defaulting to Serena in the semifinals, and Serena was then booed so horribly in the final that Richard labeled the venue racist and the two Americans have never set foot in Indian Wells again (even though Serena spends much time in L.A.). In the years since, whenever asked, they have reiterated their vow never to return, no matter what the consequences.

The Russian’s history surely lends credence to the notion that her latest comment was what it was, though her second answer is vague and muddled. It's not entirely clear what she thinks, though shcertainly didn’t back off her initial comment about “family decision” when given the opportunity.

Later, the women’s tour issued a statement from Dementieva apologizing that English is her second language and that she meant to say “family situation.” A portion of the release adds:

I do not think for one second that matches between Serena and Venus are family decisions. What I meant was it is a unique situation for a family to be playing for a Grand Slam title. I cannot imagine what it must be like. I have a lot of respect for Serena and Venus, they are extremely professional in everything they do and have done so much for the sport. If they do play each other in the final, I expect a very tough match as they are two of the biggest fighters in the game.

Dementieva is a tough competitor and not a particularly catty or critical one. Her English, in fact, is quite good. I’d be interested to know how readers take her comments.

Meantime, Laura Robson steams on. The 14-year-old defeated No. 9 seed Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia 7-5, 6-4 to reach the semifinals. The Brits, of course, are all over the story. Only so long before they smother her into oblivion. Here’s some on her back-story. Robson, who’s homeschooled and comes from an athletic family, has been in the main interview room twice already this week. She lives five minutes from the All-England Club and calls Wimbledon her “local tournament.” Heady stuff.

Herewith, my stories from Thursday and Friday.

Story Roundup

Douglas Robson — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:41:18 GMT

Laura Robson, the 14-year-old phenom, is not a relative as far as I can tell. I spoke to her briefly after she dispatched top seed Melanie Oudin of the U.S. 6-1, 6-3 and she told me she was born in Australia and came to England about nine years ago. I don't know of any relatives Down Under, but I'll keep an eye on her progress -- both here and in the years to come. She looks like she might be a bright star. Must be the name!

A few stories from the last few days:

--Jankovic

--Ancic

--Scheduling controversy

Dame Trumpington

Douglas Robson — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:11:57 GMT

One of the pleasures of Wimbledon is the middle Sunday with no play, a luxury not afforded by the other majors (Roland Garros even begins on the first Sunday – a 15 day affair). It allows a brief respite from the chaos of the press center and a chance to be a tourist for a few hours (Monday deadlines notwithstanding).

My mother happens to be in London visiting for a few days, and we made the most of it. We hit a couple of top restaurants, visited the Cy Twombley exhibit at the Tate Modern and walked along the Thames with views of Parliament, Big Ben and the surrounding skyline.

But the highlight might have been our Sunday lunch with my distant cousin, the Baroness Trumpington. Think of Maggie Thatcher meets Dame Edna. I can’t exactly connect all the dots, but there were two branches of the Robson clan, one in England, the other in America. Lady Trumpington, AKA, Jean Barker, is one of them. She got into politics in the 1970s, served as Mayor of Cambridge and eventually became a member of the House of Lords in 1980 under Thatcher herself.

Now 85, Lady Trumpington hasn’t lost her spunk, or her salty language. Standing around 6-foot-2 and almost as wide, my several-layers removed cousin cuts an imposing figure. We met at some point 20-odd years ago, and though she couldn’t recall that we had ever spent any time together she remains as sharp as ever. Her appetite is hearty, too. During a three-hour lunch, she dined on a lobster omelet and kidney and bacon. She declined dessert, but managed to down a Bloody Mary and a glass of red wine.

Lady Trumpington regaled us with stories (she greets dignitaries at Heathrow to welcome them for the Queen and told an usual story about Robert Mugabe's former wife) and invited me for a personal tour at Parliament next year. But perhaps what most amused me were here thoughts on Wimbledon. If it’s not already clear, Lady Trumpington doesn’t mince words. And she laid into some of the top tennis players.

She grimaced and launched into Andy Murray, saying she couldn’t stand the young Scot. “He’s bloody ugly,” she offered. Then she went on for a few minutes about Rafael Nadal’s unsightly habit of picking at the back of his trousers. She cocked her head and pronounced: “I think he’s got piles.” Piles? I had to ask her what that meant, and she explained it was a less pleasant, colloquial form of hemorrhoids. Some on this blog or readers of Tennis.com may recall my “marriage” on stage during a Dame Edna show in Melbourne last year. After this, I’ve feel like I've got two dames in my life!

Speaking of relatives, I noticed that a girl named Laura Robson from Great Britain is the girls’ singles. Robson, just 14 years old, beat American Alexa Gaurachi 6-0, 6-4 in the first round Monday. She next plays No. 1 seed Melanie Oudin of the U.S. No word yet if she’s a relative.

Notes from SW19

Douglas Robson — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:58:20 GMT

Bits of news from around Wimbledon during the first week:

--The WTA has decided to delay its decision about on-court coaching indefinitely. The tour began allowing players to call designated coaches on court once per set at Montreal in 2006 and continued the “experiment” at Tier I and Tier II events since then, but after their board meetings this week shelved the final call until later.

Director of communications Andrew Walker told me that the players have had mixed feelings about it. Informal polling has shown no clear preference, and the Players’ Council has in fact voted both for and against it in recent months.

Walker said that broadcasters continue to see some value in it. Tour officials aren't sure whether they want to push forward with it unilaterally considering calendar changes in 2009 aimed at more combined events, coupled with efforts to align the men’s and woman’s circuits in all aspects of scheduling, rules, etc. “We are in favor of innovative, fan-friendly initiatives,” he said, even though after Wimbledon the testing will stop. "We need more time to think about it.”

--I spoke to Israelis Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram (again) following their comeback win from two sets down in the first round. The pair, who were supposed to play in Dubai and suspiciously pulled out at the last minute, are supposed to get written assurances from tournament organizers that, as Israelis, they are able to travel and play safely in the United Arab Emirates.

The deadline for said assurances is Wimbledon. They told me that they are still waiting to see the confirmation but remain hopeful to play in Dubai next year. I asked the ATP if they had received the assurances I was told they had. I have yet see it and I am waiting for them to turn up with it. By the way, the Australian Open champs and No. 3 seeds came through with another five-set win on Friday to advance to the last 16.

--Why has Andy Roddick been upset at Wimbledon the last three years? Read my lips: Break point opportunities. We tend to think the American lives and dies by his serve, but Roddick is a combined 4-30 in break point chances in his three Wimbledon losses in 2006-08, according to ATP stats guru Greg Sharko.

Against Andy Murray in ’06 he was 1-12.

Against Richard Gasquet in ’07 he was 3-10.

And of course in a stunningly diffident loss to Janko Tipsarevic yesterday, he went 0-8.

--Some players, notably Rafael Nadal, have complained publicly this week about Wimbledon's new stricter rules regarding locker-room access. Only one person per player is allowed in, meaning Nadal can’t have both his coach, Toni, and his physio in with him simultaneously. I asked James Blake about it after his second-round defeat and he didn’t seem too concerned. He said it was a “little annoying” that his physio had to make up his on-court drinks and pass them along to his brother, Thomas, in the locker room, but that he’s “just happy I have a physio here with me,” Blake said. “It’s the same for everyone.”

--Slumping Nicole Vaidisova was the first player into the fourth round Friday when she brushed aside Casey Dellacqua of Australia 6-2, 6-4. Vaidisova, who recently began working with former British pro David Felgate, hasn’t won three matches at a tournament since January.

--Justin Gimelstob’s increasingly notorious blog, in which he called Anna Kournikova a “bitch,” Tatiana Golovin a “sexpot” and Vaidisova a “well-developed young lady” got this response from Serena Williams Friday: “I think that those comments probably aren't necessary….But Anna is a great girl. For anyone to say that about her is kind of you know, what can I say? It's not professional. You know, it's just totally uncalled for. I mean, unless you really know these people, you talk to these people, you never know what people go through. It's not good to say those things about people.”

Finally, here are the links to my latest stories in USA Today on Thursday and Friday.

Wimbledon: Days 1-2-3

Douglas Robson — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:25:00 GMT

Just a quick blast from the All-England Club with my stories posted in USA Today the last three days:

Monday:

Federer

Williams sisters

Grass season

Tuesday:

Dying breed: One-handed backhands

Wednesday:

Spanish men set a record on grass

Wimbledon Forecast (rain?)

Douglas Robson — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:24:38 GMT

Wimbledon Predictions

I managed to call just one of the four finalists (Federer) at Roland Garros, so following two majors I'm batting .500 (4-8) this season. I won't go as far out on a limb this time as I did in Paris.

Men's Singles:

Winner: Nadal

Finalist: Djokovic

Of the big three, Federer has the toughest draw, but more than that, I just think he’s toast after Paris. I know he won at Halle without losing his serve, but by the time he gets by Robin Soderling, 2007 quarterfinalist Tomas Berdych and then 20020 champ Lleyton Hewitt, he will be softened up enough for Novak Djokovic to end his reign at Wimbledon in the semifinals as he did to the silken Swiss in Melbourne.

No. 3 Djokovic has some dicey first week opponents, including a possible second-round match against the increasingly feckless Marat Safin and then possibly former semifinalist Marcos Baghdatis or 2002 finalist David Nalbandian in the quarters. But none of these players have the athleticism, confidence or ambition to stop the Serb.

On the top quarter of the bottom half lurk Andy Roddick, James Blake and Nikolay Davydenko. I see the big-serving American Roddick powering his way to the semis. There he will face Nadal, who doesn’t have an easy road with Andy Murray, Mikhail Youzhny and Radek Stepanek in his quarter, but the Spaniard is playing at a higher level than anyone else at the moment. He’ll be pushed, but he has too many options now on grass to falter. Then in the final, he’ll take out Djokovic to all-but-seal the No. 1 ranking for the season and become the first player since Bjorn Borg to pull off the French Open-Wimbledon double.

In other interesting first-round matchups, Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey both can make statements by coming up big in winnable matches (at least on grass) against struggling No. 8 Richard Gasquet and former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero. Suddenly vibrant Robby Ginepri plays No. 14 Francisco Gonzalez, who beat him in the French Open’s fourth round.

Women's Singles:

Winner: Serena

Finalist: Sharapova

Most of the talk has been about Venus, Maria Sharapova and new No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, but I’m going with the sister who, for once, is less a part of the conversation: Serena. Here’s why: Although wee never know what to expect with the Williams sisters, Serena has actually had her best lead up to Wimbledon in several seasons. She’s fit. She’s been playing. She should be hungry about 18 months since her last major title. That’s why it was so shocking to see her lose in the fourth round in Paris. What’s more, the no. 6 seed has a good draw, with slumping Marion Bartoli, last year’s finalist, her possible fourth-round opponent and the flighty Svetlana Kuznetsova her potential quarterfinal opponent. Although she could meet Ivanovic in the semis, I don’t think the Serb, despite her confidence from winning Roland Garros and a game tailor-made (minus the movement) for grass, will take out a snarling Serena.

The other half is teeming with contenders, among them 1999 champ Lindsay Davenport, French Open finalist Dinara Safina, 2004 champ Sharapova and four-time champ Venus. The highest seed? No. 2 Jelena Jankovic, who is almost an after thought. In the upper quarter, which also has No. 5 Elena Dementieva, Australian Open champ Sharapova, seeded third, has the best combination of grass-court credentials and good results in 2008. She’ll get through over any the likely quarterfinal opponents – Davenport, Safina or Dementieva. I like Venus on the bottom half, but she will be vulnerable early (as she often is). Although she’s done it before, I wonder at 27 if she has the wherewithal to dig deep and summon her best, and frankly, I don’t think she’s shown she does this season. Youth will serve, and Sharapova, 21, advance to her second All-England Club final.

In a repeat of the 2004 final, Serena serves out of her mind and this time gets the upper hand, avenging her bitter loss from four years ago.

Among the interesting opening matchups: 2006 champ Amelie Mauresmo and Miss August Ashley Harkleroad; Bartoli against big-serving young German Sabine Lisicki; and the two rising teens, No. 17 Alize Cornet of France against qualifier Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia.

On a final note, while pondering season so far, I realized that, in a manner of speaking, the calendar Grand Slam is still alive in '08 - for Benito Perez-Barbadillo. The P.R. guy for both Australian Open winner Djokovic and French Open titlist Nadal, Perez-Barbadillo is halfway to a Slam.

New ATP Board Takes Shape

Douglas Robson — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:36:55 GMT

The breaking news Saturday from Wimbledon is that the three new players’ representative on the ATP board have been elected. The new Americas rep is former pro and current Tennis Channel commentator Justin Gimelstob, who replaces longtime Andre Agassi agent Perry Rogers. Rogers was voted out of his job by the players’ council in March.

Taking over the international position from Iggy Jovanovic is David Edges, a former IMG guy and now vice president with the Tennis Channel. Ivan Ljubicic will serve in the final vacant position as the European rep, replacing the ousted Jacco Eltingh. The Croat will serve as an interim rep until the U.S. Open.

These announcements, along with the names of the new 10-member players’ council, should be posted on the atptennis.com later. The ATP board reps are elected by the old players' council, which as of today is no longer in existence. But I'm told that the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic -- all expected to be on the new council -- went in and spoke to the outgoing council members to let them know who they supported.

The ramifications of the new elections for the ATP leadership and other topics remain to be seen. It could clearly affect the major issue in front of the tour - the Hamburg lawsuit. If current leadership is removed, could the suit be settled before it goes to trial?

Before Play, Politics Takes Center Stage

Douglas Robson — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:47:47 GMT

As noted in today’s USA Today, the off-court action could be as interesting as what happens on court at Wimbledon.

The WTA will announce if it intends to keep or ditch on-court coaching (I predict it will go the way of the 9-point tiebreak). A new players’ council will come to power this weekend, including what should be the top three players, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. And the three vacant player representative positions on the ATP board will be filled.

“It’s an exciting weekend prior to any balls being struck,” outgoing players’ council member Paul Goldstein told me this week.

It’s been a busy few weeks for the outgoing 10-member players’ council. In March, they ousted longtime Andre Agassi agent and confidante Perry Rogers, who represented the Americas region. Within the last two weeks, they dumped former top doubles player Jacco Eltingh, who was the European rep. The third players’ rep, onetime ATP communications director Iggy Janovanic (international rep) removed his name from the list of candidates last week.

I’m told that there are 6-7 candidates for the open Americas region seat, including recently retired Justin Gimelstob (who ran last year and lost); James Blake’s brother, Thomas Blake; Norman Canter of Florida-based Renaissance Tennis Management; and former pros Jeff Tarango and Jeff Morrison.

The Sun-Sentinel reported this week that highly respected Ivan Ljubicic, the players’ council president, would be elevated to one of the seven ATP board seats, presumably for the European region.

The international seat will likely be filled by either Indian doubles player Mahesh Bhupathi, Tennis Channel senior vice president David Edges or tennis coach and academy owner Bob Brett.

It should be noted that it’s not the new players’ council that elects the three vacant ATP board positions, but the old, outgoing council (the one Goldstein is on until Saturday night).

Of course, all of these political machinations are aimed at taking more control of the tour. The top players feel their voice has not been heard and that the previous board reps were in cahoots with ATP chief Etienne de Villiers (which may or may not be true). Suffice it to say, it’s hard to see how ATP head Etienne de Villiers, a former Disney executive, will last beyond the Dec. 31 expiration of his contract, if he lasts that long.

Goldstein, who retired last year and is working for a Silicon Valley green-energy startup, said that “communications could have been better” with the departed board reps. The top-60 ranked player seemed encouraged by the possible election of the Big Three.

“It’s pretty neat that highest ranked guys in the world -- for the first time in my 15 years as a pro and maybe ever -- are taking an active interest in the governance of the game,” said Goldstein, who also happens to be my neighbor in the Noe Valley district of San Francisco.

But what’s really hanging over everyone’s head is the Hamburg lawsuit. Hamburg is suing the ATP over its demotion from Masters Series status. The trial, which sources say has already cost the ATP from $3-$7 million, begins July 21. If the ATP loses, it could shake the foundations of the men’s tour.

“In terms of the future of tour, the result of the Hamburg case is the 800 pound gorilla,” says Goldstein.

I'm zipping off to the airport to fly to London, but I'll have my picks for Wimbledon by Monday.

Pistol Pete Looks Back

Douglas Robson — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:29:54 GMT

I recently had the chance to interview Grand Slam record-holder Pete Sampras for his new memoir, A Champion’s Mind (Crown; June 10, 2008) which came out earlier this week. It was co-written with Tennis.com blogger extraodinaire, Peter Bodo, who has as keen an eye as anyone covering the sport. It's a good read if you want to know more about how Sampras dealt with his playing career. If you want gossip, look elsewhere (I can't help but think that when Andre Agassi's already commissioned memoir comes out it will be filled with a lot more juice).

My time writing about tennis didn't overlap much with Sampras. His last U.S. Open was my first. Who knew that when he beat longtime rival Agassi in the 2002 final it would be the 36-year-old's swan song? So it was a thrill to finally speak one-on-one with one of the game's legends.

When Sampras and I sat down on an misty morning at the Beverly Hills Hotel last month to discuss the book, Sampras, clad in jeans and a blue, long-sleeve athletic top, ordered to form: a double espresso and cinnamon bagel “with the butter on the side,” he told the waiter. Simple, classic, potent and closely controlled: some of the same characteristics that shaped his illustrious on-court career.

Sampras has a mischievous streak that was evident during our chat, but one senses that the naturally reticent six-time year-end No. 1 will never be completely at home in the limelight. That’s not to say he doesn’t have strong views, and he wasn’t afraid to opine about some of the sport’s ongoing issues, including doping, gambling and the Davis Cup format.

Still, piecing together the fragments of his storied career makes one wonder if he’s still holding back. Like the half-eaten bagel he left on the table, one craves a few more bites, or least some butter and jam slathered on top.

To read portions of our conversation, click on the story that ran mostly online earlier this week in USA Today.

French Open Grades

Douglas Robson — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:02:09 GMT

As we briefly swat the terre battue out of our sneakers and slip across the English Channel to grass, here is my French Open report card:

A+: Rafael Nadal

This should really be an A+++. Relentless Mallorcan Masher takes clay-court tennis to a new realm. He ties Borg's mark of four consecutive crowns without dropping a set and humbles Swiss maestro Federer along the way.

A: European tennis

The stats don't lie: The fourth round of the French Open featured 30 of 32 players that hail from the Old World. All 16 women were European, the only time that has happened at a major in the Open era, while the last non-European man to win a major remains stuck on Gaston Gaudio, the '04 Roland Garros champion from Argentina.

A: Ana Ivanovic

The dark-haired beauty with the sweet disposition conquered her nerves and confirmed her No. 1 status with her first major (and also avoided the ignominious label of becoming the third ascendant to No. 1 without a Slam after Kim Clijsters and Amelie Mauresmo). But would she be holding the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen if Justine Henin hadn't literally handed it to her?

A-: Serbs

The Big Three of Serbia - Jankovic, Djokovic and Ivanovic - all advance to at least the semis of a major for third time in last five Slams. Pool draining for tennis has no doubt become an epidemic all over Belgrade.

B+: Dinara Safina

Baby Marat showed her Berlin title was no crazy stroke of luck by again beating three top-10 players to reach her first final in a major, and in dramatic, fighting fashion, no less. The broad-shouldered Russian didn't have enough gas at the end against Ivanovic, but more good things should come for the 22-year-old who has long toiled in her brother's shadow.

B+: Gael Monfils

On the 25th anniversary of Yannick Noah's win, the 6-4 Gumby with the love of McDonald's and American rap bolsters dispirited Gallic hopes after head-case Richard Gasquet and fragile Jo-Wilfried Tsonga pull out of the tournament. If Monfils can learn to become a more disciplined shotmaker, the upside is bright. If not, he can commiserate with the other best-known Yankophile in France, Nicolas Sarkozy, whose own popularity is sagging.

B: Robby Ginepri

We've expected more from Ginepri for a while, which is why he doesn't get a better grade. But the 25-year-old gave the U.S. a boost by reaching the fourth round after going winless in five previous French Open appearances. The reward: A trip to the Olympics after jumping from No. 88 to No. 59 in the rankings.

C: Argentine Tennis

The land of cheap steak produced three of the four men's semifinalists in '04 (Gaudio, Guillermo Coria and David Nalbandian) and another finalist in '05 (Mariano Puerta) but Argentina's once mighty clay force couldn't punch it's way out of the third round. Only qualifier Eduardo Schwank advanced that far. Not to be harsh, but even he world's guest, '77 champ Guillermo Vilas, shows up more consistently.

C-: Williams Sisters

Serena, 26, and Venus, 27, go out on the same day just as they did in 2004, only this time it's not the quarterfinals but the round-of-16. Regression? Whether this represents decline or not is up for debate, but a second Roland Garros title for Clan Williams (Serena won the sisters' only crown in '02) seems unlikely.

D: Pablo Cuevas

Leading the top-seeded Bryan brothers 5-1 in a tight third-set tiebreak in the fourth round, Uruguay's Cuevas chooses a shortcut and hops over the net in front of the American twins rather than walking around the net post as is customary. The good-natured Bryans refuse to shake Cuevas' hand and call his actions "classless." Cuevas and partner Luis Horna of Peru, who have never played together before, go on to win their first Grand Slam title, proving that poor sportsmanship is no obstacle to professional glory.

F: The Weather

After two weeks in which the temperature barely touched 60 and the sun shone a total of about three hours, I'm looking forward to getting to London -- so I can warm up.

Honorable mention: Ashley Harkleroad

How do you grad a Playboy pin-up until you see the performance? Georgian Harkleroad, 23, reaches the quarterfinals in doubles and the second round in singles but causes small sensation by revealing she is Hugh Hefner's August cover girl.

Finally, here are my two wrap up stories on the men and women’s finals in Monday’s USA Today.

Djokovic's Nerves No Match For Nadal in Paris

Douglas Robson — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:48:28 GMT

What does it feel like to be Rafael Nadal at the French Open?

Is it like pitching a no-hitter every game? Bowling a 300 time after time? Channeling the 1972 Miami Dolphins for four consecutive years?

Certainly Novak Djokovic has no idea, especially after failing to live up to his own champion standards or the stratospheric plane Nadal has established on clay in Paris.

“That's a question for him,” said Djokovic when I asked him how he thought it might feel to be undefeated on such a grand stage after he put up resistance only in the third set in a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (3) loss. “I still don't know how he feels.”

Indeed, who does?

Impossible as it seems, Nadal, now 27-0 at the French Open, is improving on dirt. The evidence was all over the place Friday on Philippe Chartrier court. The 22-year-old Spaniard found his spots with his serve, went side to side to dig sure-winners out of the corners, and pinned the third-ranked Serb to the baseline with his biting forehand. Mentally, he rarely blinked, even though his No. 2 ranking was again on the line - not to mention his Paris perfection.

Djokovic seemed tentative at the outset, and though he got twice as many games – 12 – as Nadal’s last two opponents combined, he never really found his rhythm. The 20-year-old misfired more than usual and led Nadal 28-16 in unforced errors. But it was his lowly 54% first-serve percentage that really undermined his effort. That just won’t get the job done against a returner like Nadal, whose 66-16 winners-to-unforced errors ratio shows how ready he was for the challenge.

“Best match at Roland Garros so far,” pronounced the cheery-yet-determined Rafa at the post-match press conference.

The Spaniard’s only lapse came when he was up two breaks and 3-0 in the third set. Djokovic started to take more risks and it paid off for a while, as Nadal’s penetrating balls lost some distance. The 22-year-old Mallorca native had to fight off a set point with a crosscourt forehand winner in the 11^th game. Who knows what might have happened if Djokovic had clawed his way into a fourth set. But Nadal changed his tactics in the breaker, raising his level and racing out to an insurmountable 6-0 lead.

"I tried to go more inside,” he said of his decision to press into the court and be more aggressive.

Both physically and mentally, it was Rafa, not the Serb with the unshakable self-belief, who melted under the pressure, going down a third straight time at Roland Garros and a fifth time on clay. The reigning Australian Open champ more or less admitted it in the post match press conference, saying the combined physical and mental strain had made him literally ill.

“On the court,” he said, “I didn’t feel well.”

It’s a stunning admission from a player with such confidence and ambition, who has the ability, as fourth-round victim Paul-Henri Mathieu said, to “suffocate” opponents. On clay, Nadal is the boa constrictor.

In other words, Nadal, as he has for four seasons, rose to the occasion. Now he is a match from tying Bjorn Borg’s record of four straight French Opens, which the Swede set from 1978-81. Borg was in the first row of the presidential box, but the Masher from Manacor was too preoccupied with keeping his record streak of 150 weeks at No. 2 alive to notice.

“Today I didn't see no one,” said Nadal, breaking up the press corps, when asked if he’d recognized the silver-haired guy with six French Open crowns just a few feet away.

Nadal now enters the final against Federer (who beat French hope Gael Monfils 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5) having dropped nary a set while giving up an average of fewer than five games per match – heady stuff. The Swiss No. 1 – who has lost eight of nine contests on clay vs. Nadal - will have to figure a way to go through an opponent who appears impenetrable.

When he clinched match point against Djokovic with an overhead, Nadal crumpled to his back in jubilation as if he’d just won the final. Maybe in his mind, the surging Serb was the man to beat. Either way, it’s hard to see how he won’t repeat the action Sunday.

Harkleroad Bares More

Douglas Robson — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:48:55 GMT

I ran into Playboy pin-up Ashley Harkleroad on Tuesday afternoon (she and partner Galina Voskoboeva had just lost their doubles quarterfinal 6-3, 6-3 to the Bondarenko sisters) and I was curious to find out what the reaction had been since she disclosed she had posed. The 23-year-old Georgia native told me in her southern drawl that she had received overwhelmingly positive feedback. She genuinely sounded excited about the whole experience. “I’m spending more time in L.A., and so it just sort of fits,” the 5-5 player said.

She went on to tell me some other details: It’s not just an inside-the-fold layout – Harkleroad will be splashed on the cover of the August issue (it comes out in mid July). She told me that there is no full-on frontal nudity, but that she will be topless and that some of her “other attributes” might be showing a tad. “I had just had my operation (for a cyst on her ovary), so I couldn’t wax, you know,” she laughed. Harkleroad said the photo spread will include an article explaining why she decided to do it. “I sat down with the writer for about two days,” said the stoked American.

Also Tuesday, I spoke with Larry Stefanki, the coach of Fernando Gonzalez, who goes up against the mighty Federer today in the quarterfinals. Stefanki, who recently agreed to work with the Chilean for a third year, expressed confidence that his pupil could put pressure on Federer despite his 1-10 career record (although he won their most recent meeting in the round robin of the Masters Cup in Shanghai last November).

Stefanki said Gonzo has come a long way in dealing with pressure matches and won’t fade or succumb to the occasion as he did in his Australian Open final loss to the Swiss No. 1 in 2007. Gonzalez’s forehand can put the scare in anyone, but he hasn’t shown the kind of sustained, patient, play that earned him his only Grand Slam final 17 months ago. “He’s ready and I think you’ll be surprised by what you see,” said Stefanki.

To catch up on the week, here are links to stories in USA Today about Nicolas Almagro (Monday), Dinara Safina (Tuesday) and Ana Ivanovic (Wednesday). The Spanish press was so impressed that Almagro showed up in the pages of an American newspaper, they asked him about it in his press conference after getting destroyed by Nadal. Here's the transcript:

Q. There was a report made on you.

NICOLAS ALMAGRO: On me? Did I look nice on the pictures (laughter.)

Q. It's in USA Today in America, and it has your face on the front page.

NICOLAS ALMAGRO: Yeah, they must remember my face, because in September we'll meet the American team in Madrid.

Rapid Fire from Roland Garros

Douglas Robson — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:56:16 GMT

With seven days of the French Open in the record books, here are a few quick observations from the days behind and the days ahead:

--I caught up with Israelis Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram – they of the abrupt Dubai about-face – who still aren't saying about why they bailed on becoming the first athletes from their country to compete in the United Arab Emirates at March's Barclays Dubai Duty Free tournament.

The tandem told me they are waiting to hear whether the ATP has received extra official written assurances that they can compete in Dubai, where Isrealis cannot normally travel. The deadline is Wimbledon.

“As soon as we get (the written assurance) we’ll talk,” said Ram following their second-round win Saturday. “As soon as we don’t get it, we’ll talk even more.”

Erlich said compatriot Shahar Peer also intends to compete in Dubai and therefore could beat them to the punch, as she did in Doha earlier this year, where she became the first Israeli to play an event in the Persian Gulf at Doha, Qatar. The women's Dubai tournament is the week before the men’s.

“She’s the guinea pig,” joked Erlich.

They also told me that they had ended their contract with Norman Canter, their agent and a vocal behind-the-scenes critic of how the Dubai situation was handled by tournament and ATP officials. The word is that things have simmered down and threats of a lawsuit have dissipated.

--The top half of the women's draw features seven players either from Russia or former Soviet Block countries: Sharapova vs. Safina, Zvonareva vs. Dementieva, Kuznetsova vs. Azarenka and Kvitova vs. Kanepi. The first five listed above are Russians, while Azarenka is from Belarus and Kanepi is from Estonia. Kvitova is Czech. I noted the flood of women players from countries that gained independence following the breakup of the Soviet Union in a story for USA Today last year.

--Just one native English speaker remains in the men’s and women's draws heading into Sunday: American Robby Ginepri.

--Speaking of Ginepri, if he and Federer win their fourth-round contests and face off in the quarterfinals, the two players will put Jose Higueras into a bit of a pickle. Higueras, who coached Michael Chang and Jim Courier to French Open titles, is sharing coaching duties for both players. Tennis.com's Kamakshi Tandon brought this to Federer's attention at his press conference Saturday. Said the Swiss No. 1: "He hasn't won it. I haven't won yet. If that problem occurs, I think (Higueras) is happy."

--After fretting about the absence of top French male hopes Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Roland Garros (both pulled out with knee injuries), the French boast five players in the last 16. Gael Monfils and Julien Benneteau, who won Saturday, joined Paul-Henri Mathieu, Michael Llodra and Jeremy Chardy. The least known of this unlikely bunch is 145th-ranked wild card Chardy, who next faces tough No. 19 Nicolas Almagro of Spain. A reporter from L'Equipe says it's most Frenchmen in the fourth round since 1971.

--Former top-5 Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, who came back from two sets down to beat No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 and advance to the fourth round, claimed his first win over a top-10 player since Rotterdam last year (pointed out by ESPN's Bonnie D. Ford). It was the 30th-ranked Ljubicic's only top-10 win in all of 2007.

The Big Three, Plus the Full List of New Players' Council Candidates

Douglas Robson — Sat, 31 May 2008 03:33:06 GMT

As I reported in USA Today on Monday, the Trivalry at the top of men’s tennis -- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – are running for the Players’ Council -- the subplot here being that they, and many other top players, have lost confidence in the ATP leadership, their board representatives, and ATP chief Etienne de Villiers.

The 10-player council is made of four men from the top 50, two from 50-100, two doubles players ranked 1-100, two at large, one coach and one “alumni.” The nomination period is over and here are the candidates, which has been confirmed by the ATP:

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Julien Benneteau, Michael Berrer, Peter Luczak, Mischa Zverev, Yves Allegro, Frantisek Cermak, Rogier Wassen, Mahesh Bhupathi, Marcelo Melo, Nenad Zimonjic, Eric Butorac, Sonchat Ratiwana, Martin Garcia, Ivan Ljubicic, David Martin, Davide Sanguinetti, Danai Udomchoke, Yeu-Tzuoo Wang, Jaime Fillol, and Jeff Tarango.

Some players accuse de Villiers of doublespeak – telling them one thing and turning around and doing another. Some think the board reps are in his back pocket, which is partly why Perry Rogers was voted out of his position earlier this month. Some suggest he has been less than truthful. Most agree Communication had been a big problem. The bottom line is that, not unlike previous periods in tennis, the names that sell tickets are trying to assert control, but this time in a more cohesive way.

None of the top three has been particularly articulate about what they would like see changed or what their agenda is. Djokovic mostly danced around the specifics at a press conference after his second round win earlier this week. Here’s my exchange with him:

Q. What's your reason for running for the player’s council?

“Well, now, this is something that it's a very long story. We don't have time now to talk about that and decisions. I want to be focused on the tournament. But, yes, the truth is that I am interested of getting into the players council in the future. The elections are soon or whatever. But I'm not thinking about that too much, you know, before the tournament ends.

Q. Are there things you'd like to change?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, sure. I mean, there are a lot of things you want to change and a lot of things on my mind, but if I start talking now we'll finish tomorrow. So there's a lot of things. But the most important thing is that finally I'm feeling that all the players are getting together, getting united, and really having the interest of changing some things for, you know, for our better tomorrow.

Nadal was asked today about it by the Spanish press after beating Jarkko Nieminen in the third round. “If you are on the council, you have more clout and you are more informed of what happens,” said the world No. 2.

A few days ago, I also spoke to current Player’s Council president Ivan Ljubicic, who didn’t plan to run by was persuaded to do so by his peers (he is running for an at-large position because of regional limitations in the 1-50 category). He told me that it was “fantastic” for the sport that the top three players, for perhaps the first time in history, would likely be on the council.

“A lot of pressure is on top guys and they are the ones that are selling tickets at the end of the day,” said Ljubicic. “They feel like they were not asked before decisions were made. This is how they expressed their opinions. If these guys are really keen on changing something, they should be able to. Until now, they were best ranked players and that’s it. Now they will have some kind of power. I think that’s positive.”

The rare unity aside, no candidate for Rogers’ vacant position has emerged. Justin Gimelstob, who ran for the ATP board last year and is now commentating for the Tennis Channel, didn’t seem too keen to run again and said no one had approached him to do so. Current player board rep Iggy Jovanovic told me he isn’t sure if he is going to run again. He must decide by June 6.

Will the players get their act together and truly affect change to the tour in the way they want? It’s a plotline worth following.

Noah from Paris

Douglas Robson — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:47:43 GMT

Despite the soggy first few days, lots going on here at Roland Garros. My head is spinning from the day's lineup of contests, many of them suspended since Monday. I'll get to some tidbits soon, but meantime, here are some Yannick Noah-related stories from the last couple of days at Tennis.com and USA Today.

Roland Garros Picks: Career Slams for Roger and Maria

Douglas Robson — Sun, 25 May 2008 00:35:24 GMT

I managed to pick three of the four finalists at the Australian Open (Federer, Sharapova, Ivanovic), and even picked Sharapova to win. This time, I'm going more out on a limb and I can only hope to be so fortunate as in January, but here we go.

Men's Singles:

Winner: Federer

Finalist: Djokovic

I’ll be the first to admit I'm nuts to pick against Rafael Nadal on clay. The Spaniard is undefeated at Roland Garros in three appearances and has shown little, if any, chinks in his armor this spring, winning Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Hamburg. But I just have a feeling that Nadal is a little more vulnerable than in years past and that he may wear himself out getting to another final this year (famous last words when he blows away the field).

Of the Big Three, Rafa has the toughest draw with potential meetings with grinding Jarkko Nieminen in the third round, streaky Mikhail Youzhny in the fourth and always dangerous David Nalbandian in the quarters. Then the No. 2 seed could face No. 3 Novak Djokovic, who played him close in Hamburg and who won at Rome when Nadal lost early to fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero - just his second loss on clay in 110 contests. The Djoker reached the last four here a year ago, is fit, confident, athletic and has No. 7 James Blake as the highest seed in his corner, who is no big threat on dirt. Plus, I think the Serbian is closing the gap with Nadal on clay and believes he can beat him, a psychological facet so many other players lack.

On the top half, Federer has a pretty clear ride, with struggling Richard Gasquet in his quarter and increasingly dangerous Nikolay Davydenko as a possible semifinal opponent. I think the Swiss No. 1 really kicked into gear in Hamburg, beating several good players convincingly. Though Davydenko seems to be emerging from the cloud of the Sopot gambling investigation and took a big title on hard in Miami and another in Austria yesterday, I don't see him getting past Federer in best-of-five.

So the way I see it playing out: Djokovic steps up and shocks Nadal in the semis and then Roger, sensing his moment, plays one of the best matches he can muster on clay and avenges his loss to Djokvic in Australia to complete the career Grand Slam. I won't even pick a dark horse because I can't see anyone but one of these three taking the coupe de musketeers.

In other matchups, too bad for Sam Querrey, who reached the quarterfinals at Monte Carlo but plays top-seeded Federer in the first round.

Women's Singles:

Winner: Sharapova

Finalist: Jankovic

With Henin gone, the women's field is more of a head scratcher. The bottom half of the draw is loaded, with No. 8 Venus Williams slated to play No. 3 Jelena Jankovic in one quarter and No.5 Serena Williams on course to face No. 2 Ana Ivanovic in the other.

Serena, the only former winner in the draw (2002), arrives in Paris with perhaps her best preparation since 2002, when she won the title. She won on green clay at Charleston and reached went deep at Berlin and Rome. Her body could be a factor considering her withdrawal from Rome with a bad back. Still, no one strikes fear in their opponents more than Serena, despite the fact she never quite looks fully comfortable moving on clay. Ditto Venus, who has had a shaky year and doesn't appear to be in form good enough to make it beyond the last eight.

Third-seeded Jankovic is just the kind of player that gives the Williams sisters headaches, especially on clay, where her movement and change-of-pace can cause havoc. She should be brimming with confidence after winning the big clay-court tune-up at Rome. Last year's runnerup Ivanovic should make the semifinals, but I don't think the No. 2 seed believes in herself enough to win a major. She's close, but I'm picking Jankovic to scramble her way to the final.

Unlike Melbourne, where Sharapova had to defeat Henin, Jankovic and Ivanovic, her path to the final is less pocked with obstacles. Berlin winner Dinara Safina lurks in the fourth round, followed by the resurgent Elena Dementieva, the 2004 Roland Garros runnerup. Safina still strikes me as a bit disorganized in her game, and Dementieva hasn't been deep in a major for a few years and I don't see either upending Sharapova. The other possible quarterfinalists, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Chakvetadze, have had mediocre seasons and so-so results on clay - nothing that suggest a run to the final. But Sveta can always get hot, and the 2006 finalist is my dark horse. She'll be off the radar and if she's swinging well is capable of beating Sharapova and taking her second major against the survivor on the upper half.

But for now, this is how I read it: In the final, Sharapova will out slug a tired Jankovic for her second major of 2008 and, like Federer, complete a career Grand Slam.

If an American woman emerges victorious, it won't be due to the strong contingent in Paris. The nine entrants this year, including qualifier Bethanie Mattek and wild card Madison Brengle, is the lowest in the post-1968 Open era for the USA.

Henin Shows Up in Paris for Final Adieu

Douglas Robson — Sat, 24 May 2008 05:04:08 GMT

Yesterday I had my “you’ve-arrived-in-Paris” moment. During a twilight jog past the Musee du Louvre around the adjacent le jardin des Tuileries, I literally ran through a giant, curved Richard Serra sculpture. Sublime. The color of the 40-50-foot temporary metal piece is a murky brown-orange (some might call it a deep rust), which I noted is a darker version of the burnt orange of the terre battue that serves as constant backdrop – or foot drop – at Roland Garros. The French Open, at least in my mind, is here.

Friday on the Roland Garros grounds served up the requisite parade of top players doing pre-tournament interviews, among them Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. But the big one was today for a player who isn't even entered - the recently retired Justine Henin, who showed up and met the press at her cherished clay-court haven for perhaps the last time. She was in town for her sponsor Adidas and apparently agreed to speak at the behest of the WTA Tour.

Clad in a white Adidas top and blue jeans, I was most struck by Henin's resolve. The former No. 1 seemed at ease, happy and there was nothing in her demeanor that suggested to me she had any doubts about her decision. Indeed, that is exactly the fortitude of mind the barely 5-6 Belgian mustered every time she walked on the court her entire career, and it’s what helped her squeeze seven Grand Slam titles (four French Opens, two U.S. Opens, one Australian Open) out of her tiny frame. She turns only 26 on June 1, and could come back, but I doubt it.

“It’s just time for something else now,” she said. "It's not easy, but it's really important to realize that, and just to think and to say, ‘Okay, there is another life after tennis, and I can build different things.’ I can be focused on different projects. Now I don't need the competition to be happy. I don't need this adrenaline being in front of thousands of people to really be happy. I just need to be myself. I'm a simple person. I can live very easily. I come back to what means a lot to me, and that's really important.”

Perhaps the closest comparison to a player who leaves the stage at or near the top is Bjorn Borg, the Swedish great who lost his will and left tennis at 26 in 1981. Borg told me recently that when you are that driven and can't locate your motivation, there is little point in continuing.

“If you lose your motivation is it very difficult to go in and be focused 100 percent,” the 11-time major winner said. “You have to do that if you want to be the best in the world. If you lose a little of your concentration and your motivation then it's very difficult to do the results and goals you set up every year.” That’s what happened to Borg. “I lost my motivation,” he said.

During her 20 minutes at the podium inside Phillipe Chartrier court, Henin deflected questions about her health, saying she is 100% fit. She said she had no regrets and had contemplated quitting for months. It was no knee-jerk decision. She explained her choice – one of the few top names to have done so – to remove herself immediately from the WTA Tour computer rankings rather than let her name slowly slide down.

“That's what I wanted,” she said, adding that her life now is “far from the courts. I didn't want to see myself in the ranking anymore.”

As one reporter noted, the timing was as startling as the decision itself, since Henin could certainly have played a couple more months to defend her favorite and most successful major or take one more stab at Wimbledon. But Henin never liked to lose, even less so when it was not on her terms (see her retirement in the ’06 Australian Open final to Amelie Mauresmo). As she said, “If I felt tennis wasn't anymore what I wanted to do, why should I be here as a player? There is no reason…I know what I did here in the past, and I don't need to live this again. I'm fine with my career. I'm really happy and proud of what I did, and I don't need to live these moments anymore.”

She reiterated her stance when asked about Wimbledon, the only major to elude her. “Wimbledon will remain, yeah, something that I never achieved,” she said. “But I think it wouldn't make me a happier person if I win it. It would have been a big achievement in my career. But me, Justine, as just a woman, I don't think that will make a big difference. I just want to be focused on the woman that is growing up now, and that is really much more important for myself."

Henin, who won 41 WTA titles and held the top ranking for 117 weeks, admitted that the lopsided losses to Sharapova at Australia and to Serena at Miami revealed that her competitive desire was gone..

“Well, those were the defeats that make me understand that I wasn't burning this fire anymore,” she said. “Against Serena in Miami, my first reaction was, ‘Okay, I want to give up now.’”

She also spoke about her close, enduring relationship with her long-time coach Carlos Rodriguez, who she will continue to work with at her academies in Florida and Belgium. She is also looking forward to throwing herself into her charitable foundation, which is focused on children.

Henin marveled that such a fine generation of players as herself and Kim Clijsters had come out of Belgium. She wasn’t optimistic such a bright field would emerge anytime soon. “Let's be pragmatic,” she said. “It's a small country. It's difficult to find players like us for two generations in a row.”

However, the line that stuck out for me, however was this: “But now I'm just going to be the real Justine,” she said midway through the press conference. Who was the Justine we knew in the tennis world if not the real one? I suppose we shall discover in the years to come.

Meantime, here are a couple of stories that ran this week in USA Today on men’s frontrunner Nadal and the wide-open women’s field. Either later today or tomorrow, I’ll post my French Open picks and a few other thoughts on the leading contenders.

The Wizard of Oz

Douglas Robson — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:24:28 GMT

Young Stars Vaidisova, Chakvetadze, Gasquet Lacking Something

Player fortunes have always ebbed and flowed, affected by everything from injuries to confidence to off-court issues to their general development (or lack thereof) vis a vis the rest of the field. I’ve been particularly struck by the poor results posted this year by Nicole Vaidisova and Anna Chakvetadze, two of the WTA's most hyped young stars, and by Richard Gasquet, who seemed to come into his own in '07. In a way, this trio reminded me of the scarecrow, lion and tin man in the Wizard of Oz. More on that in a moment.

Vaidisova, who at 17 reached the ’06 French Open semifinals and then the last four at the ’07 Australian Open, is a dismal 1-4 in her last five matches, including three consecutive first-round losses. Before the rains hit Rome Monday, she was down a set and leading 2-1 against Ekaterina Makarova. The 19-year-old Czech ranked as high as No. 7 a year ago but is now No. 17 and falling fast.

Chakvetadze is mired in her own mini-slump. The 21-year-old Russian finished last season at No. 6 following her run to the U.S. Open semis but this year has lost in the opening match in five of her 10 tournaments. She is also batting .500 since March, going 4-4 in her matches. Although she and her family suffered a scary home invasion/robbery at her house in Moscow in December that would have rattled anyone, Chakvetadze, who has one title (Paris indoors), has beaten just one top-10 player all season, the equally floundering Marion Bartoli. The No. 8 Russian’s place in the top-10 is in jeopardy (she has yet to play her opening match in Rome).

On the men’s side, Frenchman Gasquet is 5-6 since reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open. Last year’s Wimbledon semifinalist has barely been able to notch a decent win since he lost to James Blake and then begged off Davis Cup duty in France’s quarterfinal defeat to the USA. On Monday, the 21-year-old hit another low note, falling 6-3, 6-2 to Italy’s Andreas Seppi at Hamburg in 71 minutes.

"I am not confident at all for Roland Garros, but you can never say never, I will try to do my best there, of course, “ a dispirited Gasquet said in news reports after the loss.

It’s tough to know what exactly is ailing these three young promising stars. Many players that achieve success need time to adjust to the new pressures of being a marked man or woman. None of these players, however, is a tour neophyte, despite their tender ages. Injuries may have played a role (for instance, Chakvetadze had a thigh problem earlier this year), but none has had a major or debilitating ailment. For me, what these three require is a transplant of one kind or another.

I’ve never been fond of Vaidisova’s big, erratic and seemingly tact-less game plan, and perhaps it has caught up to her. Players know if they get her serve back and keep a few balls in play, she is as liable to hit a winner as she is to rip one into the backstop. She has no Plan B, or at least hasn’t been able to figure out how to diverge from her first-strike strategy. She is our scarecrow in need of a brain.

Chakvetadze has a solid game with decent weapons, but she clearly has not learned to harness it in a consistent way (see her five opening losses). Nor has she shown bravery on the biggest stages, including her miserable match against Svetlana Kuznetsova in last year’s U.S. Open semifinal, one of the ugliest on record. She is our lion in need of some courage.

Gasquet's flashiness has taken him far, and who can’t admire that backhand? But he is rapidly gaining a rap as a gutless quitter, including his inexcusable bailout from singles play in Davis Cup and last year’s lame, fever-induced default in the second round of the U.S. Open when he clearly could have at least attempted to play. He is our tin man in need of a heart.

It will be interesting to see how the two women fare in Rome and how all three do at Roland Garros. If they don’t start to turn around their seasons in Paris, it could be a long and frustrating year. A visit to the local organ donor might be in order.

Safin (Q)

Speaking of unceremonious slips, I noticed that two-time major winner and former No. 1 Marat Safin was forced to qualify for Hamburg. Ouch. ATP stats guru Greg Sharko tells me that this is the first time since Stuttgart in 1998 that Safin had to qualify and is just the fourth time in his career.