Roland Garros FRENCH OPEN 2011

Begins sunday May 22.

Men's Draw
Women's Draw

First round watch: Federer vs Lopez
2nd round watch: Nadal vs Davydenko
Giant-killer Dulko: May meet Stosur in 2nd round.
One to miss: Shaky delPony meets Karlovic in the 1st round.
Biggest cakewalk: Zvonareva

Impressive how easy Sharapova's first few rounds should be before it gets potentially iffy.

i dunno, 3rd round against Zakapalova could be tricky if she plays well.

Wozniacki has a bye to the quarters.

Gonna do myself a nice 'fill in the draw' now as I do before every slam!

Yeah I gotta think a bit about my predictions (before getting them all wrong as usual).

Zvonareva is getting schooled by Shuai Peng right now in Belgium, so I think we can conclude that Bepas clay season is not of a slam caliber.

Bepa hasn't done shit on clay in years and years - I know it started out her best surface but it's got to the stage where I don't expect anything from this part of the season at all. I assume she made some fundamental technical/tactical alteration to her game at some point, maybe because of all the injuries she's had.

Zakopalova will not beat Sharapova or any top player in a Slam, now or ever

Delpo/Djokovic in the third round is HARSH but as I said on the other thread, this is what you get when Delpo lands a 24-32 seed rather than going unseeded. Nole's draw is about as tough as you get really - even after Delpo there's either Bellucci or resurgent Gasquet in round four (Wussquet might actually be preferable given the implausibility of him ever manning up at RG). Gulbis lurks in that section too, you never know quite when he'll stop being useless.

Murray/Raonic in the 3rd round is a massive landmine too, can't believe that this time last year Raonic just wasn't on anyone's radar at all - not even in RG qualies.

LOL @ Isner/Nadal round one though.

Poor Kimiko, drawing yet another top seed ;_; Lucic against Shriekapova too ;_; At least only one out of St Kim and Maria can reach the SF.

Li getting Kvitova in the 4th round is vexing, though...watch out for Midget Domi in that section.

Well Zakopalova did beat Seles in Australia 2003!

You never know with Sharapova, so I'm erring on the side of caution although I would certainly expect to see her in the QF

heh, Zakopalova beat Sharapova and Seles back to back in that Slam. Shriek's first ever Slam main draw, and then a hobbled Seles. That was before she established her pattern on tour though, which is to never ever beat top players ever, apart from that one time Silliams tanked to her.

Of course, in their only encounter Date-Krumm managed to take Caro to three sets. We can dream.

My wacky prediction!

QF

Wozniacki def Safarova
Pavlyuchenkova def Peng
Kvitova def Azarenka
Clijsters def Sharapova

SF

Wozniacki def Pavlyuchenkova
Kvitova def Clijsters

F

Kvitova def Wozniacki

Because why not...

Early upsets: Safarova def Goerges and Stosur / Vesnina def Li / Peng def Schiavone

Women's qualies done and dusted - interesting qualifiers are Sloane Stephens (US prospect who's had a pretty good clay season and seems to have impressed people w/her good attitude as well as game), Heather Watson (wow, she really is leaving Robson in the dust) and Sabine Lisicki (hot on the comeback trail). Will wait for them to be placed before making predictions.

Karatantcheva couldn't make it out of qualies ;_; Though I note that a girl from Hong Kong, Ling Zhang, won a qualifying round, against one of the terminally useless Pliskova twins. When was the last time a HKG player won a Slam match? If ever?

Considering whether Peng will upset Schiavone or not...it's the obvious pick given their respective forms. I have a feeling that Fran's defence of her title will be similar to Costa's in 2003, though. Totally unexpected winner written of as a "fluke", but put up a lionhearted defence despite poor form - I remember he fought through like three five-setters before finally falling in the SF. Wouldn't surprise me if Fran does the same, she has that moxie that 99% of the tour lacks.

Women's qualies placed. Predix from 4R!

Wozniacki d. Begu
Goerges d. Stosur
Zvonareva d. Pavlyuchenkova
Schiavone d. Mattek-Sands
Kvitova d. Li
Azarenka d. Watson
Sharapova d. Radwanska
Clijsters d. Hradecka

Wozniacki d. Goerges
Schiavone d. Zvonareva
Kvitova d. Azarenka
Sharapova d. Clijsters

Wozniacki d. Schiavone
Kvitova d. Sharapova

Kvitova d. Wozniacki

That actually looks too NORMAL to happen. Christ, I have no idea whatsoever.

F

Kvitova def Wozniacki

ha, I hadn't even looked at yours when I made mine! ~consensus~

Men's predix:

Nadal d. Monaco
Soderling d. Simon
Murray d. Dolgopolov
F.Mayer d. Roger-Vasselin
Ferrer d. Monfils
Federer d. Tsonga
Berdych d. Cilic
Djokovic d. Bellucci

Nadal d. Soderling
Murray d. F.Mayer
Ferrer d. Federer
Djokovic d. Berdych

Nadal d. Murray
Djokovic d. Ferrer

Djokovic d. Nadal

Wow Watson's draw really is rather great... Fourth round isn't beyond the realms of possibility.

QF
stosur d wozniacki
pavlyuchenkova d schiavone
azarenka d kvitova
clijsters d sharapova

SF
stosur d pavlyuchenkova
azarenka d clijsters

F
azarenka d stosur

I.. don't even know. Looking at it it doesn't look right.

QF
nadal d simon
murray d almagro
federer d ferrer
djokovic d berdych

SF
murray d nadal
djokovic d federer

F
djokovic d murray

Murray d. Nadal? And I thought my predictions were wacky!

yeah about the only way I think that will happen is if Nadal's kneecaps pop off

I had to deviate on something.

the sensible choice wld be murray going out even earlier imo

He had that glimpse in his eye, during the match with Djokovic, of one who will go to the final of a Slam and lose.

or a glimmer, even

So the first Sunday isn't all that packed with top tier matcher. Poor, mentally unstable Mathilde Johansson will have to play in front of the home crowd on Philippe Catrier, vs Görges, as the late night attraction.

Meanwhile Sunny Woz took her first red clay trophy in Brussels, with another three setter against Peng. By all accounts a fairly poor match and surely a taxing lead-up to the French.

yeah about the only way I think that will happen is if Nadal's kneecaps pop off

― I HAVE ISSUES (DJP), Friday, May 20, 2011 6:52 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

So like a 1% chance?

It seems to me that Djokovic and Nadal both got unusually difficult quarters.

Meanwhile Sunny Woz took her first red clay trophy in Brussels, with another three setter against Peng. By all accounts a fairly poor match and surely a taxing lead-up to the French.

i tuned in at 4-3 in the final set, to be greeted with fucking moonball rallies. women's tennis just needs some Steffi figure to come along and slaughter everyone. Steffi herself could probably do it.

moonball rallies WITH UNFORCED ERRORS, to be precise

as for tomorrow's sched...I wonder about Sweta/Rybarikova. Rybarikova's historically been really bad on clay but she seems to have improved this year, including a win over Kvitova last week, and Sweta is really losing to ANYONE right now - Begu, McHale, the GREAT ARN, anyone.

Peer/Martinez Sanchez - both slumping but both have strong clay pedigrees, no idea who'll take it.

Pironkova to be put out of her misery asap, I see. First seed out. And the last time she'll ever be seeded at a Slam.

Tennis needs my girl SERENA back <3

a Serena with a work ethic and without the unpleasant personality would be grand.

like Maria though, women's tennis is so bad that I'd actually welcome formerly-disliked players like her and Silliams to come back and kill everyone, just to show them up as the losers they are.

This does not extend to St Kim.

I would say I want Justine back but the less said about that the better.

I'm not having any of that unpleasant personality shit! She's brilliance in every way with absolutely no flaws at all...

Justine was usually a fun source of entertainment or drama, so yeah I kinda miss her (even if I still hold an irrational grudge against her for the 03 French semifinal). St Kim is just so bloody DULL. If she wins the French having played, like, 2 matches on the surface in the last 5 years I'm done.

I switched on the red button this morning looking for the LEN Synchro Cup (the Russian team does a routine wearing swimming costumes with SKELETON RIBCAGES on!) only to find Sam Stosur hitting an easy winner... into the net. We're off to a great start :/

Well she's played pretty decently today and now finished it off, 6-2 6-3

Yep - I think I caught her worst shot of the match just then! Ferrer and Nieminen next.

Lol Pironkova won a match.

Cilic on his way out.

Bad news for fans of aesthetically unpleasing tennis - Pe'er bounced by Martinez Sanchez. If anyone cared and said this was an "upset" they'd be wrong. MJMS has loads of clay bona fides and Pe'er lost to Dellacqua last week. The last point was moonbally enough to prepare me for seven Wozniacki matches, should they occur.

Gulbis lurks in that section too, you never know quite when he'll stop being useless.

"Not today" appears to be a fair guess...

Asking myself if I hate myself enough to sit through Dokic/Dushevina, the answer is yes. Dokic is more than capable of playing half a decent match, and it'd be great if she played a complete one here, but so far the brilliance has then been followed by loose service games :(

Gulbis has now lost six Slam opening rounds in a row. Useless rich boy. Just retire.

Other than the shock of Pironkova winning a match, I'm not particularly unhappy that the Sunday start caught me unawares yet again.

Johansson lost her match serving 3 double faults in a row.

lol Johansson.. one of the sadder players to watch lose at RG, but at least it wasn't as tragic as last year.

was that the Diatchenko match? something like 8 match points and she served double faults on 4 of them, and lost 8-10 in the third.

Olivia Sanchez's first serve stats in the first set of her 0 and 1 loss to Hercog: 3/21

HOW DO YOU EVEN DO THAT

I'm positive that the Diatchenko match was 2009

Most boring opening day ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geqWAEKEesM

serious lols.

that was amazing

too hilarious to feel remotely sorry for her

even Hantuchova would mock her

First two points of RG '11 I saw: two Caravane double faults!

Keothavong is actually up a set.

Del Potro down a set :[

Will Begu provide the first dramatic choke???

No... No she won't. Rezai's tactic of whacking the ball twenty metres long didn't quite cut it.

That was so bad from both

Oudin BELIEVING her way to a 2 and 0 loss to Fran will put a smile back on my face though

Shame about Keothavong's tiebreaker.

oh dear. Errani def McHale 9-7 in the 3rd from 0-5 down.

Oh dear indeed.

Keothavong letting her own lead slip is, shall we say, not unprecedented.

Keothavong loses after 3.5 hrs on...

...wait for it...

...a double fault.

Learn to serve for fuck's sake, WTA.

Who the hell is Dolonts?

Dolonts = now-married Manasieva

Ohh okay. I thought it was some new Russian junior. Could be worse then really. Anne was up a set 2-0 40-30 and missed an open court volley though :-X

Another day without particularly exciting matches, so far. Bartoli doing some weird things on center court, losing the first, winning the second, getting commentators annoyed with her quirks.

Berdman somehow losing from two sets up to a French qualifier of no particular distinction probably merited as "exciting" though I suspect if I'd watched any of it I'd be facedesking as hard as I did at Rezai earlier (that match genuinely turned me off tennis for the day).

GO KIMIKO YOU CAN, UM, TOTALLY DO IT

okay so by the scoreline this looks like a massacre

Yeah but Date-Krumm still has more winners than Caro. Seems to be serving really poorly, though. (Not watching the match, not with that scoreline)

Obviously the internet gives a soap box to all sorts of bizarre opinions but this one that popped up as a "related item" while I was gazing at a rather pleasing photo of Gael Monfils in surprisingly well-suited purple shorts seemed incredibly bizarre.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/709779-little-knowns-to-take-french-open-gael-monfils-and-alexandr-dolgopolov-in-final

obviously that article is crazy, but so much money has come in on Dolgopolov to win the French that my sportsbook removed him from their odds.

Oh hai let's look at the precedent of SURPRISE finalists eight years ago and override the more pressing and more recent precedent of several extremely dominant top-rated players who were also actually clay-proficient!

Haha the hell? He is still around 370 at betfair...

I have nothing against Sharapova. In fact, her absence from Slam later rounds has made my heart grow fonder. And all credit to her for picking up good results on clay.

But man, would it be sweet if Lucic were to beat her, as near-impossible as that must be.

Tuned into that. First four points I saw:

Sharapova double fault
Sharapova double fault
Lucic whacks second serve return long
Lucic whacks second serve return long

LEARN TO PLAY TENNIS BETTER, LADIES

(Morita/Mladenovic was pretty good though. Wish I'd stayed there tbh.)

I <3 Mladenovic! Seeing her at the Hopman Cup being a general bad-ass bitch and pwning Murray in doubles was beyong great.

Okay, from 3-3, Lucic didn't win another game :(

I switched back in disgust. Wise decision: the final stages of Morita/Mladenovic were quite good, Mladenovic maybe a bit erratic but Morita coming back from 3-5* in the third and battling through a huge final game was as much to do with her. I've never been impressed with Morita before but her results this year indicated that she's stepped something up, and this confirmed it.

Slow start from Maria, serve-wise most importantly, but 2nd set acceptable. Only lost four points in that one.

Oh man if Ivanovic manages to lose to LARSSON I will laugh for days.

Truly :|

Particularly after a set point! Oh dear, this woman is a slam winner.

4 set points wasted. 1st set to Larsson lolololol

loooooooooooooooooooooool

I wasn't going to bother, but Ivanovic losing brings the lols, especially when she looks all lost and surprised for no reason.

Also the bleatings of her fans who still believe she will get back to #1 even though she's almost but not quite illegitimate of ever having BEEN it in the first place NEVER FAIL TO AMUSE.

funny, when you see most top players at 5-5 in a set, you assume they'll pull through. With Ivanovic...vice versa.

Well, I guess she isn't really a top player any more. I hope she gets down on her knees and thanks Justine nightly, because Henin's first retirement is the ONLY reason Ivanovic can call herself a former Slam champ and No 1.

She'll still win this match, of course. Losing against Larsson is just... impossible.

It's not like Henin was going to win the French in 2008 anyway.

True, but it was her retirement and immediate removal from the rankings that gave Ivanovic the first couple of weeks at the summit, wasn't it?

True, but it was her retirement and immediate removal from the rankings that gave Ivanovic the first couple of weeks at the summit, wasn't it?

almost her entire reign at No 1 - Henin's "phantom points" would have kept her at No 1 through August. iirc Ivanovic lost No 1 first temporarily during August and then for good after the USO.

Yeah but I don't think Henin's retirement is why Ivanovic can call herself "a former Slam champ".

This PointStream business is interesting. http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/pointstream/index.html

Not sure I understand how the momentum bit works, though.

I think even a distracted Henin with her foot halfway out of the door would have been able to take RG that year. Let's not forget the void she left was such that EVEN IVANOVIC (© Hingis) could win it.

Sometimes I cry myself to sleep at night wondering how Serena hasn't won the last 3 french opens.

Oh she's won enough.

If only Serena felt as strongly

She's coming back at Wimbledon but I hope her return can co-exist with her newfound love of trolling.

I bet Serena cared a lot! She always plays with such caution and nerves at the French ugh.

Anyway I am pretty sure we're in for a hilarious 3rd set here. prediction: Larsson wins 9-7? maybe 10-8? I think that's the score Ana lost to Makarova against in Australia.

Cibulkova/King in epic tie-break so far.. 9-9, well, OK, that's not that big, but it's probably more interesting than Ivanovic.

lol, Ivanovic was a point away from being down 1-5. 2-4 instead and now she'll probably take the match.

She'll still win this match, of course. Losing against Larsson is just... impossible.

lol. or not!

What a delightful scoreLINA that turned out to be!

I must say managing to lose TWO matches in which you bagel your opponent within the space of a month is quite some achievement for Ana

It's mental. Something's seriously wrong with her head.

Hey look at that John Isner broke Nadal.

Isner won a set against Nadal on clay.

Hilarious.

Albeit in a tie-break.

Let's all speculate heavily on Dolgopolov now!

OMG lol. Just got back. 1 set all between Isner & Nadal WTF is this? 7-2 for Isner in a tiebreak?

And Larsson won that 3rd set rather easier than I predicted. Former semifinalist Cibulkova out at the first hurdle.

oh she lost to Vania King, yay

she is my favorite player whom I've never seen play

Isner's winner count is impressive, it has to be said. He's got quite the forehand too, but I just imagine Nadal will be able to drill his backhand and mix with some low balls and come through so I'm going to see if Andrea Hlavackova has as good a game as name v 'Renka.

C'mon Isner. I want a tiebreak.

Hlavackova is like the most gorgeous girl on the tour.

Azarenka: spraying balls widely but finding range now. Wearing nice purple outfit.
Hlavackova: Good serve when she gets the first one in. Stunning!

x-post!

I just lost money betting "in play" on Elena Vesnina. Doh.

Isner is now up 4-1 and on serve in the 3rd set tiebreaker. Hey is anybody actually watching this?

I am for the past 2 mns cos this scoreline was very surprising.

Wow, Isner's playing a very, very gutsy tie-breaker... got a mini-break, two cheap points, try something... Not that Nadal doesn't win games on talent, but one wonders how much also comes from timidity on opponents' part.

Tho one wonders if he misses the odd first serve or Nadal gets a decent return in whether he'll hold enoguh points!

So is Nadal just playing bad or is Isner on fire? Combination?

wtf!

I have to say, when Nadal does worried/sad face I find him incredibly hot, which is not usually true.

Nadal's groundstrokes are NOT as ferocious as usual. Two uncharacteristic errors to lose that breaker.

Wow. Isner up 2 to 1.

I'm listening to the commentary at work. Blimey.

oh rafa.

if Nadal goes out in the first round... I can't even imagine

This means that Nadal has now lost 12 sets overall at RG. Including 2 to Isner o_O

not watching this btw, stuck at work. :(

omggggg i don't have the time right now to be paying attention to this! aargh

Nadal out to Isner. The idea is too funny not to laugh if he takes this.

I already like Isner but if he wins this he will become my favorite American male tennis player since Michael Chang

I'm sure Nadal will still win. Isner will lose concentration or start overpressing or something (like he's done on the first two points of this set)... There's, like, no way Nadal could go out in the first round of the french open... against an American of all things.

Djokovic pretty much can't not become #1 if Nadal loses, right. STILL, I don't believe it's going to happen. How can it?

I kind of think Isner is a well-meaning, friendly generic jock type who is impossible to dislike, so good on him if he takes this.

elsewhere, young Harrison took the second set against soderling. good boy.

I think Nadal pretty much has to win in order to stay number one, and even then if Djokovic makes the finals he takes over #1 anyways.

Even if when Nadal makes it through, a 5 setter against Isner won't exactly fill him with confidence.

And go Harrison! Love that kid.

actually I'm not sure losing a couple of TBs to Isner is that much to worry about - it's not ideal but it's due to the freakshow aspect of Isner's game and it can happen to anyone - iirc Isner even got a TB off Fed in his very first USO. Same for Karlovic.

Didn't see the second set TB, but Nadal won one point on serve in the 3rd set TB. That's pretty worrying.

Also, clay can surely only blunt a big serve so much, if it's coming down at 220+ that's big on any surface and not too many others are going to be able to hold as easily as Isner.

But at least Isner's willing to change up, rush the net, take advantage. You don't see it that much!

also belatedly I am shocked that Cibulkova lost, especially after winning that marathon TB, but Vania's cool I guess.

Well it was fun whilst it lasted. :[

Tragically no 5th set TBs. See ya, John.

I kind of think Isner is a well-meaning, friendly generic jock type who is impossible to dislike, so good on him if he takes this.

maybe he'll be able to make a touch more headway when he tries to flirt with Woz and Petkorazzi now?

Predictions of the scoreline for the 5th? I bet it's pretty short.

Short like King and Cibulkova, what a tiny match-up that would have been.

6-4 Nadal, if I'm being optimistic :/

70–68

lol

Just charge the net on every single point, John.

Cor they just flashed up the stats for the 4th - ZERO unforced errors for Rafa.

Rafa breaks to love! I would be surprised if this match had another twist to go.

Isner, I'm bored of you now.

Time to watch the irritance that is Baltacha get knocked out.

Match point for Rafa after a great rally.

Well it wasn't a great match for Rafa no matter how well Isner serves.

Well, Isner showed some stones at the net, but Rafa's passing seemed a bit sub-par, hitting the net a few times, hitting really tame shots that Isner was all over at others.

If this really is an indicator of Rafa's form, I note with some possibly misplaced hope that KING KOLYA lurks as a third-round opponent

OK they're showing match points from previous games and I saw that Almagro was beaten by Kubot. That in itself was a bit of a surprise, I thought Almagro was a good clay player.
And then they showed Kubot celebrating his victory and he has this kind of ridiculous French can-can celebration !!!

Kubot, with his sleeveless top, looks like about 500 people I see when I hit a gay club (not often, honest guv). Good effort coming from two sets down though!

What the fuck Sloane?!

Clijsters looks like she could walk off the court and straight behind the counter of some kind of ice cream parlour. Doubt she'll lose more than four games anyway.

So many ads for tourism is Kazakhstan on Eurosport! First half of Eastern Europe's tennis players, now, their fans, too?

AHAHAHAHAHA CLIJSTER'S OUTFIT LOL

Mm, she's going to do enough to win, but she'll want to improve a fair whack on this to beat Sharapova.

OMFG Jovanovski's grunt.

Dimitrov continuing to disappoint, I see. "Baby Fed" moniker works as far as both their early careers are concerned so far, anyway.

O brave new world where I have the choice of watching Pauline Parmentier vs. Ksenia Pervak on a live stream. (If I was less busy, I'd perhaps take it up.)

That was Patty Schnyder's last match, if my twitter sources are correct. Surprised to see Cirstea win another Slam level duel.

As for that tiresome St Kim. After seeing her weird unwillingness to slide and go all out physically today (obviously didn't watch the whole match, but enough), my theory is that she's paranoid about playing on clay. She's got it into her head that she's far more likely to suffer an injury on it than anywhere else, and dealing with injuries is the main thing that caused her to quit in the first place. We know from the radiation fiasco this year that she has a slightly paranoid personality and isn't very clever, it all fits with everything she's said in her comeback too (dislike of clay, focus on Wimbledon etc). And this is why she's so keen to avoid playing the clay warm-ups, and has probably only turned up here because even she can see that she has a great shot of titling even playing at 20% of her ability.

I guess Batty was a bit of a walking bye, I wish Kimiko or Anne K would have drawn her :(

Although Keothavong would probably have found a way to lose anyway.

It's been ~time to retire~ for Batty for a while now, it must have been a year at least since I last saw her look interested in the outcome of a match. Hopefully we finally get those long-promised memoirs. Also, lol @ one of her meagre three wins in her last season being over Ivanovic.

Saw a video of Rezai crying after her loss on the roland garros website :/ She seems a rather lonely figure on tour... She's certainly an acquired personality and there's been a lot of shit with her dad. I hope she can find some sort of consistency in her game again.

I love Caravane so much :( It's sad, because she did seem like she had the potential to do what Kvitova's done this year. Such massive power. And these days, so much of it directed 5 miles out of court. Also, her outfits are like Nicki Minaj's idea of a tennis dress.

I think she's less lonely than CAKE, at least more accepted among the other French girls.

Really brave of La Razz to play today btw, glad to see players rally around her (if you didn't know, her coach/fiancé died of a brain tumour last week, and as he was dying asked her to play RG for him). Slightly ironic that she played Gajdosova, who's also suddenly missing a partner, though through divorce rather than death.

haha, Mauresmo is playing mixed doubles with Llodra - because apparently he just entered their names into the draw without telling her!

kinda excited about Bepa vs. Lisicki today, even though Sabine will probably lose 6-3 6-1 :(

What the hey is Goerges doing.

until a few weeks ago, Safarova would have been the favourite in that match-up. Goerges had a great couple of tournaments but I'm yet to be convinced she's good for any more than that (cf MJMS, Rezai last year).

...though one should never underestimate Lucie's brainlessness.

Wozniak looking to take the 2nd set in this tie-breaker.

Well she would've if she capitalized on Caros moonballing leading 6-3 in that TB. Ended up wasting it all.

People are saying Caro gamemanship'd her way out of the TB slump .

fuck. Wozniak had 3 set points? UGH STUPID GIRL.

I was looking proud of my Safarova pick when she led 6-2 but whatever. Goerges has a better chance of taking the Woz out.

I think Hantuchova may take out the Woz.

So Canadian Marino took the 2nd set against MJMS and we have a match.

Hantuchova is much too pathetic to beat the Woz. Like, she just wouldn't allow herself to win that.

Lookout everybody. Kuznetsova seems to have decided to play quite well this tournament??

LOL @ the idea of Hanturexia winning an important Slam match over a top player who won't be fazed by her masterful "hit flat, flat, flat, pray for winner" strategy.

Revenge for Sweta over Begu! A bit surprised by that. Paves the way for her to UE her way out to Wozniacki in the 4th round.

I feel like I say this at every Slam these days, but I really should accept that the dynamic and creative game that Nishikori had pre-elbow injury isn't going to come back :(

WTF is Ice Cream doing, only winning TWO games off NLV? Why why why do we have to live through a Llagostera Vives revival ;_;

Tipsy has lost 11 games across his two matches so far, including two bagel sets...a chance against Fed? I think so! Or, you know, a chance to go two sets up and then choke, as per usual.

Hantuchoka approached the net several times today... that's all you need to do to stop Wozniacki's moonballing extravaganza.

Lindsay Davenport doesn't live in West London, does she? Cos I could have sworn I saw her in the street a couple of days ago.

Well she's in Paris commentating so no you didn't see her!

lol, Stephane Robert just won three games off Fabio Fognini. Good going Berdych!

Lisicki takes the first set!

Bepaaaaaa :(

Handed her second set break back with stupidity, now a game away from going out.

Though even if she wins this, she'd only face the woman who beat her here last year. Yes, that would be Rodionova. I wonder what Bepa tweaked in her game to make clay her worst surface by some way, after it started out as the one she was most comfortable on?

Gotta be said though, Sabine is playing really well. Good to have her back, she'll be in the top 100 after RG regardless of the result here.

Calm, measured tennis to get through that game from 30-30 and then to break Lisicki again...

Guess I should watch this third set.

Why are the streams at 5-5 in the 2nd??

i'm using this one, seems to be up to date http://vdeportes202.blogspot.com/

thanks!

with perfect timing, it just went down, possibly out of disgust at that...what...slice FH that Bepa dumped into the net?

And now she breaks back, on serve. Can we get a Bepa-tie break?

Bepa saved a MP on her own serve, and then broke Lisicki...bit of a fail game from Sabine there.

Seeing Bepa so calm is FREAKY. She's not doing the grunting or the weird smiling that she was doing last year, just completely icy and emotionless.

If she's calm in a TB I'll get goosebumps. But looks like Sabine is having some issues. Meanwhile Mats Wilander and Anabel Croft are itching to go on air as always.

There didn't seem anything wrong with Sabine! Oh well, part of the game.

Meanwhile, Marsel Ilhan and Guillermo Garcia Lopez are at 11-11! On a non-televised court, naturally.

Oh dear, it does look like Lisicki's really struggling physically now. Just can't compete any more.

bepa's calmness throughout is really creeping me out a bit. sabine still fighting to stay in it.

and there it is.

poor lisicki. this is painful to watch. :(

poor Lisicki. Face down on the ground in floods of tears :(

And stretchered off the court now :(

not the first time either. poor girl can't seem to catch a break injury-wise - she's like the mario ancic of the wta.

Wait what? What happened? How the hell can Lisicki get injured on match point AGAIN and have to be carried off in a stretcher AGAIN?

Apparently Zvonareva was a bitch at the end as well? Somebody please inform me :]

The centre court line-up for tomorrow is solid, but the real fun starts on Friday with the 3rd round. Some great WTA match-ups.

are you actually taking your information from that pit of over-dramatic 12-yr-old hell tennisforum? of course she wasn't. literally nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Ahaha it's amazing reading that forum and realizing tennis can be turned into fanboy/fangirl wars putting the worst I've come across in my years observing videogame and pop music zealots to shame.

these days it's obvious that the hysterical stanning you find re: pop stars has infected women's tennis too, which is totally ironic given that every women's tennis player right now is kind of awful.

i just don't understand that mentality of "i am going to get behind my chosen pop star/tennis player and abandon all my critical faculties and defend everything she does to the death". i think a lot of those people need actual help.

Ha tennisforum is obvs the place to go to get the 411 though.

i think a lot of those people need actual help.

Hah, I think most of them are just regular dumb teenage girls.

But yeah, there are always someone there with the latest news, falsely reported or not.

"The No. 1 players in the world play games some times," Wozniak told the Canadian web site Love Means Nothing. "It’s obvious that for her it was to try to distract me or whatever. There are all kinds of tricks that the players use to take more time, maybe to get their concentration back again."

Wozniacki and Wozniak have said they are friends and did exchange kisses at the net. “I’m respectful,” Wozniak said.

Wozniacki said that the chair umpire should have been more diligent.

"I just think if the linesman just could show where the mark I don't think it's such a big problem if he just says, ‘Okay, it's that mark.’ Fine, fair enough," she said. But, maybe he saw another mark. I don't know. I just think it would be nice to have him check, like the HawkEye. It's the same thing."

That's fun and all, but I'm still pissed at this girl for missing 3 set points.

I love Tennisforum, would never post there myself, but I love the hysterical bitchiness of it; so completely overreactive! Especially all the Ivanovic fans, god, they're so doomed.

Hahaha, the Ivanovic fans. Doomed and deluded.

Meanwhile, 2:18 for the Wozniacki match point. What the hell was...any of that. Literally any shot by Wozniak except the one she played would have won the point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11ytWDbpn28

Also Wozniacki's FH on clay gives me nightmares. Loops up and lands short 90% of the time but apparently no one can put it away. This is why, as much as I dislike Caroline, I really can't hate on her and if I don't have to actually watch it, am actively amused by her winning. Because she's right. She may not do anything on court, but everyone else is worse.

C'mon St Kim please choke this 2nd set away against ARANTXA RUS of all people. It would make my life.

So happy to see a rusty Clijsters.

Don't even think about being broken now, Rus.

I actually always assumed Rus was a boring retriever with no weapons? She can smack the ball!

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

Comedy.

I'll be pissed if St Kim takes this 3rd set easily :[ C'mon Rus!

Can Arantxa do what Ana couldn't?

Amazing. Best letcord winner EVER.

Hahahahaha 1-3 30-30 dropshot attempt

This is my favourite match ever

DF to give Rus 4-1 hahaha this is hilarious.

St Kim is still going to win isn't she :[ :[ :[ :[ :[

hahaha WHAT, just got back from physio appt and WHAT LOLOLOLOLOL

I actually always assumed Rus was a boring retriever with no weapons? She can smack the ball!

this is because you read tennisforum where EVERY player short of Kvitova is called a pusher

Have I just tuned in at the part where Rus's drive to choke is competing with St Kim's drive to tank?

Well we all know what happens when Kim is down 1-5 in the third.

Match point!

Rus playing hard and down the middle is such a good tactic against Kim.

And c'mon abcfsk, I refuse to believe Rus is quite as pathetic as Ivanovic!

If Clijsters wins this I'm going to kill myself

SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE LAST TWO POINTS OMFG FUCK YES THANK YOU TENNIS GODS

YES

I'm crying tears of joy.

St Kim don't even give a fuck lol.

Wow, she did it! with two FH winners at that. Rus is officially no Ivanovic.

So happy that St Kim couldn't pull a Serena and waltz in to win with no preparation. She'd better not win Wimbledon either.

St Kim don't even give a fuck lol.

still vaguely shocked she turned up for RG at all.

'So happy that St Kim couldn't pull a Serena and waltz in to win with no preparation'

Bingo - would be such a sad statement about the wta.

well that's the first good news from dutch tennis since 2003 or something.... :D

Belgian!

lool.

xp well that depends on how you look at things ;)

i missed it all - just came in from dinner, but whut whut whut loooooooool

xp touché

Just in time for Ratko Mladic's arrest: Novak Djokovic as the story of Serbia

Just got home! LOLOLOL at Clijsters. Now I like Kim and see her being #1, if it happens, as being infinitely preferable to Wozniacki, which is why if she has to lose a lol match like this, far better to Arantxa Rus than to Wozniacki herself.

Grrr, it's windy out there today :[

I wish Bepa was playing today. One of the best wind players around atm.

Vania King :D

four breaks in a row - nadal seems tired.

Loads of breaks in the Murray/Bolelli match as well. Maybe the wind.

What a pathetic last game from Andujar.

yeah the wind doesn't help. also i think nadal might have forgotten he's no longer playing isner - keeps standing so far behind the baseline.

Clijsters made 53 unforced errors - and she's probably got the coolest head on the tour. What is WRONG with these people?

Huge lols at Clijsters losing to Arantxa Rus of all people. Now if Caroline Garcia can keep this up, this will be the best day.

Sharapova never adjusts for the wind ughhhh. Don't play so bloody brainlessly.

Lol @ St Kim having the coolest head on tour!

this would be amazing if Garcia pulls it off

surely "brainlessly" is what Sharapova DOES

If Sharapova gets eliminated that semifinalist will be hilarious.

LOLand GarROFL

YES! First set

Somebody please shoot me?

If Sharapova gets eliminated that semifinalist will be hilarious.

I request Latisha Chan

Azarenka is the highest seed left in this section of the draw

...huh

Garcia's actually good! I guess I shouldn't be surprised, she's probably the best French junior ever since Mladenovic just never happened

amazing two winners to start the second set, KEEP IT UP CAROLINE

Three amazing winners! Breaks to love to open the second set! I LOVE that she came out blazing there.

At least I still have Kvitova.

But seriously girl you just beat Wozniacki and Stosur. WHY YOU DO ME THIS WAY? She's so shit at slams nowadays. Stop whacking the ball in this wind kthanks.

it would be one thing if WTA parity meant that everyone was awesome; it's a little disheartening that it actually means that everyone has the ability to be really, really terrible

it would be one thing if WTA parity meant that everyone was awesome; it's a little disheartening that it actually means that everyone has the ability to be really, really terrible

WTA 2005-11 summed up.

Sometimes it means that everyone has the ability to be awesome...but only 2-3 times per year. And really terrible the rest of the time. JELENA JANKOVIC.

Seriously...can't believe Garcia's only won one match this year above 25K level (at the AO, lol, after getting a WC - but that was over Lepchenko, one of the worst players in the top 100. And her 1R win here was over the super-slumping, not-very-good-anyway Ondraskova.)

But seriously girl you just beat Wozniacki and Stosur. WHY YOU DO ME THIS WAY?

Wozniacki and Stosur should be no one's barometer of greatness tbh

Garcia, can you get tight now pleeeeeeeeeeeeease? Not that it'll make much difference with all of Maria's errors but still.

meanwhile I really really REALLY hope Bethanie Mattek-Sands can get into Jelena Jankovic's ginormous head

hahahaha Maria dumping a Garcia slice into the net

Andy Murray's just tweeted that Garcia is a future No 1.

well, if Ivanovic can do it who's to rule out ANYONE.

YES! Bashed that return winner HARD. C'mon double break.

Hahahahahahahahahahahaahahaha why is this girl playing so bloody well?!?!?!

In fairness to Ivanovic, even though she is unbelievably terrible now she DOES have a Slam title on her resume. (Granted it is LOLand GaROFL but that's more than Jankovic ever did, or than Wozniaki has yet to do.)

DOUBLE BREAK!

Windy, wet days at Roland Garros are the BEST. Begone, top players!

This has totally ruined St Kim's loss for me. FFS.

Okay maybe NOW it's time for an epic choke? :D

xxp: basically I see Ivanonvic as a Myskina who didn't have the sense to quit when injuries took her down

also lol @ Sharapova

Hey wait, with stats such as these:

Winning % on 2nd serve: Sharapova 15%, Garcia 18%

-- doesn't it mean that they would do better serving first-serve-style on 2nd serves as well, even at the cost of a larger number of DFs??

Talking of Ivanovic, her conqueror just lost in straight sets to Ekaterina Makarova. Point and laugh.

xxp: basically I see Ivanonvic as a Myskina who didn't have the sense to quit when injuries took her down

see also: Majoli (and Ferrero on the men's side? or Gaudio?)

The same Makarova that beat Ivanovic 1st round Australian Open! Aaah poor girl.

Sharapova won a point. Yay?

Garcia gagging :(

Let's not let Sharapova lol stop comment on the fact that Nadal is now on the verge of losing a set to Pablo Andujar. Is Nadal injured?

wait was there a challenge/overrule that just happened, my scoreboard just went from 30/40 to 40/30

yeah, Sharapova ball called long, ump checked and it was in, point replayed, Sharapova won it, crowd go BOOOOO

oh Garcia, why you gotta be so French

Fucking yesssssss. Played so much more measured in those last 5 games. Not snatching at the ball. Destroy what's left of her spirit now, Maria.

andujar is so fucking dumb

Still quite funny that Maria requires a huge, huge choke from the World No 188 with one win outside of challengers all year to advance.

also yes, wtf is Rafa doing?!

Shit happens. At least she didn't fold like a house of cards, unlike St Kim.

These linespeople suck.

lol @ Andujar

haha andujar/nadal is pretty women's tennis-y.

Rest assured - I have not seen one second of Maria's match after 0-2 in the first set and only dare to enter this thread now that the momentum has turn -- seeing lex & co laugh in my face would just send me over the edge! This was one hell of a scare, though, god DAMN. Well it's not over yet.

andujar failing to convert his 175639245th set point

looool even andujar's coach is openly laughing at him

Would love it if these commentators shut up during points and also stopped acting as if Maria's already won.

If Maria manages lose after being up 5-0 in the third I will lol so hard

Ha Maria totally just gave the crowd a "shut up" gesture. Love it. Good fightback against the, er, future no. 1.

NOW Andujar decides to hold?

Ok, uberweiss, walk me through this - what happened, why didn't she get paid for her first serves, was Garcia as good as Andy Murray says she is.

Up until 3-6 1-4: Garcia for some reason decides to not be some 25K scrub and barely misses a ball, whilst Maria (who has lived in Florida since she was 7?) gets confused by the wind and smacks every ball into the net. Then Garcia's forehand completely deserts her and Maria realises she needs to play some higher percentage shots.

She's played some ok wind matches but it's a crapshoot at best.

Anyway if I can get a shut up-gif out of it I'm happy.

Another possible reason for the comeback:

laurarobson5 Laura Robson
@
@andy_murray Oh snap, I think you jinxed her.
38 minutes ago

3 amazing points by Andujar followed by the stupidest dropshot ever. Nadal's very lucky to have gotten through this in straights.

seriously andujar should've taken that set about an hour ago. anyway Nadal's performance in these first two rounds hasn't been particularly convincing, looking forward to seeing what happens next with Kolya in the next round.

disappointed to see KING KOLYA go down in five to Veic (?!) - gotta think with Rafa in this form he'd have had a great shot in the next round. weird to remember that KING KOLYA started off 2011 by beating Fed and Nadal b2b.

oh wait what kolya lost?! lol i saw the first two rounds and just kinda assumed he won.

bah first two sets i mean. he seemed to have it under control in the second.

http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad255/zevavavoom/masha2.gif

not as good as "allez up your fucking ass"

Nothing is.

Pavlyuchenkova should quit tennis and become a singer instead. Did anybody see her on Game Set and Mats? Twas hilarious.

So one of Kubot, Falla, Chelala and Rosol will make the QF now! I had no idea Rosol was such a flamboyant basher.

Azarenka/Kvitova QF to decide the women's title? Sharapova in the mix too unfortunately. I can totally see Fran as the finalist out of the top half. I think I really need Stosur to lose quickly though.

you know what would make me lol, would be Goerges v Petkovic for the title

Yeah I'm going to need Goerges to beat Stosur and Wozniacki in R4/QF.

although what would REALLY make lol would be Mattek-Sands v King as that would imply that all of the other women spontaneously combusted

Mattek-Sands is so beating Lady JaJa in the next round.

CAKE against Latisha Chan in the final! :D

personally I am hoping for Rus v Llagostera Vives just to see the entire tennis world go "... wha happen"

Just googled why Yung-Jan is called Latisha.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13256480

Totally a fan now. She's hilarious.

OMG I never knew she'd explained it

lol that is awesome

i'm just watching the livescore now and lol @ stosur.

Stosur has shanked more groundstrokes than games won off her own serve. Lol.

"She's a good framer" - Silliams

I was loath to predict this as Stosur beat Dulko easily a couple of weeks ago, but given Dulko's odd giant-killing rep (odd given how fucking bad a closer she is) (which we may well get to see again here), it's not a huge surprise.

Haha, she is getting a high percentage of shots off the frame, but none of them are going in. But Dulko is going to fall apart completely, obviously!

Is Dulko's giant-killing rep really that justified fwiw?

Predicted this, but to be fair Stosur often takes a set to get all the shanks out of the way before steamrolling the opponent.

xp Beat a seed and then lose against a nobody - standard Dulko slam as far as I can remember. Then there was the extra lols of beating Navratilova in her comeback two slams in a row.

Is Dulko's giant-killing rep really that justified fwiw?

She's beaten Sharapova, Azarenka, Ivanovic, Henin, Myskina etc before. The quintessential solid player who can give anyone in a slump some trouble.

then again she is the woman who somehow managed to be double bagelled by Kateryna Bondarenko in the last 16 of a Slam.

She also ended both Navratilova and Davenport's Wimbledon careers! (The first when M-Nav was 95 years old and the second via walkover but when you're Gisela you take what you can get.)

lol @ that trademark Dulko choked volley

I'm still expecting this will end up similar to their last match (3-6 6-2 6-2 to Stosur).

...wow, Ferrer is MURDERING Stakhovsky at the moment, going by the scoreline.

Peng was up a break in the first set but lost it and has now retired? Medical reasons apparently... blood pressure taken? Sad...

Oh poor Shuai :(

She's stepped up so well this year, too.

I'll call Tipsy to win one set, maybe two off Fed next

I hope that starts soon as Stosur/Dulko is just... well, not very good.

Dulko is 4/14 on break points. LOL.

...but she breaks as Stosur shanks a BH outside the doubles court.

Thank goodness, Fed/Tipsy is on.

Oh Janko, that wasn't a good drop shot.

Fed up a break. Probably no need to watch Dulko serve the match out because.. I'm sure it won't be the only time she tries to do it...

right, now will Dulko serve this out? (I'm still not actually watching, stuck at work, grumble grumble...)

lol xpost

Well perhaps it will be.

And to love to boot! Well done Gisela.

looooool. now watch her lose the next round.

In other news, Kuznetsova up a double break over Marino.

Quickest I've ever seen Dulko serve out a match.

And Federer is pwning. Two breaks. 11 winners to 2 so far. Though nothing astounding yet.

MariyaKTennis

Gisela's sign said, "For Myla and Teo," the twins her brother and coach Alejandro tweeted were born yesterday
6 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Lady JaJa up a set over Mattek-Sands. Kutznetsova gets a bagel over Marino. Hmm, could be dangerous next round maybe, although not having seen Marino play, isn't she just a big server/hitter who wouldn't be that good on clay?

Marino skipped almost the whole clay season because she's so uncomfortable on it. Surprised she's still around, but I guess she has zero pressure on her. And apparently the RG courts are playing much faster than usual this year, plenty of big hitter types have done surprisingly well.

Obviously my Mattek and Tipsy predictions were way off!

Kuznetsova only hit 2 unforced errors in that first set, so something's up. Could see her in the final.

I think Stosur (and Tipsy!) should be a lesson not to judge a player by the results they put up over scrubs.

Eurosport commentator was talking about the "Bartoli-Goerges affair" up next, which sounded like some kind of high-end diplomatic intrigue. It's starting now.

Gorgeous already two breaks up.

Tipsarevic is playing well now!

J Gorgeous wears Sharapova and plays like her, I'm almost confused.

If Gorges actually loses to Bartoli here despite the disparity in winners/unforced errors between the two that would be pretty funny. Though if that happened I'm pretty sure it would guarantee a semifinal slot to Wozniacki.

ALLEZ CAKE

ugh cake

How cute, Goerges' nail polish is the same color as her top. Also, Bartoli's little hopping - bobbing all the time really annoys me for some reason.

Hey look, Hantuchova is up early over Wozniacki. I wonder if she'll blow it.

Hantuchova's backhand is on FIYAH!

Suddenly, that time when Hantuchova was ranked top 5 and not an object of regular hilarity doesn't seem 8 years ago...

Told y'all!

This is a very popular result in my household so far! Hantuchova is playing amazing and Wozniacki just looks shit. This looks like the Kvitova massacre at Wimbledon again SO FAR.

lulz you kids and your belief in Hantuchova

when she starts off winning early, all it means is she has further to fall

Meanwhile, how many deuces was in the 4-1 game in the Goerges/Bartoli?

LET US HAVE OUR MOMENT THIS ONCE :(

We know what is coming, but we are not afraid to fall!

ALLEZ!!!!!! Cake gets her 5-1 lead after an epic game with many in-yr-face cries.

Gorgeous is such an overhyped basher. CAKE, on the other hand, might be my favourite thing in women's tennis <3 <3

LET US HAVE OUR MOMENT THIS ONCE :(

We know what is coming, but we are not afraid to fall!

Spoken like a true former fan of Demented!

Also: smart drop shots, brilliantly executed!

hate cake

I like CAKE's dotty personality but I don't really find her endearing on court, quirky as her game is.

I also like how everything Lex likes in tennis he hates in music.

15 winners to 0.

Oh wait, Wozniacki hit a winner!

Lovely disguised dropshot, three MPs for CAKE <3

Cake takes it, meanwhile HUGE hitting from Daniela

Massive BH winner to finish it off!

CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE <3 <3 <3

Playing like this - and it surely can't last, she is getting SO lucky hitting those lines - Hantuchova could beat a lot of people. Of course, most other top players wouldn't hit every forehand barely past the service line, but still!

Remember 6-0, 2-0 in the AO semi-final that year?

Why I don't believe I do!

Remember that time Silliams was literally crippled on court and Hantuchova just kept hittin' it back, back, back to her and then cried?

hahahaha

Wozniacki is playing horribly and it is hilarious

Remember that time Silliams was literally crippled on court and Hantuchova just kept hittin' it back, back, back to her and then cried?

No? What ever are you talking about?

Oh ffs the commentator has just brought up 6-0 2-0 :(

And on queue, a double fault! But really, what has Wozniacki even got? She has no weapons apart from the backhand.

4-0! :D :D

oh damn that drop shot

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DROP

CLAY GOAT

This is basically win-win in terms of hilarity anyway - either Woz gets crushed and is OUT, or Hanturexia essays yet another all-time choke

You're talking like a tennisforum denizen, careful!

x-post

I have to go away from the computer now (to play tennis), so if she does choke the comedic impact will be much greater when I find out.

Holy shit. 15/40. Two aces.

Well on that one shot it looked not-up on one of the angles..

NOT LIKE THIS.

After the 6-1 set I told my coworker that Hantuchova would go up 4-0 in the second and then blow the match. Well on her way already.

Point and laugh.

Quiet, you.

I mean, how bad is it for the WTA that the DOMINANT PLAYER ON POINTS could be pushed around for a set and a half by Hantuchova, who could then potentially go to pieces at a moment's notice?

Women's tennis, forever.

Big, confident hold to go up 5-3.

It's over!

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

MAGIC!

hahahahahahahahaha Woz

DING DONG THE SMOKING HOT VERY PLEASANT WITCH IS DEAD

TF watch: four threads commemorating the result and one asking what Caroline needs to do to win a slam. RETIRE INSTEAD K THX.

Woz will say in her presser that she is fatigued, and one of the hacks present had better retort "well what the fuck did you think you were doing playing 9498439420 consecutive weeks on clay before a Slam"

Hey, as long as Daniela flops in the next round this top half could end REALLY WELL. Who's left: Sweta, Bepa, CAKE, Fran, JaJa...all players I love.

Ah. The explanation for Sweta's random return to form: apparently Myskina has flown in to work with her!

haha I was wondering if you were going to catch that

I attribute Sweta's return to form to variance.

Jankovic for the final where she'll win about one game, anyone?

Just to, you know, drive the point home about the awful state of women's tennis:

@Kfish_WTA Kevin Fischer
2011 Roland Garros is 1st time in Open Era neither No.1 or No.2 women's seed has made last 16 at a major

Does that make this like the women's equiv of the men's 2002 Aus open?

i guess it does! jesus forgot how bad it was before roger went into god mode.

The men's game seems like such an embarrassment of riches now that it seems crazy to think that there was a time, back in 2002, when Jan Michael Gambill was seeded 19.

Bepa vs Crazy Nastya is.. odd. Nastya can't seem to hold her serve despite getting to 40. Bepa having some trouble too, and the game seems to have gone on forever, far longer than the scoreline would suggest.

Well now Bepa will chokeserve for it!

Good job Vera. Now, If you can't beat the winner of Pavlyuchenkova/Llagostera Vives,... etc etc.

Hey Jo-Wilfred, it'd be nice if you got this over and done with quick-ish now so I don't have to wake up at like 4 am to see the end of Djokovic-Delpo.

^^^ this.

I should have gone to bed early and woken up for that, but something told me Hantuchova/Woz was going to be worth watching. Glad I listened for once.

oh yeah ed, you're in australia right, so it's about 2 am there? i applaud your commitment - it's midnight here and I'm pretty sure I will probably fall asleep midway through Nole-Delpo. :(

yep. And the French is the only Slam that's not televised here on regular TV. Used to be, but hasn't been since about '06. I'm very very lucky that I can live near-nocturnally during slam time as my work is done remotely.

I have to go to a wedding party, no way will Nole/Delpo finish by the time I have to leave :(

seriously Tsonga, get it done. sigh, why do you have to be French?

A-Pav just went down a break to NLV.

Now, when was the last time NLV meant something? I think it was about 2005 when she beat someone I disliked but damned if I can remember who,

jesus christ woz one and three? to hantuchova?

OH NO ANOTHER SET IN TSONGA/WAWRINKA FFS

bah frenchies.

lol i see Gasquet lost the third after being up two sets too.

i kind of hate tsonga & hope he loses

Just to, you know, drive the point home about the awful state of women's tennis:

I don't know. The top 2 seeds are what's driving that point home - the top half of the women's draw now is filled with dangerous players who SHOULD get this far in a tournament. Better than usual imo.

Do't give your break back, Tsonga! Oh, screw this, I love Del Pony but I can't wait another hour to watch him get probably beaten down by Nole :(

Re: the top 2 seeds, let's all take a moment to consider that if Clijsters retired again and people stepped up and beat Wozniacki, Zvonareva would be #1 and arguably end up being spoken about the same way people talk about Safina. This is why I really, really hope Kvitova wins.

the top half of the women's draw now is filled with dangerous players who SHOULD get this far in a tournament

what drives the point home is also that all of these players spend half the year losing in 1Rs and 2Rs to nobody, which is why Woz is No 1 by so much. undeniably, against anyone with a modicum of confidence and aggression playing well, Woz looks utterly helpless. and yet...you can't say they're better than her when they can only do that 3 times a year.

Yeah, the crazy thing is, Wozniacki actually deserves to be number one. How sad.

i like woz tbh - at least when she isnt losing to f-ing hantuchova - her game doesnt bother me & i think shes a hard worker, smart &c i mean she cld stand to play better, consistently but then...

god Tsonga. finish this off Stanislas.

Haven't seen any tennis today, but OMFG YES STOSUR AND WOZNIACKI BOTH OUT YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

1 and 3 against Hantuchova? And this a day after Clijsters chokes 2 match points to lose to Rus? Fave tournament ever. Props for the pick, abcfsk, but all the logic in the world pointed to a Hantuchova choke. I underestimated just how useless Caro is. Love it <3

Tsonga choked it away. What a weird day this has been.

They've arsed up the scheduling here, haven't they? Having Nole-Delpy so late in the day was a mistake, then switching it to Langlen at the last minute (with Langlen emptying post-Gasquet and crowds hanging around on Chatrier, expecting the fourth match they'd paid to see) seems to have led to a bit of a kerfuffle.

it's just amazing how improved Djokovic's serve is - remember when he was a double-faulting machine? It looks almost Federer-esque now - not particularly fast, just ridiculously accurate and does exactly what he needs it to do.

What was that about double faults?

oops i think i jinxed him - double faults to give the break to Delpo. xp lol

What's the quality of play in the Delpo/Djokovic match? Stuck at work right now but based purely on match stats seems like it's not particularly high.

quality is very high imo.

When they get a rally going it is absolutely beautiful - i know it's been said but Delpo's forehand really is a thing of wonder. It's the first time I've seen Djokovic visibly nervous since the start of his streak, and purely because Delpo's the first player who's been able to push him back and forced him to play defensively.

wtf, play just suspended due to darkness.

One set all, tomorrow is going to be awesome if they keep it up.

Lol Kanye is in Djokovic's box

ha wasn't he hanging around Boris Becker's yacht at Cannes lately? dude likes his tennis.

the thing I'd forgotten about delpo is that not only can he smack a forehand with time, he can also shorten the swing and still generate a lot of power if he needs to.

the thing i'd forgotten about delpo is how gutsy that kid is - those shots he played to save break point at 4-1 were ridiculous. Anyone else would've gotten nervous and overly cautious when saving break points against a guy who hasn't lost a match in six months, but juan martin just kept hitting bigger and bigger.

Cirstea is such a bad player.

Li vs Kvitova could be either amazing or disastrous. Go Petra!

Dolgopolov still hasn't got rid of his ponytail. He looks like a femme Mauresmo. Entertaining match though, wish the stream was a bit better :(

Dolgopolov has GOT to be one of the fastest players on tour...maybe only Monfils is faster. Seriously, his opponent hits an ostensible winner and he's suddenly THERE.

These days I wish Murray would just lose and go home early instead of what looks like a stroll to a SF defeat the hands of Nadal/Djokovic.

Can hardly stand it.

Gotta admire any player whose BH slice is so accurate that they can control entire rallies with it, too.

(Dolgo, not Murray)

xp but Murray will beat Nadal

Dolgo is very entertaining to watch.

At the rate Rafa's going, Murray might not NEED to beat Nadal.

(As ever, I hesitate to fully write anyone on/off based on the first couple of rounds. But Rafa really doesn't look good.)

Dolgo FH drawing whistles, it's so fast and strong.

But he's about to lose! Troicki's solidity beating Dolgo's flair :(

oops, Murray is not looking good...

Ankle troubles for Murray.

Serving at *3-5 down, Dolgo's so far given us

- a dropshot-lob-smash combo
- Serve-volleying on a second serve to save a MP
- Clean dropshot winner
- Huge FH DTL winner to save another MP

Commentator quite perceptive in noting that he relies too much on his hands, and not his feet - footwork is quite lazy and responsible for many of his more random errani.

Dolgo saves another two MPs with aces, and a third with a BH pass following a dropshot!

(fifth, not third)

and DF to get back to deuce. This game is too much.

love dolgo - can't make the simplest shots, yet makes the toughest ones seem so effortless.

who else would dropshot so much in such a crucial game? it's nuts. love love love him.

Dolgo finally holds! Hope those six MPs prey on Troicki's mind as he tries to serve it out...

...they didn't :(

murray can't even walk no more yet still wins the second set

How did Berrer get this far?

Berrer is, like, totally inept at tennis.

A few games to warm up but the first cracker of a rally there for D to save break point

delpo broken. :/

Looks like those BPs Nole saved were a turning point.

Yeah - really got going after that.

And Pony's dipped quite a bit, for his part :/

oh dear delpo.

Delpo doesn't seem to be thinking well, or very much, today.

indeed. he was much less sluggish yesterday.

seems like being called for darkness is gonna work out for djoker

yeah i think the match being suspended allowed djokovic to recalibrate because he did seem a bit rattled yesterday, whereas delpo has lost all the momentum he had.

boo

always a surprise when someone gets given a time violation in a Djokovic match and it's NOT Nole.

This match has become quite bad.

I turned it off, seems like a no-brainer now

and djokovic puts pony out of his misery. well, it was inevitable really.

Nice to see Petkovic go deep in tournaments with some consistency.

Kinda reminiscent of Lendl-McEnroe in '88 - met in the last 16 as Mac had fallen so far, scheduled way too late in cold, damp conditions, split two t-b sets of amazing tennis, then off due to light. Resumption the following day was a total letdown, Lendl rolling through in two. (Then Lendl lost in the quarters (to one of the Svenssons) partly due to the injury he picked up running around in 9C cold at 9pm two days earlier vs Mac).

Blimey, six games into Wickmayer vs A-Rad, and still on serve -- actually not even a single break point -- is this our women's tennis?

lol nice timing there, anatol. Uh-oh, I feel a silly prediction coming on: Dulko vs Radwanska final, anyone? :-P

For some reason, I'm more surprised that it's Simon's first time in the RG 4R than Wussquet's.

Good win for Petkorazzi, Gajdosova was a dangerous opponent. Petkorazzi will be a tougher potential QF opponent for Sharapova, too :)

whoa, FeVer's nightmare year is just continuing. 0-5 down to Ljubicic already.

xp or Latisha.....

lol @ the British commentators talking about the name Latisha

I feel bad about having to root against her :[

This girl could Masha a thing or two about excessive double faults.

could teach*

Poor match, really. Gotta say Aga is the favorite on Monday.

ugh ljubicic

http://✧✧✧.ten✧✧✧.com/galleries/gallery/News/201105281203433987896✧✧✧@st✧✧✧.c✧✧.j✧✧

Into the second week! Men's last 16 set:

(1) Rafael Nadal vs. Ivan Ljubicic
(18) Gilles Simon vs. (5) Robin Soderling
(4) Andy Murray vs. (15) Viktor Troicki
(Q) Alejandro Falla vs. Juan Ignacio Chela
(7) David Ferrer vs. (9) Gael Monfils
(14) Stanislas Wawrinka vs. (3) Roger Federer
Fabio Fognini vs. Albert Montanes
(13) Richard Gasquet vs. (2) Novak Djokovic

I predicted 8/16. (It'll be 8/16 women too.) That was a bit shit.

Simon/Soderling should be the most interesting...no idea who'll win that. Fear Simon will just get bashed off the court :(

Gasquet might give Djokovic more of a match than we expect, it seems like he really has turned something of a corner. Something in the water of this tournament must be good for perennial wimps like him and Hantuchova. (Ivanovic obviously beyond redemption.)

I guess if Murray's ankle is really fucked, Troicki will win that.

What the hell happened in the fourth and seventh sections, lol. Oh yeah, Berdych happened.

Gotta say Aga is the favorite on Monday.

yeah...no. Even the New A-Rad, who can now serve (kind of), is just too prone to getting powered off the court.

And the women's last 16.

(28) Daniela Hantuchova vs. (13) Svetlana Kuznetsova
(11) Marion Bartoli vs. Gisela Dulko
(3) Vera Zvonareva vs. (14) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
(10) Jelena Jankovic vs. (5) Francesca Schiavone
(6) Na Li vs. (9) Petra Kvitova
Ekaterina Makarova vs. (4) Victoria Azarenka
(7) Maria Sharapova vs. (12) Agnieszka Radwanska
(15) Andrea Petkovic vs. (25) Maria Kirilenko

Contra the men's...most of those could go either way. No idea who'll get it together to show up on the day.

New QF predictions:
Kuznetsova v Bartoli
Zvonareva v Jankovic
Kvitova v Azarenka
Sharapova v Petkovic

Nadal v Soderling
Murray v Chela
Ferrer v Federer
Montanes v Djokovic

Awww Del Potro and Djokovic hugging at the net was the most adorable thing ever.

Bepa failed to serve the first set out,and she seems to be constantly off-balance - physically speaking. Fairly routine TB win to Pavlyuchenkova.

Bepa's masterful strategy against A-Pav, a generic and unfit ballbasher with no defense prone to random errors:

1) Pat mid-paced balls right back at her like your name is Wozniacki, without even attempting to change direction
2) Cry

Ghaaaa so hopeless.

Well the errors are coming, and Bepa now has a double break.

Let us watch her squander at least one of them before the set is out.

Gosh, a super-confident start to that game, well-served, some big hits, 40/0.. and now, deuce?

Ah, she held. Then held again to love. Order is restored, 5-1 it is and unless A-Pav is tanking this set, Bepa now looks good.

Enjoyable match. Pavlyuchenkova's ballstriking is so gorgeous. Hope she doesn't get broken here. I want a great 3rd set!

These long games drive me NUTS.

Esp when Zvonareva had a lot of game points and lost! But there was some fierce hitting.

Bepa drawing this out so needlessly. How on earth did she fail to hold serve there. I HATE this match.

Every time Bepa loops it high to Pav's BH, Pav shanks it and can't deal. And then Bepa just pats the next ball back in court.

Vera starting to come undone? C'mon Nastya!

Whoever survives this will be murdered in the next round.

...not if it's Jankovic, who has a poor record against Pav.

Agree w/the commentators, this is a potentially career-defining match for A-Pav, who's settled into the top 20 without having anything like a big breakthrough. Opportunity to turn it into what the USO '09 was for Woz. Still think her game is absolutely nothing special, but...yeah, again, look at what Woz has done. That's no obstacle.

she's a better player than woz though (who isn't)

That was a winnable match impressively wasted. Get rid of your coach.

Oh Bepa. Barely half your first serves in in that first set and if you discount the first game it was probably more like 40%. Unacceptable.

x-post and seconded.

None of the top 3 make the quarterfinals.

In that THIRD set ffs

Well, there it is. Probably for everyone's good that Bepa lost, she never really played well at all here. Clay seems to depress her nowadays.

OK, I guess Schiavone has to win now in order to prevent Pav progressing any further.

Some writers act like the top 3 seeds were actual favourites. "Who's going to win now??"

Bartoli-Pavlyuchenkova semifinal plz

No dis, but a Fognini comeback forcing a fifth set and delaying Schiavone/Jankovic by another hour is NOT WHAT I JUST WANTED.

At least there's Federer to watch!

OMG Fognini-Montanes drama. Love these situations.

Literally the greatest match ever going on over here, guys. 5 foot faults in, like, 4 points. Saves 2 or 3 match points. 8-8

Fed, in the time it took me to have a shower (fairly long, really) went down a break in the 3rd after seeming to dominate. DO NOT WANT, so will go back to Fab/Al.

Yeah I'm watching Fogs & Mountains now. Guessing Fogs has had injury issues? Seems unable to run. Mountains can't put him away.

You've missed some hilarious shit, edwardo. 6-7 15-30 (2 points from defeat) Fognini calls trainer for cramps. He's barely moving. Fognini hit a double fault by serving two straight foot faults, including 3 others in the same game where he saved 2 match points because Montanes just pushed the ball back to the immobile opponent. Now 8-8 deuce after a letcord winner by Fognini!

Crowd was alternately laughing at/booing the hell out of Fogs in the last game

Rooting for Fognini. He's a cheating twat but at least he's not boring like Montanes. And Montanes doesn't really deserve to win after how he wimped out of those match points.

Damn shame Fogs is the one who cramped, who could possibly want Mountains to win witnessing his uselessness

Also I love the French crowd, so fucking rude <3

Drop shot on match point, please, let's not encourage this.

lulz another three match points saved, that last with a dropshot

Montanes resembles a rat and has literally no game

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH.

looooooooooooooooooool @ that fail of a dropshot from Mountains

Hilarious stuff, Fognini's not moving at all.

hahahahaha Fogs broke! and will serve for it!

The boring commentators hate Fognini so much.

Yet another letcord winner <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<3
GO HOME MONTANES LOL YOU ARE SUCH A WIMP

Fognini plays really fast, like, no break between points. Maybe you don't need to move if you have a good backhand?

Never seen any WINNER of a match get booed like that. Fogs just shrugging to the crowd like, whatever.

Biggest point-and-laugh ever at Mountains, obviously, for playing like that against someone with no legs. Go away forever, please.

YAY GASQUET/DJOKOVIC!

(I mean Gasquet will probably get.. what, eight games tops?)

I get the feeling Gasquet is thinking "oh well, fourth round was a tres bien effort!"

Schiavone's playing pretty well huh

JUNIORS WATCH. Iryna Khromacheva is only the second most wtf name on court. Nothing can top.. um.. Zarah Razafimahatratra.. Also an S. Sharipova (nearly) and a Miki Jankovic, presumably no relation as there was also a guy called that at my old real estate agent's, sadly.

Jankovic is an idiot who will never win a Slam. Schiavone will continue to make her look stupid.

Tho Jelena will help no end by being stranded at the front of the court and being forced to hit punchless half-volleys that Schiavone will pwn completely.

I can't watch Jankovic-Schiavone. I just hate them both.

I am going for Francesca, albeit with the sound down.

I think a Schiavone vs big hitter final would be pretty good tennis quality-wise.

How can anyone hate Fran or Jelena?

Oh yeah, Sharapova fans.

Though the way JaJa mopes around listlessly these days, I'm coming close to not caring myself.

Maybe she's depressed that no matter what she does in this match, she'll be unable to top Fognini's drama.

fan*, not all of us

Pavlyuchenkova fan then?

Fran destroying A-Pav at last year's USO was one of the finest things I've seen happen on a tennis court <3

It's hard to envision actively being a fan of Pavlyuchenkova to be honest.

tbh I still find it hard to envision being a fan of Jankovic.

Maybe a bit, that was an amazing improvement!

It's really easy to hate Jankovic. Like, how can you not envisage someone hating her? She's moronic. Still finding myself rooting for her here though, mostly because she's an easier opponent for Kvitova/Sharapova.

What a weird set. Average of 10 points per game just about.

Pretty good match - third set underway, on serve.

Just checked the Hobak/Wuss score. LOL @ the supposedly newly mentally strong Gasquet.

Fran playing so well and with such variety <3

Just caught a glimpse of the one and only SHINO calling the lines! <3

Thought it was her!

To be fair to Gasquet, which perhap we shouldn't, Djokovic did hit 42 winners, which is a lot for a short match. Would an actually mentally strong Gasquet really win? He'd be grossly outmatched on the forehand wing no matter what, surely?

gasquet played quite well in the first two sets, actually

Would an actually mentally strong Gasquet really win? He'd be grossly outmatched on the forehand wing no matter what, surely?

yeah I briefly considered the idea of New Gasquet stretching Hobak but even if he held up mentally, Hobak's game is just too good a match-up/too far ahead as well

the LOL was mostly at the obvious fall-off after losing the first two sets

There's something about a hard-fought three-setter that makes you certain Jankovic is gonna lose.

Schiavone's certainly got the most violent grunt on the tour.

amazing point by Fran!

Nice volley there.

Fran breaks, will serve for it. I knew her title defence would be lionhearted and swashbuckling <3 <3

Does Dulko always wear a tatty name badge on her lapel like she's working at McDonalds?

I'd almost forgotten how satisfying it was to watch Jelena lose.

that clay cannot taste good

I've decided I want Fran to REPEAT.

Did I just hear they're moving Stick/Sveta to court 1?

Few other players exude the same sheer joy as Schiavone, which is why it's easy to want her to win.

otm re: joy. Fran takes such joy in EVERYTHING about the sport - just the sheer process of playing seems to make her more herself. and she's always being brave and trying to do something - those last two points were the total opposite to the usual WTA wimpiness.

thought the last set was really good, much better than the listless first set (didn't see the second). JaJa still nowhere near her "peak" (and I've accepted that this just isn't gonna come back ever) but she didn't disgrace herself.

WHO is that chair umpire for that fognini match O_O

actually Fran is the total opposite of everything that frustrates me about Women's Tennis. the opposite of the mental weaklings who gag at the slightest hint of an opportunity, the opposite of the unfit lumps who refuse to get fit, the opposite of the pampered divas who act as though playing the sport outside of the limelight is beneath them.

and of course the opposite of the one-dimensional, unimaginative players who only know how to either push the ball back mid-court or whack it brainlessly while praying for winners

bartoli will never not be a huge weirdo

ESPN's into-commercial music is usher's "yeah" !!

that is why I <3 her too

xp

monfils <3

i was just telling a friend he reminded me of j alexander

that was before i even saw this pic!! omg

http://miaamber.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/jay-alexander.jpg

It's easy to hate Bartoli - but that doesn't make it wrong.

^^^

wow HUGE crosscourt FH by monfils

Hantuchoka wins the first set tie-breaker with a drop shot!

yeah, after Kuznetsova blew two set points, one of which was a fairly easy high volley (off a Hantuchova shot that looked to be going wide)

i want ferrer to win

Just realised a Sweta/Fran SF might be quite epic, given that their two meetings this year have gone 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 to Schiavone at the AO and 1-6, 6-0, 7-5 to Kuznetsova in Dubai.

And Kuz takes it in three.

I'm not having Kuznetsova playing awfully all year and then making the final/winning. Allez Bartoli/Schiavone/Pavly!

Why the hell is Ferrer down 2 sets to 1 to friggin Monfils?

I mean, none of those 3 have been in great form all year either but they haven't been as offensively awful as Sveta.

I'm not having Kuznetsova playing awfully all year and then making the final/winning

says the Silliams fan!!!!!

lest we forget, Sweta was involved in the best match of the year so far

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc9UK_UFRH4

I want a repeat here.

That one's pretty amazing isn't it.

Serena playing awfully and then out of the blue winning a slam? That happened maybe once - AO 07 - and was just too amazing in every way to fault. And Serena wasn't even playing that hideously before that... Her last two tournaments before AO were 3 set losses to #1 Mauresmo and Bammer, who was pretty good back then!

I think Kvitova is too on fire for Li (shame they both can't win). Sharapova/Radwanska is the sort of game that I always go umm and ah at and think about all the reasons why my preferred player would win, like the dismal form of Maria in the first few rounds, her bad movement on clay in the past etc and conclude Aga will win, but WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN, Maria will win, surely. Azarenka will beat Makarova easily and Petkovic will trounce Kirilenko, a player I've never understood the hype about - ugly dresses, but she was fab the time I saw her play doubles.

li/kvitova will be awesome

watching tennis on an actual TV today! amazing.

a player I've never understood the hype about

Hottest player on tour, isn't that about the extent of the hype? I don't think Petkovic will trounce her, though, expecting a tight match.

It's the same with Cirstea. Kirilenko fans are the worst, I remember when they nicknamed her "Makiri" because they genuinely thought Sharapova was nicknamed "Masha" because of her surname. Dumb as rocks.

I don't see how Sweta's random runs are any worse than Silliams mocking the very idea of Rome and Madrid all year, then turning up to sweep Wimbledon, which has been her MO for years. I think of Sweta as this generation's Mary Pierce, anyway - Pierce always used to do this, the week before her RG title she lost to Germana di Natale (yeah I know, who?). Like Pierce, she's going to retire with a rep that's much closer to her highest (twice-a-decade) level than her actual average level.

...so Twitter seems to indicate that Fognini will w/d? Which means that Nole can no longer break the record for longest winning streak here!

(Not that it matters I think - he'd have to win to break the record anyway, I think, so it's still all about whether he wins the final. If he does, winning 1R at Wimbledon should not be beyond him.)

he's at 43 right now, so if he won the tournament he would just tie the record, not break it.

Kvitova's timing is really off.

Li throws in two DFs to lose her serve from 30-0 up. Sigh.

And now, after serving so well, Li not only hit two double faults to lose her serve, she also is missing everything. Looks like some kind of scoreLINA coming up.

x-post

Neither of these players will win the French Open!

For those who missed the Fognini/Montanes epic hilarity yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJxBVSV3-6s