A quick mid-week, mid-tournament Baguette before we get on the Big Bird for Orly ...

From an article on Day 2 of Roland Garros: "Coria, who served a seven-month doping ban in 2001-02, was playing at Roland Garros for the first time in three years. He missed much of the past two seasons with a right shoulder injury and had played in only four tour-level events since the 2006 U.S. Open." Who writes this garbage? Surprised the writer didn't try to connect him with gambling while he was at it! How about something positive like, "Coria, who made it to the final in 2004 ... is attempting a comeback after a few years off the tour." What's up with the conventional sports media's obsession with beating on tennis?
-- Andy, Vail, Colo.

We've written in the past about the reality of tennis coverage. Since so few newspapers have a full-time tennis writer, the duties sometimes fall to other writers on the staff who may not follow the sport closely. I didn't see the story you referenced, but it's very easy to envision a fill-in reporter roped into duty. He or she can't be expected to know each of the 256 players in the draw. Guillermo Coria is a compelling story. Former finalist? Where's he been? A quick Wikipedia search reveals that he once served a doping suspension and there's your lead. Again, I have no idea if this actually happened, but it's easy to envision.

As long as we're talking Coria, let's take this opportunity to tip our chapeau to the guy. First, for all the bogus excuses athletes use when they fail a drug test, Coria's assertion that his supplements were mislabeled appears to be valid. He sued the manufacturer. Here's a story. My moles tell me that, while the settlement was undisclosed, it was significant -- suggesting guilt on the part of the manufacturer. I'm sure this was cold comfort for Coria -- when he was banned for nandrolone it was international news. When he reached a settlement it was buried in the fine print. I can only speak for myself, but I when I make a mental catalog of the sport's dopers, I now leave this guy off the list.

Jon, if you could combine Patience and Popp, get Almagro to act as fitness coach, you'd really have something.
-- Jerrold, Milan

Very nice. How about Popp (Alex), Patience (Olivier) and Paes (Leander)?

I've wisely waited until the week of Roland Garros to ask this (it's a work thing -- I work for Citi; we waited until November 2007 to get out of the subprime market): Any suggestions on food at or near the grounds? Eating in Paris in general is pretty easy, but I've never been to the hallowed grounds or its environs.
-- J.T., Duesseldorf, Germany

Thanks. That was a good laugh on the subprime line. Finding a good meal in Paris is a bit like asking where one gets a card game in Vegas. But the actual on-site concessions always struck me as disappointing. I would recommend buying some food to go at any of the cute shops and restaurants near the Porte d'Auteuil Metro station. After the matches, I sometimes go to Chez Clement, which I suspect is the Parisian equivalent to Applebee's, but it always works for me. If you're willing to venture off the grounds, here's a good spot. Bonus: one often waits in line alongside players.

Is Ted Robinson still the Mets' play-by-play announcer? I thought I heard him say that he was living in California now.
-- Nick, Rochester Hills, Mich.

The Mets' loss is our gain. His, too. Instead of spending his summer in the finer hostelries of Milwaukee and Pittsburgh, spending his time on the Willie Randolph death watch, Ted gets to go to Paris and Wimbledon.

How 'bout a shout-out to Onadoga Community College, the Division III junior college national champions. Do you think Henin will come back to win Wimbledon?
-- George Tehan, Auburn, N.Y.

A shout-out it is. When Kim Clijsters retired, I was prepared to predict that she would eventually come back. (And I gather a comeback is on her mind, though it's been complicated by her father's ill health.) With J.H. I'm not so sure.

Hey, Jon. My alma mater, UCLA, just won its first women's NCAA tennis championship (102nd overall for the school). It looks like they did it with mostly kids from the States. Could it be the foreign influx is more prevalent in the men's game? Also, the press release says Pete Sampras sent a congratulatory message to big sis, Stella Sampras Webster, the 12-year coach of the Bruins. Not bad for the big sis, right? Can you think of other examples in tennis where one sibling has excelled as a professional and another has found what seems an equally satisfying career? Right off the bat, I'd say John and Patrick McEnroe are a good example.
-- Luis M. Ramos, San Jose, Calif.

Congrats to UCLA. Off hand I would say that Roger Federer's brother Ernst, a world-class banjo player, gets my vote. Same for Julia Sharapova, one of the finest thoracic surgeons in all Sochi. And who could forget Consuelo Nadal, a highly regarded Spanish florist? Seriously, that's an interesting question you raise. Let me give that some thought.

This is less a question than an observation on Justine Henin's retirement announcement. As someone who was an active tennis player before being felled by the Ebstein-Barr virus, I personally have not been able to play for the last 12 years. If the illness moves into the chronic stage (CFS in USA/M.E. in Europe), it can GREATLY impact the body's ability to recover from physical activity. Do you think she fit the profile of a Chronic Fatigue sufferer?
-- Bill Watt, Chicago, Ill.

• I don't know enough about either Henin or the disease to answer in any meaningful way. But this is an interesting angle I haven't seen addressed.

Regarding your recent comment that Andy Roddick "gets my vote. Easy" for the Hall of Fame, just wanted to make sure, if you wouldn't mind answering honestly, that you would still be saying such nonsense about Roddick were he from, say, China or India or Bangladesh or Ecuador or Hungary or Indonesia or the Philippines or Chile or Poland or Honduras or Thailand or Turkey or Vietnam or Israel or Lebanon or Kazakhstan or Haiti or Romania or Nepal or Spain or Pakistan or Madagascar or South Africa or Venezuela or Saudi Arabia or Russia or Syria or Switzerland or Afghanistan or Cambodia or Brazil or Finland or Germany or Austria or the Dominican Republic or Egypt or Peru or Sweden or El Salvador or Japan or Laos or Iran or Mexico or Guyana or Mongolia or Nicaragua or Ethiopia. Thanks.
-- Joe Austin, Texas

Any other countries you might have missed? Look, no one is confusing Roddick with Rod Laver. But look at the current "barriers to entry" in Newport. Then tell me that a Grand Slam champion, multiple Grand Slam losing finalist, former No.1 player, Davis Cup champion and a generally professional, credit-the-game-type (when he's not disemboweling line judges) doesn't merit inclusion. It's really not about nationality at all.

McEnroe DID win Wimbledon in 1992 -- teaming up with Michael Stich to win the men's doubles title. You may remember the extraordinary two-day final that went to 19-17 in the fifth set.
-- Thierry, Toronto

Good point. Our apologies to the Vanity Fair checking department.

Did you see the picture of Davydenko fishing outside of this week's tournament in Austria? He is a dead ringer for Michael Stipe from REM. (I guess you could say Moby too, but REM has sold more!)
-- Carlos Echeverri, Miami, Fla.

We say Moby

Shots, miscellany

• How about a moment of silence for Hamilton Jordan?

• NEED a player to root for? How about the fabulously named Eduardo Schwank? Ithi Sophonpanich, Bangkok, Thailand, writes:Your link for the Bangkok Post article on Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana was no longer working since the article has gone off the front page. Here's the permanent link.

• This piece -- obviously satire! -- made me laugh.

• Our moles tell us that a former Belgian player has written an explosive book about life in tennis. Stay tuned...

• From Steve Pratt: Taylor Dent's return to professional tennis ended in a first-round defeat Monday at the Home Depot Center on the opening day at the Countrywide Classic USTA $50,000 Pro Challenger. Los Angeles' Cecil Mamiit, a qualifier, beat wild-card Dent 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4. Dent, from Newport Beach, Calif., hadn't played competitively since having back surgery more than a year ago.

• Rant of the Week goes to Alice Edwards, Overland Park, Kan.: I found the perfect mate for Djokovic. She was my opponent in a league match. Prior to her serve, she would keep her feet on the ground, but then bounce the rest of her body while holding the ball in the air. I started counting the bounces and realized her bounces equaled what number of game we were in (i.e., at 5-1, she bounced six times). Then, in the middle of the hour-long match, she put deodorant on. And, at one point, she rubbed water all over her racquet handle (!). And you know what? I beat the tar out of her because I was so relaxed from the belly laughs (in our previous meeting, she had beaten me and had exhibited no odd behavior). I guess my point is these players who complain about Djokovic's ball-bouncing, Sharapova's shrieking, and Nadal's, well, "picking," should learn to laugh at it all, relax, and then not only play better, but if they're looked at as easygoing, fun people, the endorsements would come too (see Baghdatis -- well, see him if he were playing more! WTHIGOW him anyway?). Also, quite frankly, I like the extra "screen time" for Djokovic and Nadal. They ain't ugly! Tennis is ENTERTAINMENT and the sport benefits from this quirky behavior. So I say bring on the controversy! (By the way, my nickname is "The Grunter" and my husband is constantly asked during my matches what I must sound like in private situations, so I empathize with some of the players with habits!)

Enjoy Day 4, everyone!