Halfway home

PARIS -- Like the annual crop of Beaujolais, the second week of the French Open est arrivé. As Andre Agassi is fond of saying, it's like a new tournament now. Still, on a slow day at the courts, let's hand out some midterm grades.

A

Argentina: As much for the two surprise women (Paola Suarez and 20-year-old Clarisa Fernandez) as the two men (Guillermo Canas and Gaston Gaudio) who made it to Week 2.

Mary Pierce: Ranked as low as No. 290 earlier this year, the 2000 champ, sporting a stylish new 'do, is back in business.

French Open schedulers: After two days of early rainouts, matches got back on track seamlessly.

The sisters Williams: Say what you will about their fashion sense; their tennis is par excellence.

Andre Agassi: The oldest player in the draw might also be the best.

Vera Zvonareva: Seventeen-year-old Russian qualifier is the real deal, reaching the fourth round and taking a set off Serena Williams. Unfortunately, the effects of playing seven matches in nine days then manifested.

B

Hicham Arazi: Dripping with talent, Moroccan awakes from year-long slumber and makes fast work of first two opponents. But then he abruptly retires from his third-round match.

Gustavo Kuerten: Two-time defending champ loses in the fourth round. But for a guy who had major hip surgery earlier this year, he did himself proud.

Vince Spadea: Back from the dead -- or at least from the challenger circuit -- this former top-20 player wins two rounds before falling to Sebastien Grosjean.

Martina Hingis: Her absence has gone relatively unremarked upon. But that Marilyn Monroe-wannabe photo in last week's Sports Illustrated was simply fab.

Jennifer Capriati: Defending champ has yet to get much of a test in her first four matches. So why is she so glum?

C

Belgian women: Both Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters were given reasonable chances to win the whole enchilada. Beset by the flu, Henin lost her first match to qualifier Aniko ("Circus Girl") Capros. Beset by the mother of all off days, Clijsters lost to No. 87 Fernandez.

American men: Would be a lower grade were it for not Agassi. After two rounds, just two of 12 remained in the draw. Memo to USTA: Construct more clay courts, stat.

Roger Federer: The Hamburg champ only makes a cameo in Paris, flaming out in the first round to Arazi.

Lleyton Hewitt: World No. 1 gets booed off court after losing to Canas.

Anna Kournikova: Her career limbo stick keeps getting lower. First-round loss to wild card Christina Wheeler might be a new nadir.

American television coverage: The commentary is swell. But we'll say it again: Airing sporting events on tape delay simply doesn't work in the Internet age.

Courtside geraniums: 'Nuff said.

Half volleys

Entering the tournament at No. 132, Pierce became the lowest-ranked quarterfinalist here since the rankings were instituted in 1975. ... Agassi extricated himself from a world of trouble -- down two sets and a break -- and rallied to beat French comer Paul Henri Mathieu in five sets. ... With Pat Rafter out of action, Hewitt never having made it past the fourth round and Pete Sampras struggling profoundly, who will be the top seed at Wimbledon? If Agassi wins here, he's the obvious choice. Otherwise, it could get interesting.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim is in Paris covering the French Open and will file regular reports from Roland Garros. Click here to send a question to his Tennis Mailbag.

 

Related information

Stories

Jon Wertheim's Tennis Mailbag: Far from predictable Jon Wertheim's Insider Archive

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video