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Saturday Notebook Durr looks back; More French stars
Posted: Saturday June 10, 2000 02:42 PM
PARIS (AP) -- When Francoise Durr won the French Open in 1967, there was less fuss, less money and less pressure. Durr, who watched Mary Pierce follow in her footsteps at Roland Garros on Saturday, reminisced about the good old days. "It's changed a lot, because before it wasn't such a big brouhaha," Durr said after Pierce's victory. "You won, it was nice. There were not so many people. ... There was not as much pressure on a player as there was on Mary today," she said. The prize money was also different. Durr won $200 worth of vouchers to spend in a sports shop. Pierce won 4,028,000 francs ($584,615). The game has changed too, said Durr, who was Fed Cup captan in 1996 when Pierce played for France. "The game is more physical. There are a lot more players too. In my time, you could win comfortably in first few rounds. Now, if you are not in top shape, you could lose."
Roddick's merry-go-roundAndy Roddick is looking for a doubles partner. Again. After losing the French Open final, the 17-year-old American has to find a new teammate because partner Joachim Johansson from Sweden is dropping doubles to concentrate on singles. "It's like a merry-go-round with me and doubles partners. I've played with four this year," he said. Roddick plans to play both doubles and singles at Wimbledon but he does not know yet who will play with him. As for his performance at Roland Garros, he admits he is a little disappointed. "I came here hoping for better things," he said, adding that his form was not always what it could have been. "I played really up and down here. ... I don't think I served very well. But there is always another tournament somewhere," he said. Roddick is the first American to be ranked No. 1 in boys' juniors since 1992. He made his pro debut in February.
Spanish luckTeen-ager Tommy Robredo hopes to become the latest French Open champion from Spain when he plays in the boys' singles final Sunday. With fellow Spaniard Marc Lopez, Robredo has already won the junior doubles title, defeating Roddick and Johansson 7-6 (7-2), 6-0 on Saturday. Now, the 18-year-old Robredo is hoping to clinch the singles' title and tournament double to mark his last appearance as a junior. He will face France's Paul-Henri Mathieu on Sunday. Robredo, ranked 18th, started playing tennis at 5 and has already joined the pro circuit. He was beaten in the first round in Mallorca last year by Juan Carlos Ferrero and lost at the 2000 Barcelona Open to another Spaniard, Alberto Berasategui, also in the first round. "I am now between the big and the small," he said. "This will be a very important year for me." Robredo's partnership with Lopez dates from when they were in their early teens. So far they have only lost one match. "I always know what he's going to do, and he knows what I am about to do," Robredo said, adding that their stellar record makes the duo a natural choice to help Spain's Davis Cup doubles record. "I tell my coach every day that we are the Davis Cup doubles team. But he says I have to wait about four years," Robredo said.
Home favoritesThe cheering is not over yet for French fans. After backing Pierce in the women's final, they can get their tricolor flags out again Sunday for the girls' and boys' singles final. If Mathieu, 18, wins against Robredo, and 17-year-old Virginie Razzano can beat Argentine Maria Emilia Salerni, also 17, France will have captured both titles for the first time since 1953. Razzano was a wild card entry in the women's singles and was beaten by Pierce in the third round. The last time France captured the boys' title was in 1989 when Fabrice Santoro beat Jonathan Palmer. A French victory in the girls' singles dates back to 1996, when Amelie Mauresmo beat Meghann Shaughnessy.
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