Tuneups, warm-ups, gearing up -- it's all over now, and it's time to hit the courts in Paris.
The only Grand Slam on clay takes center stage for the next two weeks, with a packed men's draw and injury-riddled women's field vying for the second major tournament title of the year. The winners of the first Grand Slam, Andre Agassi and Jennifer Capriati, can't be counted out at Roland Garros (both have had success there before), but neither is an overwhelming favorite.
So as the 128-player draws on both sides are whittled down beginning Monday, keep an eye on top seeds Gustavo Kuerten and Martina Hingis, but don't forget about clay-court spoilers like Albert Portas or Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.
The preparations are finally over. It's time to play in the dirt.
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Life Rafter |
Australia is big on national pride, so the Aussies can't help but be happy with their victory over Russia in the World Team Cup final last week in Germany. It's not the Davis Cup or anything, but Australia will take it, especially since Patrick Rafter was forced to pull out of the singles competition on the final day with a sore elbow. But Lleyton Hewitt whipped Marat Safin in straight sets and the Aussie doubles team of Wayne Arthurs and Scott Draper defeated Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov to deliver a 2-1 victory.
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Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. |
The women's draw at the French Open has been peppered with injury withdrawals, culminating in an 11th-hour exit by third-seeded Lindsay Davenport on Sunday. Recurring knee problems will keep Davenport from winning her first title in Paris, and she is joined on the sidelines by fellow top 25 players Monica Seles, Mary Pierce, Anna Kournikova and Chanda Rubin. The loss of those players should make the road for a Hingis or Venus Williams a bit smoother, but it's too bad they couldn't at least give it a shot.
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Consecutive Grand Slams Davenport had played in before she was forced to withdraw from the French Open with a knee injury. |
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ACE
Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario The veteran clay-courter headed for the French Open on a roll after winning the Spanish Open in Madrid for the sixth time in her career.
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DOUBLE FAULT
Martina Hingis' decision-making skills So is mom still coaching or not? Weeks after Hingis said mother/coach Melanie Molitor had dropped the "coach" part of her title, Molitor was a conspicuous presence at Hingis' practice sessions in Paris last weekend. |
ACE
Laura Granville The Stanford sophomore, who will turn pro this summer, won her second consecutive singles title last week -- beating a teammate in the final both years. She finishes her college career with a 93-3 singles record (46-1 this season). |
DOUBLE FAULT
The USTA Was it really necessary to end the policy of granting the NCAA men's and women's singles and doubles champions entry to the U.S. Open as wild cards? |
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Top doubles player Corina Morariu started chemotherapy treatments in Miami last week, days after being diagnosed with leukemia. Morariu, 23, won the Australian Open mixed doubles title this year with Ellis Ferreira. |
The U.S. Open boosted prize money five percent to a total of $15.8 million, the largest purse for any sporting event. The men's and women's singles champions will receive $850,000 each.
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Georgia's men's tennis team won its second NCAA championship in three years, beating Tennessee 4-1 last week in Athens, Ga. Chad Carlson, the only member of the '99 title team in Georgia's lineup, clinched the victory at No. 4 singles.
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Silvia Farina Elia won her first WTA title last week at age 29, beating Anke Huber in the Strasbourg Open final.
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Stanford's Alex Kim, who breezed to the NCAA singles title last year, had a rough stay at the NCAA championships this year. Suffering from severe dehydration, Kim had to be hospitalized and missed the Cardinal's loss to Tennessee in the quarterfinals. Then, he was upset in the first round of the singles tourney. |
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"I wouldn't be surprised if I reached the final. I believe I can beat anybody out there." |
Hewitt on his French Open chances after beating Safin at the World Team Cup.
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"Paris is a great city if the French wouldn't be there. They're very arrogant compared to other cities, because they're French. They're winning the world football championships and the European football championships, so they think they are the greatest."
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Hingis to The Independent on her least-favorite crowd. |
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This week - ATP Tour |
The second Grand Slam of the year gets under way in Paris. Defending champion Kuerten is the man to beat at the French Open.
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This week - WTA Tour |
Hingis and Venus Williams begin anew their quest for a French Open title.
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Next week - ATP Tour |
The French Open continues in Paris. |
| Next week - WTA Tour |
Week two at Roland Garros.
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