Roland Garros implements no interview transcripts rule :(

“We are very sorry, we have been asked by the International Tennis Writers Association not to release the transcripts of post-match interviews this year so as not to disadvantage the reporters here at the French Open. You can find many of the relevant quotes in the articles posted on our website.” - Roland-Garros team

The blogger at anygivensurface.wordpress.com eloquently summarizes the issue and lists all the reasons why this is a disastrous idea far better then I could.  

So head on over there for the entire story.

I certainly hope this doesn't become true for all grand slams.  That would quite honestly suck.  

Aside from all the reasons mentioned I would think a lot of international fans who may not understand/hear an interviewers question, or a players answer in a t.v. interview certainly rely on these as well (I know I do!).

Kim Clijsters ousted out of Roland Garros in 2nd round!

Kim Clijsters made a huge effort just to play Roland Garros after an ankle injury, but on a cold, windy morning she lost her rhythm and confidence and was stunned by Dutch 20-year-old Arantxa Rus 3-6, 7-5, 6-1, in the second round.

Clijsters held a 5-2 lead in the second set, but her left-handed opponent dropped the gloves and began to nail the corners with searing ground strokes. And all of a sudden, Clijsters could not keep the ball within the court. Her serve lacked pace and direction, her forehand disappeared completely and she no longer had depth on her backhand.

Loss of control

While Rus flew with the wind, Clijsters looked like she had been flattened by a tornado. "I felt kind of in control, I felt like I was she was missing quite a lot in the beginning of the rallies, and I felt that I was moving her around well from side to side," said the Belgian who committed 65 unforced errors. "Then I started doubting a little bit. I think on clay is something that for me is definitely the wrong attitude to have. She obviously started building up more confidence, started playing a lot better and was really kind of putting me on my back foot all the time. I couldn't really play my aggressive tennis anymore in that third set."

Remarkably, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion lost 11 of the next 12 games in a performance reminiscent of her blowout loss at the hands Nadia Petrova at the 2010 Australian Open. Clijsters said her injured ankle held up fine, but she is clearly rusty having played only two matches since last March. Despite bowing out early, she had no regrets about her decision to play in Paris.

"I'm happy that I gave myself the opportunity," said Clijsters, who let go of two match points. "It's better to try than not to try. That's kind of the attitude of a real loser. I gave it the best that I had and with my abilities that I had. So I definitely don't regret it."

For her part, the No.114-ranked Rus put her stamp on the tour for the first time. A former junior no.1, the young Dutchwoman showed agility and power off the ground and calm nerves in closing out the match. "This is for sure my biggest win," said Rus. "She's a real hero. Played fantastic tennis. I always liked to see her playing and to watch her matches, and, yeah, it was really, really nice that I played against her."


RolandGarros.com


Well, that was a very short lived victory wasn't it?.  Too bad I was really hoping Kim would make it at least into the second week.  

But to say I'm shocked would be a lie.  With not having proper preparation this was a distinct possibility.  But with Kim like the Williams sisters you believe she can do it anyway.  


Oh well, onward to Wimbledon.  I'm thinking the ladies winner will either be Sharapova, or last year's defending champ Francesca Schiavone.  


Good thing all my favourite guys are still battling through.  Biting my nails in anticipation of Federers match tomorrow.  

Roger Federer on course and into 3rd round at Roland Garros

The third-seeded Federer made short work of Frenchman Maxime Teixeira with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-2 rout in 1 hour, 24 minutes. 

He completely dominated the 22- minute second set, winning 25 of the 33 total points played, and finished the match with seven service breaks while popping seven aces. 

"He fought hard, and afterwards he was trying to get the best score," Federer said of Teixeira. "The score was balanced for 1 1/2 sets, but even then he fought hard." 

The 22-year-old Teixeira entered the draw as a wild card this week. 

"I gave it all. I did what I could," Teixeira said. "To play against Roger is an incredible experience. I'll never forget it and it will be great memories." 

Federer titled here in 2009 to complete the career Grand Slam and was the runner-up to his great rival Rafael Nadal from 2006-08. 

Next up for the 16-time major champion Federer will be Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic, who was on the court for two fewer minutes than Federer in a 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 demolition of Spain's Pere Riba on Day 4.

TSN.ca

So judging by the score-line Roger is doing very well thus fur.  Sadly I have yet to see one of his matches due to poor coverage by TSN/ESPN.

I missed his first round match with Feliciano Lopez (where last time they played in Madrid it took Fed 3 tie-breakers to win) because I forgot to tape it.

And today they skipped coverage of his match altogether.  WTF?!.

The funny thing about the Lopez match was that there seemed to be a lot more attention focused on the post-match interview where Federer complained about the changed tennis balls.

Apparently they were changed again this year (and they're different from the ones used in all the other clay courts tournaments).

I can't say I disagree with Federer on the issue.  Seems to make more sense to use the same balls throughout.

But I also understand why they do it, simply to make it more challenging for the players.  It wouldn't be the French Open if things weren't done their way.

Not much to say about Fed's second round victory pretty straight forward (after a tough first round it was good to see).  His next match on Thursday could get very tricky.

Hopefully they will actually show it.

Kim Clijsters eases past 1st round at Roland Garros

 

All pics from womenstennisforum

Second seed Kim Clijsters reached the French Open second round with a 6-2 6-3 win over Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus on Tuesday.

Clijsters will face Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands for a place in the last 32.

Clijsters, playing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2006, will next face Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands.

Reigning US and Australian Open champion Clijsters, has been Paris runner-up twice, in 2001 and 2003, but had not played in the event since losing in the 2006 semi-finals to compatriot Justine Henin.

"I was excited to be back out there," said Clijsters, whose participation in Paris was under threat because of an ankle injury.

"I moved well and was aggressive. There's a few things that will have to be better. I didn't always hit the lines like I wanted to."

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8253187

A nice solid performance from Clijsters.  

A bit of nerves closing out the sets (took 4 match points) Some errors and double faults (5 of them)  

Which is actually less then her usual. All that's to be expected after not having played for a while.

A few more matches under her belt will undoubtedly help with match toughness, and hopefully help get rid of a lot of jittery nerves as well.  Her ankle, and shoulder seem to be fine for the moment.  

She moved quite well on the court, and hit some spectacular cross-court forehands.  All in all a fairly straight forward win.  

Taking it one match at a time, we'll see where it leads.  

About the only thing I wasn't sure of was Clijsters outfit.

I've liked most of what Fila has put her in, but this one goes in the fugly column.  The semi-florescent pink does nothing for her.

But I do love the shoes :).

Google Chrome + Lady Gaga = Awesome!

Seriously how fun is this commercial?.  Just when I thought I couldn't possibly love Google anymore. 

"The Edge of Glory" is becoming my new favourite song.

Martina Hingis picks her WTA winner for Roland Garros 2011

Maria Sharapova’s greatest strength has always been her mental toughness – she gives opponents nothing – and she will believe in herself even more after winning her first title for a year with victory at Rome’s Foro Italico last weekend.

Sharapova is undoubtedly a great competitor, so strong in the mind, and that is often key in Paris, as it is the most mentally draining of the grand slam tournaments. When Sharapova is playing well, she just never lets go. I suppose that could be seen as being mean on the court, but I have always viewed it as professionalism.

From the very first time I saw Sharapova play, which would have been when she was 14 or 15 and she was still in the juniors, I have always thought how professional she is. You always know what you were going to get with her. She is pretty straightforward. It has not always been good enough, but she has always given everything.

It is fantastic for Sharapova, and for women’s tennis, that she is winning again. With the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, both missing the French Open, the women’s game needs some big names and faces.

Sharapova exploded on to the scene when she won the 2004 Wimbledontitle at 17, and she went on to win the 2006 US Open and the 2008 Australian Open.

Completing the career grand slam would show everyone just what she is capable of. No one can ever say after you have done the career slam that you cannot play on one particular surface. I came close to completing the career grand slam, as I won three Australian Open titles and Wimbledon and the US Open once each, and for me it is a great pity that I threw away the second of my French Open finals, when I played Steffi Graf in 1999.

It would mean a lot to Sharapova to have won all four grand slams, though at this stage of her tennis life, after coming back from a serious shoulder injury that could have ended her career, I would imagine she is motivated simply by the possibility of winning any sort of tournaments and titles again.

Winning matches and titles tends to be even more satisfying after returning from an injury, than it was before, as you have had to deal with so many obstacles to get back to where you were.

The clay courts at Roland Garros almost play like hard courts, as the sand on them is very fine. The surface in Paris is much faster and has a much truer bounce than at the other clay-court tournaments around Europe, and that is to Sharapova’s advantage, as her game is better suited to quick conditions.

Much could depend on the weather, though. If it stays hot and dry in Paris, that will help her. But if it is cold and rainy, and the balls and the clay both become heavy and wet, that could harm her chances.

There is no real reason, though, why Sharapova, whose victory in the Italian Open in Rome came against last year’s French Open runner-up Sam Stosur, cannot also win this year’s title at Roland Garros.

The key with Sharapova has always been whether she stays healthy or not. She is still young, just 24, so she has many more years left in her if she can avoid injury, and her shoulder is OK.

I was also very pleased to hear that Kim Clijsters will be in the draw in Paris. She has missed the entire clay-court season so far after damaging her ankle while dancing at a cousin’s wedding, but she can come from nowhere to win the title.

The courts suit her game. When she plays, it is usually all about her. She does not wait for her opponent to come to her as she is the one going for her shots. I imagine that a lot could depend on whether she serves well.

One advantage she does have is that she will be completely fresh. I remember when I was preparing for the French Open, and playing a number of tournaments, that you had to try to ensure that you were not tired when you arrived in Paris. That will not be a problem for Clijsters.

It has been unfortunate for women’s tennis that Serena Williams has not played for almost a year because of two foot operations and then emergency treatment for a blood clot on her lung, and her sister, Venus, has not competed much either because of injuries – her last tournament was January’s Australian Open.

This is the first time for eight years that a grand slam tournament is missing both the sisters. It would be premature to say with any certainty that the Williams era is over and they will never win any more slams, but of course it all depends on whether they can regain their health and fitness and start playing again. If they are fit and well, of course they can win more slams, because they are great champions.

It is a great story, how the sisters started from nothing to achieve so much in tennis, and if they can return to the court – they have always been stronger on the Wimbledon grass than on the Paris clay – they could add to their collections. The sisters are so strong mentally, especially Serena, that they can win tournaments when they are not quite at their best physically.

But really I would love to see Caroline Wozniacki win in Paris, especially as some would argue that until the world No1 wins a grand slam event she will struggle to have the respect of everyone in tennis. Until she does, some people will think she does not deserve or live up to that number.

She has already achieved so much and has done a lot for the sport but until she wins a slam, there will always be a lot of discussions that Wozniacki has somehow not established herself as the No 1. It would be helpful for the sport, as well as for her, if the No 1 was also a grand slam champion.

I hope that Wozniacki, a tough cookie, can make an impression this coming fortnight. Perhaps Francesca Schiavone, last year’s surprise champion here, can win again, though we have not heard so much from her recently.

Every girl finds one tournament where she immediately feels comfortable and I am sure Schiavone will be at home again in Paris when she walks on court to start the defence of her title. However I think this just might be Sharapova’s year.

By Martina Hingis (nice first attempt at journalism:).

telegraph.co.uk

Brisbane International gets an upgrade for the WTA

NEXT January, Kim Clijsters and Sam Stosur will get the chance to play the Brisbane International, following a change in the tournament's status by the WTA. 
 
The governing body for women's tennis has upgraded Brisbane to Premier level, or one below the Grand Slams. 

It will now pit Brisbane against the Sydney tournament a week later in trying to attract the game's biggest names.

Brisbane was formerly an International-level tournament, meaning it could have only one top-10 player.

The defending champion from 2010, Clijsters, wanted to return last January but Stosur committed before her with her then-career-high ranking of No 6.

Not only was Clijsters unable to compete, so was then-No 1 Caroline Wozniacki and other top 10 players like Vera Zvonareva and Victoria Azarenka, who won the inaugural Brisbane event in 2009.

But now Brisbane, like Sydney, can have an unlimited number of top-10 players sign up. The Queensland capital might be a more tempting stage to begin their run to the year's first Grand Slam in Melbourne as after Brisbane, they can have a week's rest before the Australian Open. The Sydney International runs the week before Melbourne.

The upgrade also means a substantial jump in prizemoney for the women's side of the draw. The ATP jointly runs a men's event in Brisbane.

The women's value will jump from $220,000 to $655,000, with the winner's cheque jumping from $37,000 to $103,000.

"This decision is the ultimate endorsement of the event, Brisbane and Queensland," tournament director Cameron Pearson said.

The Australian