Daniela won her third Grand Slam title today, winning the French
Open mixed doubles to go with her Wimbledon 2001 and Australian Open
2002 mixed doubles crowns.

She teamed up with Selesian player Fabrice Santoro to defeat Martina
Navrátilová and Leander Paes (6th seeds) 3-6 6-3 6-2 in the final,
denying Navrátilová her 59th Grand Slam title.

Daniela and Fabrice broke Paes in the first game of the match, but
from 3-1 up, they lost five games in a row to drop the first set 6-3.

The second set went with serve until they crucially broke
Navrátilová at 3-4, enabling Santoro to serve it out 6-3.

Santoro was broken for 0-2 in the third set, but after a long game
on Navrátilová's serve, saving a point for 0-3, Daniela and Fabrice
broke back and reeled off six games in a row, Daniela having the
honour of serving for the title at 5-2.

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First Set
---------

Hantuchová/Santo @* *_____ 3
Navrátilová/Paes __* *@*@* 6
Gender of server ^^++^^++^

Originally scheduled for Court Philippe Chatrier, the match started
on Court Suzanne Lenglen at 18:10 CEST, and I followed live scores
at www.rolandgarros.com. I am assuming without proof that the men
are serving first.

Paes serving 0-0: 0/30, 15/30, 15/40 (2 BPs) -> 40/40, ad P, Deuce
#2, ad H/S, broken.
Santoro serving 1-0: 0/30 -> 30/30, 40/30, held.
Navrátilová serving 2-0: 15/0, 15/15, 40/15 -> 40/40, ad N/P, held.
Hantuchová serving 2-1: held to love.

This is why Daniela is a two-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion:
she's able to hold serve reliably with the men.

Paes serving 1-3: 0/15, 40/15, held.
Santoro serving 3-2: 0/40 (3 BPs) -> 40/40, ad N/P (BP #4), Deuce
#2, ad N/P (BP #5), Deuce #3, ad N/P (BP #6), broken.

Strange that both breaks have come against the men's serves!

Navrátilová serving 3-3: 30/0, 30/15, 40/15, held.

A vital game coming up on Daniela's serve - a break here, and Paes
would be serving for the first set.

Hantuchová serving 3-4: 0/40 (3 BPs), 15/40, broken.
Paes serving for the first set at 5-3: 15/0, 15/15, 30/15, 30/30,
40/30 (SP), 40/40, ad N/P (SP #2), Navrátilová/Paes won the first
set 6-3 at 18:53.

----------
Second Set
----------

Hantuchová/Santo * * * *@* 6
Navrátilová/Paes _* * *___ 3
Gender of server ^^++^^++^

Santoro serving 0-0: held to love.
Paes serving 0-1: 15/0, 15/30, 30/30, 30/40 (BP), 40/40, ad H/S (BP
#2), Deuce #2, ad H/S (BP #3), Deuce #3, ad N/P, held.

Just typical - all those break-points wasted, then the opponents
hold at the first opportunity! :-|| Sometimes it's easier to win
points when serving from one side or the other.

Hantuchová serving 1-1: 0/30, 15/30, 15/40 (2 BPs) -> 40/40, ad H,
held.

Good girl. It's never easy to serve after wasting break-points in
the previous game - let's hope that applies to Navrátilová in the
next game too!

Navrátilová serving 1-2: 0/15, 15/15, 15/40 (2 BPs) -> 40/40,
ad H/S (BP #3), Deuce #2, ad N/P, held.
Santoro serving 2-2: 30/0 -> 30/30, 40/30, 40/40, ad H/S, held.
Paes serving 2-3: 15/0, 15/15, 40/15, held.
Hantuchová serving 3-3: 30/0, 30/15, 40/15, held.

Now it's time to pounce on Navrátilová's serve so that Santoro can
serve for the set!

Navrátilová serving 3-4: 0/15, 30/15, 30/40 (BP), 40/40,
ad H/S (BP #2), broken.
Santoro serving for the second set at 5-3: 15/0, 15/30, 30/30,
40/30 (SP), Hantuchová/Santoro won the second set 6-3 at 19:39.

---------
Third Set
---------

"Paes and Navrátilová upped the tempo, breaking in the second game
of the decider after a spectacular rally to go up 2-0. But they
literally disintegrated as Santoro and Hantuchová reeled off the
last six games of the match to notch the victory."
[www.rolandgarros.com]

Hantuchová/Santo __@*@*@* 6
Navrátilová/Paes *@______ 2
Gender of server ^^++^^++

Paes serving 0-0: 30/0 -> 30/30, 40/30, 40/40, ad N/P, held.
Santoro serving 0-1: 0/40 (3 BPs), 15/40, 30/40, broken.
Navrátilová serving 2-0: 15/0, 15/15, 30/15, 30/30, 40/30, 40/40,
ad H/S (BP), Deuce #2, ad H/S, broken.

That break-back could prove vital! :-) But now Daniela has to
consolidate...

Hantuchová serving 2-1: held to love.

Good girl!

Paes serving 2-2: 15/0, 15/30, 30/30, 30/40 (BP), broken.

What a turnaround! :-)

Santoro serving 3-2: 30/0, 30/15, 40/15, held.

A break of Navrátilová's serve here, and Daniela could be serving
for the title!

Navrátilová serving 2-4: 0/15, 15/15, 15/40 (2 BPs), 30/40, broken.

YES!!!

Daniela serving for the championship at 5-2: 40/0 (3 CPs),
Daniela and Fabrice won the final 3-6 6-3 6-2 at 20:18!!!

------
Quotes
------

Daniela: "It's amazing for her age what she still does. It's
difficult to play against them because it's amazing what she still
can do."

Santoro: "It's my 16th time competing at Roland Garros. A title in
Paris is great. I can tell you, I held up the trophy... and it's
something that's very important for me and in my career."

------
Photos
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Daniela's French Open profile:
http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/bios/ws/wtah394.html

Photos:
http://www.wtaworld.com/showthread.php?t=167602&page=3
http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=hantuchova

To those looking for the next Daniela Hantuchová, her name is
Dominika Cibulková and she's on the cover of this month's Slovenský
Tenis! <http://www.stz.sk/>

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/hantu/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/seles/selesians.html

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/danielahantuchova/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/selesians/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jeldani/