=============
ROLAND GARROS (Paris, France; red clay; Grand Slam)
============= http://www.rolandgarros.com/
Contents
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1. Photos
2. Men's Singles: First-round result
3. Women's Singles: First-round results
4. First-round TV-report: Niculescu v Jankovic
5. Men's Singles: Second-round draw
6. Women's Singles: Second-round draw

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1. Photos
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Monica Niculescu:
http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=jankovic
Search Getty Images for "niculescu"

Aiko Nakamura:
http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=nakamura
http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/players/wta140219.html

Marion Bartoli:
http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=bartoli
http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/players/wta020631.html
Search Getty Images for "bartoli"

Looks like Marion had a problem with hair in her face!

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2. Men's Singles: First-round result
------------------------------------

+ Fabrice Santoro [S] d. Evgeny Korolev [LL], 7-6 (7/3) 6-1 6-4

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3. Women's Singles: First-round results
---------------------------------------

+ Peng,Shuai [S] d. Anastasia Rodionova, 6-0 2-6 6-3
- MARION BARTOLI [9,DF,S] lt. Casey Dell'Acqua, 7-6 (7/4) 3-6 2-6
- Monica Niculescu [LL,S] lt. JELENA JANKOVIC [3], 6-7 (3/7) 2-6
- Aiko Nakamura [S] lt. SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA [4], 2-6 3-6
- Ayumi Morita [S] lt. ÁGNES SZÁVAY [12], 1-6 6-4 4-6
- Akiko Morigami [S] lt. Petra Kvitová, 4-6 3-6
- Yan,Zi [S] lt. Emilie Loit, 6-1 4-6 6-8
- Hsieh,Su-Wei [S] lt. Anastasiya Yakimova [Q], 7-6 (7/4) 5-7 4-6

"World No.71 Nakamura was no match for Kuznetsova's pace, and was
completely outplayed from the start. The Japanese player has never
been beyond the first round at Roland Garros, and that statistic was
never likely to change today. Nakamura hits double-handed off both
wings like her idol Monica Seles, but without the former champion's
speed or accuracy."
[Orla Coady, www.rolandgarros.com]

Marion: "I'm just fed up. Since the beginning of this year, I've been
playing and I felt tired, and I thought, 'well, this is probably
psychological,' but it's five months I've been feeling this, in this
state, being very tired. Why not take a short break, some holidays?
So I'll probably start practising for the season on grass, but I
first want to think about myself."

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3. First-round TV-report: Niculescu v Jankovic (Monday 26th May 2008)
----------------------------------------------

- Monica Niculescu [LL,S] lt. JELENA JANKOVIC [3], 6-7 (3/7) 2-6

I watched this match casually on BBCi. I had just 15 minutes left on
my "Tennis 221" video-tape - 15 minutes for Niculescu to make a
believer of me before I decided to start "Tennis 222" with her.


First set
---------
NICULESC ___*@ @ @* *_ 6(3)
JANKOVIC *@*__@ @__* T 7(7)

At first, I was completely /unimpressed/ with Niculescu. Her
groundstrokes were barely over the service-line, half of them were
moonballs, and she was hitting one-handed sliced forehands. Sam Smith
was surprised that she even made the transition from junior-tennis to
the WTA Tour.

But then, I realised that Niculescu is, in fact, a previously
unlisted Selesian! She started hitting her forehand properly, with
two hands - the same as her backhand. She also takes the ball very
early on that two-handed forehand, like another Monica from of old.

Niculescu also hit a nice backhand dropshot-winner at *0-3 (0/15),
followed immediately by a point at the net where she showed good
volleying-skills to block back a testing pass from Jankovic, and hit
a forehand volley-winner. She held to 15 to avoid the double bagel.

Jankovic serving 3-1: 15/0. Niculescu dominated the point and hit
a "slashing" forehand smash-winner - "ended up killing about 16
wasps" [Barry Davies]. 15/15. Niculescu forehand drop-volley winner.
15/30. Jankovic came to the net; Niculescu backhand lob-winner.
15/40 (2 BPs). Niculescu broke back.

Niculescu serving 2-3: Jankovic broke again quickly.

Jankovic serving 4-2: 0/15. Niculescu came in behind a dropshot, and
showed more good volleying-skills, culminating with a two-handed
backhand volley-winner crosscourt. 0/40. Niculescu played a nice
spreading rally, and broke back again with a forehand dropshot-winner
down the line.

Barry Davies: "We're seeing a very different Romanian in terms of her
confidence and what she wants to do."
Sam Smith: "She's terrific in putting the ball in all the right
places. Jelena's pretty surprised and unprepared."

Niculescu serving 3-4: Niculescu started grunting, and saved four
break-points from 0/40 onwards. But she couldn't resist a fifth, and
seems to be regressing to her sliced forehand.

Jankovic serving 5-3: Niculescu won the point with another dropshot.
30/30. Niculescu dropshot-winner. 30/40 (BP). Niculescu made it five
breaks in a row with a backhand lob-winner down the line.

Sam Smith: "Hard work for Jankovic. She'd prefer a hard ball coming
at her, but in these cold, damp conditions, she's having to generate
all the pace herself."

Niculescu serving 4-5: Niculescu's dropshot, low over the net, forced
Jankovic into error. 15/0. Niculescu defensive lob just long. 15/15.
Niculescu came to the net; Jankovic lob long. 30/15. Jankovic netted
a cheap backhand return. 40/15. Jankovic thumped a crosscourt
backhand winner with a hint of frustration about it. 40/30. Jankovic
netted a forehand.

Barry Davies: "Forty minutes of fascination and fallibility."

Jankovic serving 5-5: Niculescu ran down a dropshot and hit an off-
backhand winner. 0/15. Forehand return long. 15/15. Jankovic chopped
a forehand long. 15/30. Jankovic punished a short, weak lob with a
crosscourt forehand winner. 30/30. Jankovic opened up the court for
an off-forehand winner onto the sideline. 40/30. Niculescu backhand
lob just long. She shook her head at the changeover.

Niculescu serving 5-6: Niculescu netted a forehand on the third
stroke. 0/15. Niculescu forehand lob long. 0/30. Jankovic came in on
a floater from Niculescu, but hit a forehand smash wide. 15/30.
Jankovic hit a half-court ball very long. Sam Smith: "She just
doesn't miss those shots on a weekly basis." 30/30. Jankovic hit a
wild backhand long. 40/30. Niculescu's depth induced Jankovic to hit
a backhand long.

6-6 tiebreak (all scores Niculescu/Jankovic):
{0/0*} Jankovic got a time-violation, and hit a hard, angry forehand
to force Niculescu into error.
{*0/1} Niculescu forehand lob long by a whisker.
{*0/2} Niculescu regressed to the short moonballs with which she
started the match, and Jankovic forced her into error.
{0/3*} Niculescu sliced a forehand long.
{0/4*} Jankovic wide.
{*1/4} Niculescu forehand dropshot-winner.
{*2/4} Jankovic came to the net, Niculescu hit a testing pass, but
Jankovic's backhand volley clipped the netcord and crawled over for a
winner. She kissed the net.
{2/5*} Niculescu return long.
{2/6*: SP #1} Niculescu forehand dropshot return-winner.
{*3/6: SP #2} An interesting rally ended with Jankovic hitting a
crosscourt forehand volley-winner onto the sideline. Jankovic won the
first set 7-6 (7/3) at 12:09.

Sam Smith: "Niculescu is the female Fabrice Santoro."

Fabrice Santoro is the only listed Selesian in the Men's Singles this
French Open. He plays with two hands both sides, frequently slices
his forehand, and takes his opponents out of their rhythm. Sadly, he
won't be around for much longer, and men's tennis will be much poorer
without him.

Sam Smith: "Jankovic is struggling with the basics much more than
usual. She has Dominika Cibulková in her third-round draw. Cibulková
has been playing very well; that is a really tough potential
encounter."


Second set
----------
NICULESC _@*_____ 2
JANKOVIC @__*@*@* 6

Niculescu serving 0-0: 15/30. Jankovic ran down a dropshot and hit a
backhand winner onto the baseline. 15/40 (BP). Jankovic forced
Niculescu to earth a backhand.

Jankovic serving 1-0: Niculescu broke back with yet another forehand
dropshot-winner down the line.

Sam Smith: "Tennis is about problem-solving in each round."

Niculescu serving 1-1: Jankovic got another time-violation: this time
a penalty-point. 15/0. Niculescu worked her way to the net, forcing a
floater and hitting a forehand smash-winner. Sam Smith: "She
definitely uses the whole court." 30/0. Niculescu forehand just wide.
30/15. Jankovic took a backhand very early, and hit it long. 40/15.
Niculescu dominated the rally with Selesian groundstrokes, forcing
forced Jankovic into error.

Jankovic serving 1-2: Jankovic forehand smash-winner. 15/0.
An interesting close-range rally ended with Niculescu chopping a
forehand into the net. 30/0. Jankovic crosscourt backhand winner.
40/0. Jankovic hit a short-angled crosscourt backhand onto the
sideline, forcing Niculescu into error.

Niculescu serving 2-2: 0/30. Niculescu crosscourt backhand winner.
15/30. Jankovic ran down a dropshot and hit a crosscourt sliced
backhand winner. 15/40 (2 BPs). Jankovic squeezed a down-the-line
backhand winner onto the junction of sideline and baseline.

Jankovic serving 3-2: Jankovic dominated the rally and hit a
crosscourt forehand drive-volley winner. 15/0. 30/0. Jankovic came to
the net and hit a hard forehand drive-volley winner. Sam Smith: "What
a difference when she flattens out that forehand. It's not like an
Ivanovic forehand - there's still a covering of topspin." Jankovic
held to love.

Niculescu serving 2-4: An error-strewn game resulted in a break to
30. Sam Smith: "What a difference when she plays Jankovic's game -
it's no contest at all."

Sam Smith: "I think coaches will be preparing their players very
carefully for Niculescu - she should come with a health-warning!"

Jankovic serving 5-2: Ace. 15/0. Serve + backhand winner down the
line. 30/0. Niculescu mishit a backhand lob very long. 40/0 (MP #1).
Niculescu's backhand dropshot forced Jankovic to hit a backhand wide.
40/15 (MP #2). Niculescu saved it with - guess what? a crosscourt
forehand dropshot-winner! 40/30 (MP #3). Niculescu on the fourth
stroke dumped a backhand into the net. Jankovic won 7-6 (7/3) 6-2 at
12:40 (second set 32m, match 1h32m).

As Jankovic signed autographs, the microphones actually picked up
what the fans were saying to her, e.g. "I saw you in Miami. You were
great!"

Barry Davies: "Congratulations to Monica Niculescu for providing a
great deal of entertainment... in a very different style. Those
dropshots were something else."


Article
-------

Jelena, Venus Move On as First Round Continues
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=2288
>>>
On Sunday it was Ana Ivanovic and Serena Williams who took the first
step toward a projected quarter-final meeting, and on Monday it was
Jelena Jankovic and Venus Williams who did the same, grinding past
their first-round opponents at Roland Garros. Patty Schnyder was also
among Day 2's winners.

Third seed Jankovic was the first of the two WTA Tour superstars to
advance, beating lucky loser Monica Niculescu 7-6(3) 6-2. Jankovic
looked as though she was headed for an easy victory as she built
leads of 3-0 and 5-3 in the first set; Niculescu hung tough and took
the set to a tiebreak - but after the feisty Serb pulled it out, she
cruised to a straight-sets win in her opener.

"I had a good start, but then she played some great shots," Jankovic
said. "She hit some good dropshots. I got a bit confused because I
didn't know how she'd play or what to expect. Then I started making
some errors and lost my rhythm a little bit. Then after I won the
first set, I figured out what to do, and it all got better.

"It's not that she plays two hands on both sides, it's that she hits
slice and high balls, dropshots, different kinds of shots. She's sort
of like the Santoro in the women's game. It took time for me to get
used to that."
<<<

-----------------------------------
5. Men's Singles: Second-round draw
-----------------------------------

* Fabrice Santoro [S] v DAVID FERRER [5]

-------------------------------------
6. Women's Singles: Second-round draw
-------------------------------------

* Peng,Shuai [S] v Iveta Benešová [Q]

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