=============
ROLAND GARROS (Paris, France; red clay; Grand Slam)
============= http://www.rolandgarros.com/
Contents
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1. Women's Singles: Second-round result
2. Men's Singles: Second-round TV-report: Santoro v Ferrer

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1. Women's Singles: Second-round result (Thursday 29th May 2008)
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- Peng,Shuai [S] lt. Iveta Benešová [Q], 4-6 3-6

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2. Men's Singles: Second-round TV-report: Santoro v Ferrer
(Thursday 29th May 2008)
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- Fabrice Santoro [S] lt. DAVID FERRER [5], 0-6 1-6 0-6

I watched this match on BBCi, but only casually as I was following
live scores of Anna Chakvetadze v Kaia Kanepi, which started at about
the same time.

Sam Smith said during the warm-up that clay was not Fabrice's best
surface, but these cold, heavy conditions should help him with his
dropshots and junk.


First set
---------
SANTOR ______ 0
FERRER *@*@*@ 6

The match started at 18:47 CEST on Court Chatrier.

Ferrer serving 0-0: Held to 15. Fabrice tried one dropshot, but it
wasn't effective.

Fabrice serving 0-1: Ferrer overpowered Fabrice and broke to 30.

Ferrer serving 2-0: 30/30. Ferrer came to the net, but Fabrice hit a
beautiful lob-winner. 30/40. But he wasted the break-point by netting
a backhand, and Ferrer held after several deuces.

Most of the points are being dominated by Ferrer, who is often
looking to come to the net and hit a smash. Fabrice is only defending
so far.

Sam Smith: "Ferrer has transformed himself from a Spanish grinder to
an offensive player."

Fabrice serving 0-3: 30/0 to 30/30. Fabrice had a couple of game-
points, but couldn't cope with Ferrer's aggressive play and dancing
feet, and got broken again.

Sam Smith said Fabrice's back is hurting, and he's not moving as well
as usual. He's often having to take one hand off the racket.

Ferrer serving 4-0: Held to love.

Fabrice serving 0-5: Fabrice hit a nice lob, but Ferrer just ran back
and rifled an off-forehand pass-winner - he has an answer to
everything so far. Ferrer broke yet again to win the first set 6-0 at
19:13 (26m).


Second set
----------
SANTOR ___*___ 1
FERRER *@* *@* 6

Ferrer serving 0-0: Fabrice adopted a more aggressive approach, and
is beginning to weave his magic, with a lob-winner to get to 0/30.
But Ferrer reeled off four points in a row to hold, finishing with a
low backhand winner crosscourt onto the sideline.

Fabrice serving 0-1: 40/15. Fabrice wasted one game-point with a
double fault, and Ferrer saved the next with a dropshot-winner.
Ferrer ruthlessly went on to break.

David Mercer: "Ferrer's in no mood to give anything away. He wants to
grind his opponent down."

Ferrer serving 2-0: Remorselessly held to love. Fabrice can't keep
the ball away from Ferrer's forehand.

Fabrice serving 0-3: Fabrice took the initiative, came to the net,
and netted a forehand volley. 15/0. Fabrice came in again, and this
time hit a nice backhand drop-volley winner. 30/0 to 30/30. Fabrice
came to the net, forcing Ferrer to net a backhand pass. Ad Fabrice.
Came to the net, hit an error-forcing volley onto the baseline, but
it was called long and overruled, so they had to replay the point.
Fabrice came to the net again: Ferrer's crosscourt backhand pass
clipped the netcord and fell wide.

Sam Smith: "Santoro is not what he was five years ago, but he's still
putting a lot of balls in the court. Ferrer's winning this rather
than Santoro losing it. His finishing has been perfect."

Ferrer serving 3-1: Another easy hold.

Fabrice serving 1-4: Fabrice's tactics are now to approach the net to
Ferrer's backhand, but Ferrer ripped a backhand pass-winner down the
line. 0/15. Ferrer continued to have the answer for everything, and
scored the double break.

Sam Smith: "Although Santoro beat Ferrer a couple of years ago, this
is a terrible match-up for him in terms of his strengths and
weaknesses against Ferrer's strengths and weaknesses. If your
opponent likes to run a lot, you should play him down the middle."

Ferrer serving 5-1: I was interrupted, so I lost my concentration,
and Fabrice lost the second set 6-1 at around 19:42.


Third set
---------
SANTOR ______ 0
FERRER @*@*@* 6

Fabrice serving 0-0: Another early break to Ferrer.

Ferrer serving 1-0: Ferrer continued to smash Fabrice off the court,
and held with a searing crosscourt forehand winner back behind
Fabrice.

Fabrice serving 0-2: Fabrice got to 40/30 with three good serves -
about the first returns Ferrer hasn't made today - but Ferrer saved
the game-point ruthlessly with a lob-winner over Fabrice at the net.
40/40. Ferrer constructed the rally perfectly and hit a forehand
smash-winner. Ad Ferrer (BP). Fabrice came to the net, inducing
Ferrer to net a backhand pass. Deuce #2. Fabrice came to the net, but
Ferrer's pass was too hard, forcing him to earth a forehand volley.
Ad Ferrer. Fabrice retrieved one smash, but Ferrer hit another onto
Fabrice's forehand-sideline for a spectacular winner.

Everyone's talking about Federer, Nadal and Đokovic as the only
potential French Open 2008 champions, but this is a brilliant
performance from Ferrer, so perhaps it's time for everyone to widen
their views.

Ferrer serving 3-0: Fabrice took him to 40/40 as I concentrated on
Anna Chakvetadze's scoreboard, but one dipping pass at his feet and
another for a winner snuffed out the hope of a break.

Fabrice serving 0-4: 30/30. Ferrer shanked a wild forehand out of
sight. 40/30. Ferrer denied Fabrice the game-point with a wonderful
spreading rally, finishing with an off-forehand volley-winner.
Fabrice saved one break-point at the net, but couldn't deny Ferrer a
second.

Ferrer serving 5-0: Ferrer dominated Fabrice to get to 40/0, to loud
boos from the crowd, who held up Ferrer before he served. Ferrer came
to the net and hit the main shot with which he'd been dominating the
match: a forehand smash-winner.


Article
-------

France's Santoro wins all of 1 game against Ferrer
By Chris Lehourites: AP Sports Writer
>>>
Fabrice Santoro tried just about everything at the French Open, even
seeking a bit of divine intervention. The poor guy wanted to win more
than one game.

Alas, the 35-year-old Frenchman lost 6-0 6-1 6-0 to No.5-seeded David
Ferrer of Spain in the second round.

"Against these type of opponents, a match can be a nightmare,"
Santoro said. "I prayed."

He also stayed back at the baseline, hitting the ball a little higher
than usual to get a better trajectory. He also came to the net,
hoping to volley his way to extra points.

But nothing really worked.

"I could perhaps have won six or seven games, because I several times
had game-points, but this is a very clear-cut type of score," said
Santoro, who has played in the French Open 19 times - more than any
player in the 40-year Open Era.

His record, though, is 17:19. He's never been past the fourth round
at Roland Garros, and has one Grand Slam quarter-final appearance, at
the 2006 Australian Open,

The crowd at centre court certainly was on the Frenchman's side,
cheering wildly when he held serve in the second set to win his only
game.

"That was extraordinary," Santoro said. "I tried everything until the
very last point. I wanted to win a number of games. I wanted to spend
more time, a few more minutes on the court."

When he was trailing 0-5 in the last set, a group of fans started to
sing the French national anthem.

"When you hear 'La Marseillaise', it's the atmosphere that counts.
The audience is here, the public is with you, and you have to give
all that you have," he said.

During Ferrer's final serves, the crowd was making noise, only
quieting down when Santoro was getting ready for the return. And
after match-point, Santoro smiled and shook hands with Ferrer at the
net, even giving him a half-hug.

What was he feeling during all that time on centre court, with the
fans hoping for some more fight, some more pluck from their local
hero?

"In a word: powerlessness," Santoro said.
<<<

Magician's Final Bow?: Santoro exits Paris
By Jon Levey (Tennis.com, Saturday 31st May)
>>>
When he hangs his racquet up, which is likely to be at the end of
this season, Fabrice Santoro may not find himself on the fast track
to the Hall of Fame. But if the criteria were based on players who
make the game a joy to watch, he'd be a first ballot lock for sure.
A master manipulator of depth, angles, and spins, Santoro has made a
career out of befuddling opponents with guile, tenacity and sleight
of hand. Listed at a generous 5-foot-10 and possessing limited power
in his awkward two-handed strokes, he didn't have much of a choice.
He has such a knack for hitting creative and difficult to return
shots, that no less than Grand Slam king, Pete Sampras, labelled
Santoro: "The Magician."

Since his first full season in 1990, Santoro has been a model of
consistency. Only two times – 1995 and 1996 – did he not finish the
year inside the top 100 in singles. He has finished in the top 65 for
11 consecutive years, 16 overall, and reached a career-high ranking
of No.17 in 2001 at the age of 28. He's won five singles- and 24
doubles-titles, including the 2003 and 2004 Australian Open
championships with countryman Michael Llodra, and has participated in
17 Davis Cup ties for France. His more than 440 wins include such
noted victims as Sampras (3 times), Marat Safin (7 times), Andre
Agassi (3 times), and Andy Roddick (once). When a draw comes out,
there are few players who relish seeing their names in the same
bracket with Santoro.

Perhaps the ultimate testament to his longevity is, for all the
greats who have played the game, Santoro's 63 Grand Slams singles-
appearances is the most all-time. It's unlikely, however, that he'll
be adding to the total much longer. A Roland Garros junior champion
(1989), his most enduring moment as a pro occurred in 2004 when he
battled countryman Arnaud Clement to a 16-14 victory in the fifth set
of the longest match (6h33m) in history. "Am I able to play Roland
Garros at 36 against guys who are 15, 16 years younger than I am?" he
responds when asked about the possibility of playing here in
2009. "In the next 12 months, I don't think much will change - not in
my favour in any case."

If this French Open, Santoro's 19th, is to be his last, it will be
bittersweet. It started in the first round on a packed Court 3
against Russian, Evgeny Korolev. It's an intimate setting and
spectators were hanging over the walls like ivy, trying to get a
glimpse of what could be Santoro's last Roland Garros match. The two
met earlier this year in January in the quarter-finals of Sydney with
Santoro winning in straights 6-3 6-3. At 6-foot-1, 180 lbs, and
blessed with powerful, penetrating groundstrokes, Korolev is the anti-
Santoro. He's ultra-aggressive, prone to mistakes, and, at just 20
years old, easily frustrated. For Santoro, that's easy prey.

Being Wednesday, Kid's Day at Roland Garros, the stands are jammed
with young children. They were vocal, animated, and hugely supportive
of the hometown Santoro. During changeovers, chants of "Fa-Brice!"
filled the air, which was swirling around the court all afternoon.
Several times, the players stopped due to clay being spiralled off
the court and blown in their faces. That didn't stop Santoro from
displaying all the touch, improvisation and lightning reflexes that
has come to define his style of play.

The players' approaches to the match were simple: Korolev tried to
hit Santoro off the court, while Santoro threw junk at Korolev to
draw errors. The first set ended up going into a tiebreak, and with
score tied at 3 points apiece, Korolev delivered a second serve.
Santoro moved in close to return the kick serve on the rise, and hit
a two-handed forehand dropshot that completely caught Korolev flat-
footed. By the time he raced up to the ball, all he could do was
shovel it in the net. Only Santoro would attempt such a shot at such
a critical time. The sequence unnerved Korolev, who dumped the next
two points, and with it the set. Walking back to his chair after the
set, Korolov bounced his racquet in disgust. It was all downhill from
there. Korolev lost the next two sets and piled up a total of 63
unforced errors in the process. Santoro finished with just 14.

It was vintage Santoro, right down to the impish grins of disbelief
on his face (like pulling a rabbit out of a hat) after sliding into
an improbable two-handed forehand slice passing-shot winner. Hitting
with two hands on both sides is unusual enough, but to make the slice
your preferred shot on your forehand is simply not done. Santoro
really chops down on it, giving it a tight spin that skids and dies
when it lands. When he tries to come over the ball on that wing his
elbows flare out, and he doesn't drive the shot as much as roll the
ball deep. His backhand is more traditional, and he has a sneaky fast
serve that he can place rather accurately (he aced Korolev 10 times).

Perhaps Santoro's asset, though, is his return of serve. He has
remarkably quick hands, feet and reflexes, and an uncanny ability to
get the ball back in play. At the Australian Open this year, he
easily handled huge-serving John Isner in straight sets, and took out
tour ace-leader Ivo Karlovic in five at Wimbledon last year. Throw in
his deft touch and use of angles, and it's obvious why he's won so
many doubles-titles.

But for Santoro to have success in singles, particularly on a clay
surface, he needs a willing foil. His second round opponent, David
Ferrer was not. With the sun creeping out in the early Thursday
evening after an afternoon downpour, the two took to a less than full
Phillipe Chatrier court. Right from the start, it was apparent that
Ferrer would have no trouble handling Santoro's tactics. He was too
quick, consistent, and patient to fall victim to Santoro's
wiles. "He's kind of a bulldozer," is how Santoro describes his
opponent. Simply put, it was a slaughter. It took Santoro to the 10th
game to win his first, and that would be all. "I really wanted to win
a few more games. He didn't want to lose any, that's for sure." The
word Santoro would use to sum up the experience was: "powerlessness."

When Santoro was one game away from losing, the crowd knew the match
was over, but still tried to rally their man with a rendition of La
Marseillaise - the French national anthem. "It's the atmosphere that
counts," Santoro says after the match. "The audience is here, the
public is with you, and you have to give all that you have." Santoro
went on to say that he wished he was given an opportunity to address
the crowd and thank them for all their support.

"I can remember all of these magic times in front of the French
public, and here in Roland Garros. Should this match be the very last
one in my career? You know I'm not making any decisions, but I would
have liked to say goodbye to the French."

Perhaps it didn't end exactly as he envisioned. There was no shocking
upset or even the threat of one put into a superior opponent. Almost
all of Santoro's chicanery was ineffective. But there was one point
in the first game of the second set against Ferrer when Santoro
bombarded his opponent with a series of slices, high rollers, a fake
rush to the net, and finished it off with a dropshot + lob
combination for the winner. The crowd erupted in applause, and
Santoro responded by looking to his player's box and giving that
trademark puckish grin.

The Magician had pulled off one last trick.
<<<

--
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