I have received dozens of emails asking me why I had yet to share my views of the French Open which started last Sunday, in Paris.
Seriously, I didn’t receive one single email but this is a blog. I could write pretty much anything I want to, no one would notice. Does anybody really care about the truth anyway? Just like no one would know that Russia’s Maria Sharapova played and won today in Roland-Garros if they were watching the Tennis Channel.
This is interesting. She is No.1 in the world. One of the most recognized female athletes on earth. And yet, not one single word about her performance. That must be 21st century journalism for you.
Maybe, and it’s just a guess, the Tennis Channel has decided to keep Maria’s win over Italy’s Karin Knapp a secret so that people will watch their match on NBC later. That is definitely 20th century television.
I really wonder why TV execs keep assuming that we are all that stupid. I thought only politicians made a living cheating us.
Then, they will all complain that ratings are not good for tennis and that no one is interested in the sport … anymore. (they usually add anymore because they all miss the days of Pete Sampras’s dominance, when he was “boring” and “not flamboyant enough” for tv).
Try broadcasting the Super Bowl on Monday afternoon, the day after it’s played. I can guarantee you that the ratings won’t be that good. And no, I am not comparing the French Open with the Superbowl. I am pretty sure more people would rather watch Sharapova in her beautiful short blue dress than overweight overpaid men in shiny padded tights.
Sharapova is now set to meet fellow Russian Dinara Safin in the 4th round. And then Safina (yes, you read it first, Safina will upset Sharapova) will meet another Russian, Vera Zvonareva in the quarterfinal and then Zvonareva will meet Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semifinals. Kuznetsova is also Russian, that was easy. But I don’t know who will advance to the final yet.
On the other side of the draw, World No.2 Ana Ivanovic will advance to her second consecutive final in Paris and her second Grand Slam final this year.
Jelena Jankovic, Kuznetsova or Ivanovic could overcome Maria Sharapova atop the world rankings after the French Open.
On the men’s side, Spain’s Rafael Nadal is very likely to tie Bjorn Borg’s record of four consecutive wins in Paris.
Nadal is 24-0 lifetime at the French Open (before the 4th round). He is 111-2 on clay since the beginning of 2005. He has lost seven sets in three years in Roland-Garros, three of them to Roger Federer, one to Sebastien Grosjean, one to Mariano Puerta, one to Paul-Henri Mathieu and one to Lleyton Hewitt.
Five French players, Jeremy Chardy, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Michael Llodra, Gael Monfils and Julien Benneteau have reached the fourth round of their national Open, for the first time since 1971. Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the two best French players, pulled out before the start of the event because of injuries.
