TENNIS OR MORE RAIN DELAY? NADAL AT ROLAND GARROS MAY 28, '08
Nadal and Bellucci May 28, 08 for 2 games before rain delay
Picture from Lali and Chachou
Picture from Lali and Chachou
5/27/2008
PARIS (AP) -A photo of Maria Sharapova graced the cover of the French Open's official daily program Tuesday, which might be considered false advertising.
That's because the No. 1-ranked woman didn't play a single point, forced by the wet weather to wait instead until at least Day 4 of the tournament to begin her quest to complete a career Grand Slam.
Rafael Nadal played all of two games of his opening match before collecting his things and trundling off center court, the start of his bid for a fourth consecutive title at the clay-court major halted by one of a series of showers.
Only 13 of 72 scheduled matches were completed, and past major champions Amelie Mauresmo and Svetlana Kuznetsova were quite pleased to duck into the second round between drizzles.
Yes, Wimbledon has come to Roland Garros, with rain affecting action on all three days so far and allowing for less than 3 hours of play Tuesday. While the All England Club is constructing a dome over Centre Court ahead of the 2009 championship, the French tennis federation has said it might build a retractable roof by 2012.
``We definitely would like to have that,'' said the 22nd-seeded Mauresmo, a Frenchwoman who overcame nine double-faults and 35 total unforced errors to beat Olga Savchuk 7-5, 4-6, 6-1.
While it's too early in the tournament for too much concern about fitting everything in, players such as Sharapova or Nadal - whose match originally was on Monday's slate before being postponed the first time, and eventually will resume at 1-1 in the first set - already face the prospect of playing on consecutive days if they proceed through the draw.
Then again, Nadal played for seven days in a row last year at Wimbledon, where he reached the final before losing to No. 1 Roger Federer. So don't expect too much sympathy for the second-seeded Spaniard.
``For Nadal, doesn't matter,'' said No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko, who eliminated 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. ``He can play today, tomorrow, after tomorrow. ... It's no problem for him.''
For the full article: www.tennischannel.com
Daylife, Bee, Hatice, Lali and Chachou, Mathilde, Roland Garros website,
Reuters, Elmundo, Yahoo, Getty Images, ESPN
Below from Rafa's Front Page at www.rafaelnadal.com
ONLY 9 MINUTES OF JOY FOR RAFA
Rafa Nadal only managed to play nine minutes of his first round match at the French Open on Tuesday as rain continued to pour in Paris.
The defending champion is level at 1-1 in the first set with Thomaz Bellucci as the match between the pair rolls into a third day at Roland Garros.
Due to persistent showers at the start of the day and midway through the afternoon it was not possible to get many matches finished leaving Rafa and Bellucci, who were second on court, with nothing to do but watch the rain fall.
He is scheduled to continue on Wednesday after Maria Sharapova's match. Play starts at 11am (Paris local time)
French Open: Rafael Nadal has mental edge to win at Roland Garros, says Bjorn Borg
By Mark Hodgkinson in Parishttp://www.telegraph.co.uk
Bjorn Borg, the Swede with red dirt on his socks and blue ice in his veins, was the Viking God of Clay in the Seventies and early Eighties. He won six French Open titles, including a record four in a row. "Everybody says that when Borg went on court, no one thought he was going to lose," the Spaniard Rafael Nadal noted.
The Ice Borg has not been seen at Roland Garros in years, but next week he is scheduled to return to Paris, intrigued to discover whether Nadal can emulate him and become only the second man in history to win the Coupe des Mousquetaires four years in succession. Many in tennis still believe Borg is the greatest clay-court player of modern times, perhaps of all time, but now a debate has begun over whether he has been biffed aside by the Nadal biceps. Borg is travelling to the French capital to see for himself at close quarters what this Nadal is all about on the terre battue.
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On a soggy, irritating day at Roland Garros, where a pair of galoshes would have been more useful than clay-court training shoes, it was after 7.30pm last night when Nadal, in a neon green muscle-vest, began his opening-round match against Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci. They completed only two games before being chased off by the rain.
But on Sunday week, Borg wants to settle into his seat on the Philippe Chatrier Court and watch Nadal play Roger Federer for the cup. "If Nadal wins the title again, and equals my record, then I will be the first to congratulate him. Records are there to be equalled and broken, so I would be happy for Rafa to do it," Borg told The Daily Telegraph.
"I haven't been to Roland Garros for many years, and can't even remember when I was last there, but I thought that it was time for me to come back to the place where I have such happy memories. Roland Garros has a special place in my heart. I'm looking forward to being at Roland Garros as a spectator, and I would very much like to see Roger and Rafa play in the final," said Borg, who won back-to-back titles in 1974 and 1975, and then his unbroken four, from 1978 to 1981.
This has become a recent trend, Borg travelling to grand slams with the prospect of a record run being equalled. At Wimbledon last summer, he sat in the Royal Box on Centre Court and watched as Federer matched his mark of five golden trophies in a row. Borg, though, believes that Federer will do well to dump Nadal on to the baseline dust.
"I know that Roger wants to win the French Open so badly," Borg said. "But he probably has two or three good chances left to win. I think that Roger has a chance to win the French title this year, and I would be very happy if he wins, too, but he would have to play the match of his life if he is going to beat Rafa over five sets in the final."I believe Rafa is getting stronger and stronger on clay, as he is becoming more experienced, and he is moving so well on the court, and playing such great groundstrokes. He is playing with a lot of confidence. I don't think I've ever seen Rafa play a bad match on a clay court. He is so consistent. Beating him over five sets on clay is so tough."
Borg applauded Nadal's mental edge. "Rafa knows that he doesn't play bad matches on clay. Paris is the toughest grand slam tournament to win, mentally and physically, and Rafa walks out on court with the feeling that he already has a mental advantage over his opponent.
"His record is a negative thought for his opponents, though, as they realise that they are going to have to play the best tennis of their life to have any chance of beating him. Rafa is definitely the strong favourite to win again, you have to say that. But Roger and Novak Djokovic still have a chance against him. If Rafa doesn't win this year, he is going to go on to win many more French Open titles, as he is only young and has a lot of time left."
And what were Borg's thoughts on who is the greatest clay-court player in history? "I know that if Rafa wins, people are going to want to compare him to me and talk about who was the greatest player on clay. But I think that's difficult to say, as it's difficult to compare two players from different eras. I am very happy with what I achieved at Roland Garros, and I think Rafa is a great champion, an unbelievable clay-court player."
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www.justin.tv
video.tennischannel.com/schedule
ESPN2 starts at Noon in USA EST
2008 French Open TV Schedule
Times for French Open ~ Roland Garros at www.tennis-x.com
by Tennis-X Staff
2008 French Open on ESPN2 (times EST)
Date Time (ET) EventSun., May 25 Noon – 5 p.m. Early Round Action Same-day
Tue., May 27 Noon – 6:30 p.m. Early Round Action Live
Wed., May 28 Noon – 6:30 p.m. Early Round Action Live
Thur., May 29 Noon – 6:30 p.m. Early Round Action Live
Fri., May 30 3 – 6:30 p.m. Early Round Action Live
Mon, June 2 Noon – 6:30 p.m. Round of 16 Live
Tue., June 3 Noon – 6:30 p.m. Quarterfinals Live
Wed., June 4 Noon – 5:30 p.m. Men’s Quarterfinals Live
Thurs., June 5 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Women’s Semifinals Live
2008 French Open on ESPN360.com
Date Time (ET) Event
Sun., May 25 5 a.m. – 5 p.m. Early Round Action Live
Tue., May 27 5 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Early Round Action Live
Wed., May 28 5 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Early Round Action Live
Thur., May 29 5 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Early Round Action Live
Fri., May 30 5 a.m. – 3 p.m. Early Round Action Live
Mon, June 2 6 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Round of 16 Live
Tue., June 3 6 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Quarterfinals Live
Wed., June 4 6 a.m. – 3 p.m. Men’s Quarterfinals Live
Thurs., June 5 6 a.m. – 3 p.m. Women’s Semifinals Live
Highlights of Day 3 www.rolandgarros.com
I don't know anything about this one but someone suggested it for seeing Roland Garros:
www.isatonthetv.com/
Tennis Channel (online and TV) 5 a.m.-12 p.m.
ESPN2 Noon-6:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY'S SCHEDULE - May 28, 08
Full Schedule: www.rolandgarros.com
CHATRIER COURT - STARTS AT 11:00 A.M. PARIS TIME
which is 6 hours ahead of USA EST
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Labels: Bellucci, Clay, France, French Open, Grand Slam, ilovemylife, Mallorca, Manacor, Paris, Rafael Nadal, Rain, Roland Garros, Sandra Hammel, Spain, TERRIBLE USA TENNIS COVERAGE, Vamos Rafa
posted by ilovemylife @ 12:04 AM
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