Justapova X

!MS

[This is your 'French Open Crisis Center' post. Feel free to use this to discuss Saturday's matches.]

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by Bobby Chintapalli, Contributing Writer

Both have been showing up at the net quite a few times too – even between the coin toss and handshake. Henin, in a continued effort to Wimbledonize her game, approached 29 times. More surprisingly Sharapova, in a possible effort to temporarily Heninize her game, approached 26 times.

Sharapova’s serving stats are a little better than Henin’s – she hit more aces and fewer double-faults and had a better first serve percentage.

The Major Stuff

!JH

Sharapova isn’t as high on the list of contenders to win this whole shebang as Justine, who’s on top, but winning it would mean a lot to Sharapova: For one thing, it would get her a career Grand Slam. Henin too needs just one more major to complete a career Grand Slam. (It’s Wimbledon, as you’ve heard a million times.)

Despite the hole in their major kitties these ladies have some of the best stats around, even when compared to the five other active women’s Grand Slam singles winners. Consider these stats, which show the number of Grand Slam singles titles won, career singles titles won and career win percentage going in to the French Open. (The list is sorted first by Grand Slam titles then by career titles.)

The three players at the bottom of the list aren’t in the tournament now. Kim Clijsters didn’t play because of a foot injury, Ana Ivanovic lost to Alisa Kleybanova in the second round and Svetlana Kuznetsova lost to Maria Kirilenko in the third round. That leaves The Sisters and Justapova. We know at least one more will be out of the tournament after this match. But which one?

What a Girl Wants

When Justapova X gets underway Saturday, I hope we’ll see big groundstrokes, changes in pace and spin, net play and, generally, tennis worthy of its billing. What I expect we won’t see is anything close to choking – that’s not how these two roll.

Henin knows what I’m talking about. “I think there’s one thing we share,” she said. “We are fighters.”

Sure, they may get nervous. If they do Sharapova may grunt louder, and Henin may look at her coach more often. Who cares? When it’s over I, for one, just don’t want to see – or have – a good cry over some great mental collapse. Now on with it. In the Twitter words of the wise Jelena Jankovic... I am ready!