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 Hitting
the Dirt
The clay season has begun, and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have already
picked up where they left off last year, both reaching the final of the Monte
Carlo Masters to set up their first meeting of the season. As he has done in
each of their previous matches on dirt, Nadal again emerged victorious, making
himself the firm favorite for the upcoming French Open and setting himself up
for a potentially historic run this spring. The clay maestro’s winning streak on
the surface is now a record 70 matches – and counting.
While it’s likely that the two will again meet in a couple more finals before we
leave the red stuff behind, they’ll also be facing off under slightly more
unusual conditions in an exhibition next week that has been advertised as the
‘battle of the surfaces’ – half the court is made up of grass, and half of clay.
It’s tough to look past the two titans when it comes to contenders for the
French Open crown, but a couple of dark horses will undoubtedly emerge during the
two remaining Masters Series events in Rome and Hamburg, or perhaps at one of
the smaller events as well. Two players who have already established themselves
as outside threats are Novak Djokovic and Guillermo Canas, who played the final
of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami last month. Both will be looking to make a
mark before we head to Paris for the second Grand Slam of the year.
Neither are the women overflowing with contenders. Justine Henin, a three-time
champ in Paris, will come in a strong favorite, as will the resurgent Serena
Williams. The two met in the final of Miami in March, with Williams triumphing
in a dramatic, come-from-behind performance that won her a second major trophy
of the season. Henin would be the favorite if the two met at the French Open, a
match that would take place on her favored red clay and in front of the
French-speaking crowds. But as the first few months of 2007 have showed – you
can never count out Serena.
Serena’s sister Venus, Nadia Petrova and Svetlana Kuznetsova will be other dark
horses. The big question mark, however, will be Maria Sharapova, who has been
sidelined with shoulder and hamstring injuries this month. Though she has never
been a strong presence on clay, her strength upon coming back will nevertheless
be closely watched as a prelude to the grass season, where the former Wimbledon
champ is always expected to be a force. Missing in Paris will be Kim Clijsters,
who is sitting out the clay season. She will appear in her final major at
Wimbledon and get married shortly after.
The next couple of months will also be significant on the administrative front,
with both tours expected to go into detail about their plans for the shape of
the sport in 2009 and beyond. Stay tuned to TENNIS.com and TENNIS magazine for
all the news on and off the court this spring.
 Fun
and Games
Success on clay is frequently all about grinding determination and dogged
perseverance, so get a little taste of the lighter side as we take you behind
the scenes of the latest tennis movie and give you the story behind the story of
the sport’s Hollywood darling, Maria Sharapova.
Active players may have their noses to the grindstone this month, but (near-)
retirees like Monica Seles and Martina Navratilova as well as Steffi Graf and
husband Andre Agassi have been showing off their preserved skills in slightly
less competitive settings.
On the romantic front, you can get up to date on the love lives of the
recently-engaged Paradorn Srichaphan and Mardy Fish – and sneak a peek at Venus
Williams’ too.
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TENNIS Magazine
- Tennis in Hollywood
- Celebrity Hot Shots, Lessons with the Stars, and more!
- Maria Sharapova: She's Big Business
- Roger vs. Tiger: Who's More Dominant?
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- ANA 2.0: Why Ana Ivanovic is the Game's Next Star
- ON COURT with ANDY RODDICK
- THREADS: Austin - 10 Hot Looks
- 10 Commandments of Junior Tennis, Nicole Vaidisova's Book Club
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