For the first week of Roland Garros I'll be exchanging emails with TENNIS Magazine senior editor Jon Levey, who's in Paris to cover the tournament.
Jon,
Nick, Nick, Nick [Editor’s note: In real life Jon and Steve, like Woody Allen and his old buddy in "Annie Hall," refer to each other by the same name. In their case, it’s “Nick.” Trust them, it’s a very cool thing to do. Women love it.], you’re right about the difficulty of getting into the side courts at Roland Garros. Now that I think about it, I can remember watching only a handful of matches in Paris that weren’t played in Chatrier, Lenglen, and the Bullring. The little stands around the grounds get mobbed and no one seems to move. But the three arenas I just mentioned make up for it; they’re very different, but there are few, if any, better places to watch tennis.
This might mean that fans in the States, lolling on our couches in front of the Tennis Channel, have more access to the smaller courts than the reporters on the grounds. Did you catch any of David Nalbandian’s dismal and strange—or not so strange, this being Nalbo—collapse against France’s Jeremy Chardy? He basically stopped moving in the fifth set, though you have to credit Chardy for keeping his cool and continuing to rip the ball right up until the final point. You could see him trying to stay as relaxed and unperturbed as possible, which made his spontaneous burst of happiness afterward all the more fun to watch. It was a nice moment for Chardy and the home folks. Still, I find his game a little awkward. He’s from the top junior class of a couple years ago, but I hadn’t seen his name since. The French know how to produce junior champs, that much we know.
It’s the Eastern Europeans who know how to produce pro champs these days. One young guy who doesn’t look at all awkward is 19-year-old Latvian Ernests Gulbis. Somehow I had never seen him play until today, when he beat Blake in four. As an aficionado of big hitters—Safin, Gonzo—I’m guessing you were out at that one, because Gulbis hits big, especially with the forehand and the serve (he was in the mid-130s today). I was impressed with his stroke and timing on his forehand especially. He holds his smooth form even when he’s moving forward into the court, though he’s still prone to pulling the trigger a few shots early. What do you think of Gulbis and his future? Is he built sturdily enough for today's game? He showed some decent defense out there today as well, which makes me think he won't be a one-dimensional type.
I wish I had seen more of Gulbis, but, in a be-careful-what-you-wish-for moment, the Tennis Channel was bouncing between matches and making some odd choices along the way. We spent a fair amount of time with an uninspired Mauresmo (the stands looked pretty empty for her match when I was watching) and Lapentti vs. Bobby Reynolds before coming back to catch Blake’s last two games. There was also an Alize Cornet sighting. The little French teenager is becoming a good story, and she wears a cool hat, but I find her more compelling to watch in person, where you can see how she launches her whole body into each shot. On TV, she looks a little, I don’t know, slight to become a top woman player.
Johnny Mac is commentating away on the Tennis Channel; he does both of the show courts and called the Nadal and Federer matches today. He also likes to let us know how poorly the TC is paying him (how bad can it be?). I know people have their reservations about McEnroe, and at times he is the master of the obvious, but I’ve always liked how respectful he is to journeymen players. Even though he was a star from the beginning, he knows how good—how incredibly good—you have to be just to become a pro at any level, something a lot of reporters and commentators forget. Today, as Lapentti was winning, McEnroe mentioned how happy he was for the veteran, a guy who had been through some injuries and ups-and-downs but who had stayed in there and now was getting a hard-earned win on a not-very-glamorous outer court. McEnroe, for all of his seeming self-centeredness, is surprisingly empathetic in the booth. That’s what sports commentary should be all about.
So what did you make of Nadal and Federer? I came into the day thinking that Nadal might be in some trouble, with his draw and a rough match schedule ahead. But two things broke his way: He got an easy win over the tremendously-coiffed Frenchman Devilder (Really, was Rafa’s RG streak going to end against a guy with hair like that?), and he saw the potentially troublesome Nalbandian exit from his quarter. Still, it's a long road for Nadal; even in these seemingly easy matches, he wins mainly through the million little extra efforts he gives over the course of three sets, and which eventually pay off in errors from his opponents. As for Federer, we always talk about his elegance and smoothness, but against Montanes it seemed like it was his physical skills—he’s not a small guy—that helped the most. Federer can overcome the superior consistency of a clay-courter with his ability to impose his athletic will and end points in his favor before they become a full-on grind. All three of the big guns—Federer, Nadal, Djokovic—look like they’re on track. If so, the final weekend should be a classic; a barn-burner, as we say in Pennsylvania.
Is there a women’s equivalent ahead? Right now, I’m thinking Serena vs. Ivanovic could offer a few fireworks—both women have looked solid thus far. It will be interesting to see if Ana can face up to the legend, who you know will be as fierce as ever.
Anyway, you asked for some of my Roland Garros memories, Jon. I’ll give you a few, both from TV and from the grounds
—Walking into the TV room at my tennis club as a kid and seeing Noah serve out the match against Wilander in the 1983 final. I remember being utterly shocked that he could beat the Swede, who seemed invincible on clay up to that point.
—Chang-Lendl, as you mentioned. There was something demonic about that match. I’ve never seen anything else like it.
—Evert beating Martina in 1985. Her first big win over her rival in a while. I don’t know why, but it made me feel good.
—Safin dropping his pants in the Bullring in 2004 against Mantilla. It was late in the day and I was the only English-speaking reporter there. I had to field questions from other journalists later, like “So was it just his tennis shorts that came down, or everything?” The point between Safin and Felix Mantilla that led up to that moment was so thrilling that the whole crowd, myself included, spontaneously stood up even as it was still going on. I could almost understand Safin’s reaction when he won it. Incidentally, there were no photographers there, so, luckily for Safin, no photos of the moment exist (as far as I know).
—Nadal’s run to his first title in 2005. Like Becker 20 years earlier, he was a new, galvanizing force on the game. You just had to shake your head and smile at some of his gets, and shots, and antics.
—Blake-Monfils 2006. More Bullring thrills
—Safin-Pioline 1998. My first trip to Paris. I wrote a post on this one last year.
—Walking around the Ile Saint Louis on a foggy Sunday morning before the 2006 final, with church bells ringing all around. I was so pumped up to see Federer-Nadal that day that I misread the starting time and got to the press section in Chatrier three hours early. I sat there for 10 minutes wondering where everyone was. Still, the bells on the Seine remain the highlight of that day.
—Finally, and I’m pretty sure you’ll agree, I can’t think of Roland Garros without thinking of one thing first: The girls.
Enjoy the sun. Hope it lasts.
Steve