To put it mildly, the quest ended very badly for Roger Federer and very well for Rafael Nadal. Nadal won his fourth straight Roland Garros title and Federer still goes on questing for a career grand slam.
I was trying to posit that Roland Garros is not Federer's time and place for history. Wimbledon perhaps is. He's won five titles there and might well win his sixth straight in a few weeks. Perhaps when all is said and done at the end of his career, that will be his defnining achievement and not the career grand slam.
Andre Agassi won Roland Garros in 1999 to complete a sweep, he won eight grand slam titles in all and that feat of all four is his legacy in the annals.
I've also been trying to suggest that Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will both win at all four venues in their time but neither are likely to repeat Federer's feat of five straight Wimbledons or four straight US Opens.
I'd love Federer to win at Roland Garros but I just can't see it happening. Nadal has looked the part since the start of the fortnight and he mashed up Federer in the final in a way that Federer can't mash him up at Wimbledon.
Stephen Bierley, the Guardian's tennis correspondent said to me last year after Roland Garros that Nadal was getting closer to Federer on grass than Federer was getting to him on clay.
So far at the 2008 tournament, that's been well and truly borne out. In a few week's time we'll see part two of that assertion.
Sunday, 8 June 2008
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
The Latest Quest IX
The suits were assembled just in front of the net, the ball boys and girls had formed a guard of honour and there was an air of pomp and circumstance - no it wasn't the award ceremony for a final - it was the launch of Roland Garros dans la Ville.
Wind whipped through the open esplanade adjacent to the Hotel de Ville on which a full sized court had been constructed. And though it was unseasonably chilly for the beginning of June, that was a mere bagatelle for the idea is hot.
Hot. Clearly the product of some blue skies thinking with the aim of making tennis all touchy feely with the people.
Christian Bîmes, the president of the French Tennis Federation and Bertrand Delanoë, the mayor of Paris, made their way past the logo laden goose-pimpled youths accompanied by the former players John McEnroe and Cedric Pioline.
Neither McEnroe nor Pioline ever won Roland Garros during their time on the circuit. McEnroe did win the US Open and Wimbledon a couple of times while Pioline was a runner up at Wimbledon.
But they all smiled for the cameras and while the players knocked up, the Chris and Berty show came to get touchy feely with the media.
They told the phalanx of microphones that it was all about making tennis accessible, giving the scores of disappointed people the chance to watch tennis collectively and maybe even inspiring some future champions. Well it costs nothing to hope.
And from Wednesday afternoon it will cost nothing to watch the matches as they'll be broadcast live on giant screens outside the Hôtel de Ville.
The start couldn't have come at a more opportune moment as Gael Monfils - the issue from the Parisian suburbs - was playing in his first grand slam quarter final. Sadly he was up against the fifth seeded Spaniard David Ferrer.
Of course the same match was on various TV channels but if you happen to be out and about, the giant screen at least affords a chance to stop off and catch up on the crunching and the grunting from way out west in the Bois de Boulogne.
There's also a mini-tennis court for the kids and a couple of stalls dishing out information about tennis and of course the history of Roland Garros, the second of the four grand slams.
I happened upon the French player Mary Pierce who actually has won Roland Garros and she was fulsome in her praise for the idea. Her favourite surface in the heart of her favourite city - maybe she'd been hanging for far too long with the Chris and Berty show.
But you cannot deny the thrust of her sentiments. I've watched a football match or two outside the Hotel de Ville, I can't remember anything about the games but I do remember it was a good experience.
You can't ask for more from a sport.
Wind whipped through the open esplanade adjacent to the Hotel de Ville on which a full sized court had been constructed. And though it was unseasonably chilly for the beginning of June, that was a mere bagatelle for the idea is hot.
Hot. Clearly the product of some blue skies thinking with the aim of making tennis all touchy feely with the people.
Christian Bîmes, the president of the French Tennis Federation and Bertrand Delanoë, the mayor of Paris, made their way past the logo laden goose-pimpled youths accompanied by the former players John McEnroe and Cedric Pioline.
Neither McEnroe nor Pioline ever won Roland Garros during their time on the circuit. McEnroe did win the US Open and Wimbledon a couple of times while Pioline was a runner up at Wimbledon.
But they all smiled for the cameras and while the players knocked up, the Chris and Berty show came to get touchy feely with the media.
They told the phalanx of microphones that it was all about making tennis accessible, giving the scores of disappointed people the chance to watch tennis collectively and maybe even inspiring some future champions. Well it costs nothing to hope.
And from Wednesday afternoon it will cost nothing to watch the matches as they'll be broadcast live on giant screens outside the Hôtel de Ville.
The start couldn't have come at a more opportune moment as Gael Monfils - the issue from the Parisian suburbs - was playing in his first grand slam quarter final. Sadly he was up against the fifth seeded Spaniard David Ferrer.
Of course the same match was on various TV channels but if you happen to be out and about, the giant screen at least affords a chance to stop off and catch up on the crunching and the grunting from way out west in the Bois de Boulogne.
There's also a mini-tennis court for the kids and a couple of stalls dishing out information about tennis and of course the history of Roland Garros, the second of the four grand slams.
I happened upon the French player Mary Pierce who actually has won Roland Garros and she was fulsome in her praise for the idea. Her favourite surface in the heart of her favourite city - maybe she'd been hanging for far too long with the Chris and Berty show.
But you cannot deny the thrust of her sentiments. I've watched a football match or two outside the Hotel de Ville, I can't remember anything about the games but I do remember it was a good experience.
You can't ask for more from a sport.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
The Latest Quest VIII
In my sadly normal and law abiding youth, I used to follow the work of a couple of cartoonists - Chris Garratt and Mick Kidd - who went under the name Biff.
Their productions were invariably a light-hearted mockery of art-house cinema snobs, frustrated writers and pseudo-intellectuals. To a certain extent you had to have leanings towards these domains to appreciate the gist of the ribbing. So I loved it.
I was reminded of Biff while standing in the Maria Sharapova press conference on Monday night. For there was a woman of some 21 summers with 12 million dollars in prize money for having given the ball a good biff.
Unhappily for La Sharapova she had played against someone in the fourth round who also gave the ball a good tickling.
And so it will be the 13th seed Dinara Safina who takes to the court on Wednesday afternoon at Roland Garros in the quarter final.
Safina is the little sister of Marat Safin. He’s a former world number one. When he pulverised Pete Sampras in the US Open final in 2000, he was acclaimed as the future of men’s tennis.
Safin – a partying kind of chap – has only taken the 2005 Australian Open since that win and through an amalgam of injuries and attitude hasn’t fulfilled that prodigious promise.
But at times in matches you can see why everyone was drooling, controlled power, a wonderfully disguised double fisted backhand down the line and court presence.
Safina hasn’t got the same innate ability as her big bro but she’s worked hard and this season has achieved some notable wins – mainly the German Open in Berlin where she beat the then world number one Justine Henin as well as Serena Williams en route to lifting the crown.
Safina beat Sharapova here in 2006 coming back from 5-1 in the final set. This time Safina saved a match point in the second set and returned from a break down in the decider to oust the top seed.
At one point Sharapova annoyed the crowd by urging the umpire to come off the chair and check a mark. It was patently in and the people didn’t take too kindly to the gesture.
From then on they got on her back and cheered riotously for Safina. It’s the second time in as many years that the People have risen up to show their wrath.
Last year Sharapova upset the spectators for apparent gamesmanship during her fourth round match against Patty Schnyder.
In the press conference after that match…Sharapova famously commented that she wasn’t Mother Theresa. This time she was talking about being a competitor fighting for every point.
One journalist asked her if she cared about the hostile environment. She said hadn’t noticed it.
The player as hermetically sealed unit operating in a pocket of oblivion? Biff would have had a field day.
It’s a shame Akira Kurosawa is dead he would have been perfect to direct the metaphorical portrayal of a roaming player’s rise from the mean tennis courts of - say Russia to the brutal cauldron of the American hard court circuit. Blown to Blood would be a good title.
It would tell how opponents would be ritually dissected to the sound of cash registers and multiple sponsorship deals.
Then there could be a sequel - the Seven Linesman – a tale recounting how an errant mishmash of cynical officials stood up defiantly to an all conquering force questing for glory.
I like these possibilities better because the one she was suggesting at her press conference: tennis player alone in a volatile landscape is a mite too existentialist for me.
But then again this is Paris.
Their productions were invariably a light-hearted mockery of art-house cinema snobs, frustrated writers and pseudo-intellectuals. To a certain extent you had to have leanings towards these domains to appreciate the gist of the ribbing. So I loved it.
I was reminded of Biff while standing in the Maria Sharapova press conference on Monday night. For there was a woman of some 21 summers with 12 million dollars in prize money for having given the ball a good biff.
Unhappily for La Sharapova she had played against someone in the fourth round who also gave the ball a good tickling.
And so it will be the 13th seed Dinara Safina who takes to the court on Wednesday afternoon at Roland Garros in the quarter final.
Safina is the little sister of Marat Safin. He’s a former world number one. When he pulverised Pete Sampras in the US Open final in 2000, he was acclaimed as the future of men’s tennis.
Safin – a partying kind of chap – has only taken the 2005 Australian Open since that win and through an amalgam of injuries and attitude hasn’t fulfilled that prodigious promise.
But at times in matches you can see why everyone was drooling, controlled power, a wonderfully disguised double fisted backhand down the line and court presence.
Safina hasn’t got the same innate ability as her big bro but she’s worked hard and this season has achieved some notable wins – mainly the German Open in Berlin where she beat the then world number one Justine Henin as well as Serena Williams en route to lifting the crown.
Safina beat Sharapova here in 2006 coming back from 5-1 in the final set. This time Safina saved a match point in the second set and returned from a break down in the decider to oust the top seed.
At one point Sharapova annoyed the crowd by urging the umpire to come off the chair and check a mark. It was patently in and the people didn’t take too kindly to the gesture.
From then on they got on her back and cheered riotously for Safina. It’s the second time in as many years that the People have risen up to show their wrath.
Last year Sharapova upset the spectators for apparent gamesmanship during her fourth round match against Patty Schnyder.
In the press conference after that match…Sharapova famously commented that she wasn’t Mother Theresa. This time she was talking about being a competitor fighting for every point.
One journalist asked her if she cared about the hostile environment. She said hadn’t noticed it.
The player as hermetically sealed unit operating in a pocket of oblivion? Biff would have had a field day.
It’s a shame Akira Kurosawa is dead he would have been perfect to direct the metaphorical portrayal of a roaming player’s rise from the mean tennis courts of - say Russia to the brutal cauldron of the American hard court circuit. Blown to Blood would be a good title.
It would tell how opponents would be ritually dissected to the sound of cash registers and multiple sponsorship deals.
Then there could be a sequel - the Seven Linesman – a tale recounting how an errant mishmash of cynical officials stood up defiantly to an all conquering force questing for glory.
I like these possibilities better because the one she was suggesting at her press conference: tennis player alone in a volatile landscape is a mite too existentialist for me.
But then again this is Paris.
Monday, 2 June 2008
The Latest Quest VII
Well Maria Sharapova won't be adding the French Open to her list of achievements for another year. She was beaten by Dinara Safin in the fourth round on Monday. It was more Sourpova in the press conference afterwards but I guess that's understandable.
The men's top seed Roger Federer did little to convince me that ultimate glory will be his come Sunday afternoon. He doesn't look the part.
The stunning news is that Jose Mourinho formerly of the parish of Chelsea is going to go over to Italy to coach Inter Milan.
Well I'm off following the Special One. Milan is one of my favourite cities - the missus used to live there and I can see a few trips back to visit the San Siro.
It's the best bit of sporting news I've read since Chelsea won the FA Cup under a certain Jose.
The men's top seed Roger Federer did little to convince me that ultimate glory will be his come Sunday afternoon. He doesn't look the part.
The stunning news is that Jose Mourinho formerly of the parish of Chelsea is going to go over to Italy to coach Inter Milan.
Well I'm off following the Special One. Milan is one of my favourite cities - the missus used to live there and I can see a few trips back to visit the San Siro.
It's the best bit of sporting news I've read since Chelsea won the FA Cup under a certain Jose.
Sunday, 1 June 2008
The Latest Quest VI
Now Katerina Srebotnik is no more. She played a blinder to get past Serena Williams. But she was inconsistent against Patty Schynder. It's tough at the top. Schnyder is a cult hero on parislondonreturn for her stoicism. When Maria Sharapova resorted to gamesmanship last year at Roland Garros to get past her, Schnyder won our heart with her corrosive reductionism of the game's glamour girl.
Well anyway Patty is into the quarter finals. And we're entering the final stages of the tournament.
Back on Tuesday when it was pouring with rain and the schedule looked like an ant colony, it seemed we'd never get on. But a few days of blazing sunshine and you have there are wide open spaces and time.
Of course a sustained torrential downpour could ruin it all again.
But that's unlikely. My prognosis for the men's....whoever wins the Djokovic Nadal semi final clash. I know it's only Sunday afternoon, Nadal is still playing his last 16 match and then both of them have to get through their quarter final clash, but I haven't seen any sign of anyone having the game to beat either of them. Not even hero Roger.
Maybe it's his tragic destiny not to win all four grand slam titles. But with 40 million in the bank and counting, it's difficult to have torrential downpour of pity.
Well anyway Patty is into the quarter finals. And we're entering the final stages of the tournament.
Back on Tuesday when it was pouring with rain and the schedule looked like an ant colony, it seemed we'd never get on. But a few days of blazing sunshine and you have there are wide open spaces and time.
Of course a sustained torrential downpour could ruin it all again.
But that's unlikely. My prognosis for the men's....whoever wins the Djokovic Nadal semi final clash. I know it's only Sunday afternoon, Nadal is still playing his last 16 match and then both of them have to get through their quarter final clash, but I haven't seen any sign of anyone having the game to beat either of them. Not even hero Roger.
Maybe it's his tragic destiny not to win all four grand slam titles. But with 40 million in the bank and counting, it's difficult to have torrential downpour of pity.
Friday, 30 May 2008
The Latest Quest V
Serena Williams is no more. She went out and her conqueror Katerina Srebotnik was a joy in the press conference saying that she had worked very hard on her doubles play which fed into her singles life.
Srebotnik may have had a coach watching Serena on Wednesday night and if she did the coach would have said: "Make her move."
For Serena was looking ponderous on Wednesday night and she was moved all over the place during her defeat.
I have a chance to improve my play station prowess. There's some Xbox thing in the restaurant and when you're not watching tennis you can relax by playing it on some machine.
I was Boris Becker this afternoon, the studio producer was Roger Federer. It was one way traffic as poor Boris was annihilated.
Obviiously need to go and work on my forehand buttons.
Srebotnik may have had a coach watching Serena on Wednesday night and if she did the coach would have said: "Make her move."
For Serena was looking ponderous on Wednesday night and she was moved all over the place during her defeat.
I have a chance to improve my play station prowess. There's some Xbox thing in the restaurant and when you're not watching tennis you can relax by playing it on some machine.
I was Boris Becker this afternoon, the studio producer was Roger Federer. It was one way traffic as poor Boris was annihilated.
Obviiously need to go and work on my forehand buttons.
Thursday, 29 May 2008
The Latest Quest IV
Well I suppose it will go on being the latest quest for some players. The top men are into the third round. While Rafael Nadal looked pretty tasty, Roger Federer got through but it was not as brutal as Nadal's deconstruction of his opponent.
Still can't see Federer winning this tournament. Just doesn't look the part. He looks good but not quite the part.
Shame as he needs it to complete his grand slam collection.
Maria Sharapova was giving the ball an almighty lathering on centre court. I still think there should be a code violation for going over a certain decibel level.
It puts me off. And I'm not even on the court. But I guess those girls on the tour are used to bellows. If it's not from their coaches then it's their adversaries.
I find it loud and vulgar. It's certainly not cricket.
Still can't see Federer winning this tournament. Just doesn't look the part. He looks good but not quite the part.
Shame as he needs it to complete his grand slam collection.
Maria Sharapova was giving the ball an almighty lathering on centre court. I still think there should be a code violation for going over a certain decibel level.
It puts me off. And I'm not even on the court. But I guess those girls on the tour are used to bellows. If it's not from their coaches then it's their adversaries.
I find it loud and vulgar. It's certainly not cricket.
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