Serena, Sanchez trade barbs

PARIS - Serena Williams was sure the ball went off her opponent’s arm, a no-no in tennis. The opponent, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, insisted the ball went off her racket.

Williams accused Martinez Sanchez of “cheating.” Martinez Sanchez thought that was a “stupid” thing for Williams to say.

Then consider that the point in question helped Martinez Sanchez win the first set of their French Open match Saturday. Oh, and that Williams had a coughing fit during a third-set changeover. All in all, what eventually became a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory for Williams stands as the latest example of the athlete/actress’ penchant for theatrics.

“I’m, like, drama. And I don’t want to be drama,” a hoarse Williams said, straining to get the words out. “I’m like one of those girls on a reality show that has all the drama, and everyone in the house hates them because no matter what they do, like, drama follows them. I don’t want to be that girl.”

Perhaps. But the 2002 French Open champion, who dabbles in acting, sure seems to find herself in the middle of unique on-court situations.

Even Williams made passing reference Saturday to two episodes by naming the opponents, if not mentioning the details: a 2003 French Open semifinal loss marked by Justine Henin’s gamesmanship and Williams’ postmatch tears, and a 2004 U.S. Open quarterfinal loss to Jennifer Capriati that contained enough questionable officiating to prompt the introduction of replay reviews in the sport.

Here’s what happened in Saturday’s third-round match:

At 2-2 in the first set, Williams double-faulted to give a break point to Martinez Sanchez, a Spaniard who is ranked 43rd and never has reached the fourth round at a major. On the next point, Martinez Sanchez raced to the net behind a drop shot that brought Williams forward, too. Williams ran up and smacked a backhand right at Martinez Sanchez.

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Austin: Sharapova shows fine form

  

 

Tracy Austin 

 

 

Maria Sharapova, owner of three Grand Slam titles, could become one of the top stories of the French Open. After nine months away from the tour due to injury (she had surgery on her right shoulder in October) she has returned to action at Roland Garros in impressive fashion.

Sharapova opened the Paris fortnight by losing only three games to Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus in a straight-set victory, and then followed that up on Wednesday by knocking out No. 11 seed Nadia Petrova of Russia, 6-2, 1-6, 8-6.

Likely the biggest positive Sharapova can take from the match is how impressively she performed on break point conversions, which are always crucial to winning. Sharapova converted on 60 percent (6 of 10) of her break point conversions, compared to Petrova’s 38 percent (5 of 13).

Sharapova served big when she needed to, especially in the third set when she was down a break point. In that deciding set, she trailed 4-2 when she broke Petrova to get back on serve at 4-4, and then saved two break points to take a 5-4 lead. She saved another break point while serving at 6-6

She also returned big when most needed. I forgot how good her return was until I witnessed it against Petrova. She just goes after returns, she sends them back in a hard and punishing manor, and that applies so much pressure on her opponents, especially if she is returning a second serve.

The unseeded Sharapova is playing her first major since last summer’s Wimbledon. And even though she had her right shoulder taped, she gave no indication she was favoring the shoulder. Her service motion is abbreviated. It doesn’t go all the way down near her knee at the start, so that’s something that’s different, but the fact that the pace on her serve was up is a positive, and it contributed to her exceeding my expectations after her being sidelined for nine months.

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Venus rallies for three-set win at French Open

PARIS - One point from an early exit at the French Open, one point from another disappointing Grand Slam defeat, Venus Williams avoided focusing on any such negativity.

“I wasn’t thinking,” she said of that crucial moment. “Not at all.”

The third-seeded Williams smacked a backhand to erase that match point Thursday, then completed a comeback against 46th-ranked Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic by taking the last three games of a 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-5 victory in the second round at Roland Garros.

“Nothing but guts. Courage. Venus was suffering with a little knee pain in her left knee,” said Richard Williams, her father and coach. “Venus today just wouldn’t give up. She kept coming and coming.”

Both of his daughters moved into the third round Thursday, although Serena had a much easier time than Venus, routing 133rd-ranked Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain 6-2, 6-0.

The clay of Roland Garros slows the sisters’ powerful serves and groundstrokes, and Venus Williams lost in the French Open’s third round in three of the past four years. Her last major tournament was even less successful: She was upset in the second round of the Australian Open in January.

Not that such setbacks stay with the older sister for long.

“I just usually congratulate myself on doing something good and correct the bad and not dwell,” said Venus Williams, a seven-time major champion. “Dwelling can kill you on the court.”

Still, she did admit stewing a bit overnight. Her match against Safarova was suspended because of darkness after she lost the first set tiebreaker on Wednesday.

“I was very angry,” Williams said. “I really wanted that tiebreaker. She just came up with shot after shot, you know — on the line, deep, hard.”

Safarova, a one-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, managed to do more of the same in Thursday’s final set.

“It’s a great effort to play with Venus like this,” Safarova said.

She might have less strength, less variety to her game and less experience, but she was able to hang in there, even finishing with a 29-19 edge in groundstroke winners.

“She was playing well,” Williams said, “but I felt like I deserved it.”

A light rain was falling, and the crowd at Court Suzanne Lenglen was sparse and mostly silent for stretches. Until, that is, at 3-all in the third set, when Safarova double-faulted to hand Williams a break point.

As the second serve missed the mark, one person’s applause and yell of “Come on, Venus, baby! That’s right!” pierced the air. It was Richard Williams’ companion; instead of sitting in the players’ guest box, they chose front-row spots along a sideline, near where Safarova happened to be serving in that game.

Spectators responded by booing and whistling. And when Williams sailed a forehand long to waste that break point, the no-longer-non-partisan fans roared their approval. They did the same after each of the next two points — Safarova ended a 17-stroke rally with a forehand winner, then Williams missed a backhand.

With Williams trailing 5-4 and serving at 30-all, she dumped a backhand into the net to give Safarova her match point. But Williams hit a 104 mph serve that drew a short return, and she delivered a winning backhand. Two points later, it was 5-all.

“The match,” Safarova said, “was turning.”

Williams broke to 6-5 with a backhand return winner, then ended things by closing with a 114 mph service winner.

“I have a lot to work with, with my serve and return and lots of good things,” Williams said. “It gives me a chance to be confident.”

Jelena Jankovic had an easier time, moving a step closer to her third straight semifinal appearance at Roland Garros by beating Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1, 6-2.

"I think I'm coming back," said Jankovic, who started this season as the top-ranked player in women's tennis. "This is the most important thing for me, especially when you saw me playing a few months ago. It was really disastrous."

The fifth-seeded Jankovic won 15 of the first 17 points, and then broke her opponent in the final game of the first set. In the second, she recovered from an early break to win four straight games, and closed out the match with her sixth break of service.

Jankovic lost in the semifinals at Roland Garros in each of the last two years. She made her first Grand Slam final at the 2008 U.S. Open.

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“I’m trying to, little by little, play more aggressive and move into the net as much as I can, and, you know, try to improve my serve,” Jankovic said.

In other action, seventh-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia also advanced, defeating Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan 6-0, 6-2. No. 10 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and No. 24 Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada also won, but seeded French players Marion Bartoli and Alize Cornet lost along with No. 18 Anabel Medina Garrigues and No. 28 Sybille Bammer of Austria.

The 13th-seeded Bartoli, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2007, lost to Tathiana Garbin of Italy 6-3, 7-5, while No. 21 Cornet fell to Sorana Cristea of Romania 6-3, 6-2.

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Venus falls flat in Paris

  

 

Tracy Austin 

 

 

For the third straight year, Venus Williams is gone from the French Open in the third round. She lost to a clay-courter, Agnes Szavay of Hungary, 6-0, 6-4.

Everything about Venus’ game was a little off, but it’s still tough to explain how she was so dominated in the first set. Only 14 times in 662 career matches has Williams lost a set at love.

It’s hard to say how much was expected from Williams even with her high seed. Clay is her least favorite surface, and she’s made only one French Open final, back in 2002, when she was beaten by her younger sister, Serena.

Her clay-court preparation for this major produced mediocre at best results. At Charleston, she won her opening match, but lost her next one in the Round of 16 to Sabine Lisicki. She did have a decent showing in Rome, reaching the semifinals before losing to World No. 1 Dinara Safina. But then she flopped in Madrid, coming off a bye to lose in the Round of 32 to Alisa Kleybanova.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion was playing for the third straight day. She lost the first set of her second-round match against Lucie Safarova on Wednesday before play was suspended because of darkness. Williams saved a match point and defeated Safarova on Thursday. Her first-round match also went three sets, but none of this I believe factored much if at all in her performance against Szavay.

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Five to watch: Federer looks to cut down on errors

1. Most tennis fans are surely clamoring for another epic Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal final at Roland Garros. Nadal has been doing his part, most recently dismantling Lleyton Hewitt, and now it will be Federer's turn as the No. 2 seed faces France's own Paul-Henri Mathieu.

Mathieu has made it to the fourth round of the French Open twice and most recently last year. He has four career titles and achieved his highest world ranking of No. 12 just more than a year ago, so Federer cannot afford to take this match up lightly.

Federer looked dominant in his first round match up against Alberto Martin, but he labored through a four set win over Jose Acasuso, 7-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-2. Federer has had his serve going, notching 21 aces in his two matches, but he's also been troubled by unforced errors with 29 in the first round and 45 in the second. Will Federer be able to stay on a collision course with the King of Clay, Nadal?

2. Will Serena suffer the same fate as her sister? Venus Williams suffered a shocking loss to Agnes Szavay, 6-0, 6-4. The younger Serena will face off with Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. After struggling through an opening round win over Klara Zakopalova, the No. 2 seeded Serena coasted by Virginia Ruana Pascual, 6-2, 6-0. She went from 35 unforced errors in her first match down to just 14 in her second. She had four double faults in the opening round, but didn't suffer any in round two. Will Serena be able to stay focused and keep her mistakes at a minimum?

3. Can Andy Roddick make it past the third round of the French Open for the first time in his career? Roland Garros has been a virtual house of horrors for Roddick, but he is doing his best to put that behind him. His best performance at the French had been making it to the third round, a feat he only achieved once before this year (2001). Roddick has yet to drop a set, so a fourth round appearance could be in his future. The No. 6 seed has notched just 24 unforced errors in his first two matches while racking up 63 winners and 26 aces. Can Roddick continue his high level of play against France's Marc Gicquel?

4. Will Elena Dementieva take advantage of her second chance? It looked like the No. 4 seed was headed for a second round exit in her match against Jelena Dokic. Dementieva dropped the first set, 6-2 and was struggling in the second set before going up 4-3 before Dokic had to retire due to a lower back injury. Dementieva may have come back and won the match anyway, but she has to feel like she has been given a second chance. She double faulted six times and committed 20 unforced errors in her abbreviated second round match, both numbers she'll need to work on to keep advancing. Will she be able to regain form against Samantha Stosur?

5. Can Jo-Wilfried Tsonga continue to take advantage of the home court advantage. After No. 7 Gilles Simon fell, Tsonga, the No. 9 seed, is the highest ranked French player remaining. This is just Tsonga's second appearance in the French Open, but he burst onto the scene as a player to be reckoned with in 2008 as he made it to the finals of the Australian Open as an unranked player. He took the first set in the finals against Novak Djokovic, the only set Djokovic dropped in the entire tournament, but had to settle for runner up. He came back with a quarterfinals appearance this year and looks to keep his momentum going at Roland Garros.

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Djokovic completes third set, advances

PARIS - Defending champion Rafael Nadal had little trouble at the French Open on Friday, defeating former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt 6-1, 6-3, 6-1.

“Always a win against Lleyton is a very good news,” said Nadal, who is trying to become the only person to win five straight French Open titles. “You must be playing well.”

Novak Djokovic reached the third round in the men’s tournament, quickly completing his suspended match by easily winning the final set and beating Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.

The fourth-seeded Djokovic won the first two sets Thursday, but the match was stopped because of darkness. He broke Stakhovsky to open the third set and had little trouble the rest of the way.

“It’s not pleasant when you don’t finish a match in one day,” Djokovic said. “But I was lucky to come back and be two sets up.”

Djokovic won his only Grand Slam title at the 2008 Australian Open, but the Serb has reached at least the semifinals at all four major tournaments.

Seventh-seeded Gilles Simon of France was eliminated by No. 30 Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. Hanescu won three matches in a row for the first time this year.

No. 29 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany also advanced to the third round, beating 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3 in another match suspended by darkness Thursday night.

No. 8 Fernando Verdasco of Spain, No. 10 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile and No. 13 Marin Cilic of Croatia reached the fourth round.

Andy Murray advanced when Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia retired while trailing 7-6 (3), 6-3 on Friday.

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The third-seeded Murray has never before reached the fourth round at Roland Garros.

Last year, Murray lost in the third round. In his only other appearance at the French Open in 2006, he lost in the first round.

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After 20 French Opens, Santoro bids adieu

PARIS - Fabrice Santoro walked off the court at the French Open for the last time Wednesday, ending his record-tying run of 20 straight appearances at Roland Garros.

The 36-year-old Frenchman played only eight minutes Wednesday before completing a first-round loss to Christophe Rochus of Belgium 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. The match had been suspended Tuesday.

"When I started my career on court No. 10 in 1989, I did not imagine at all that I would hold the microphone in my hands 20 years later in front of you," Santoro said to the crowd at Court Suzanne Lenglen. "Those were extraordinary and fantastic years that I will never forget."

Santoro has played in a record 67 Grand Slam tournaments, making the fourth round three times - at the French Open in 1991 and 2001 and at the Australian Open in 1999.

"Twenty years. That counts for something in a lifetime," Santoro said. "It has been a long road, a fantastic career. I had a lot of fun and learned a lot."

Santoro and Rochus started their match Tuesday, but it was suspended by darkness with the Belgian leading 5-3 in the fourth set. The pair came back out onto the court after Dinara Safina's easy win and finished the match quickly.

"I'm saying to myself that the story is over, that a page is being turned," Santoro said. "I will no longer be on court next year. But I think that it is time to go."

Santoro plans to play other tournaments before retiring at the end of the year.

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Besides tying Francois Jauffret's record for appearances at the French Open, Santoro also holds the record for the longest match at the Paris tournament in the Open era.

"That was in 2004. A match lasting 6 hours, 33 minutes on this same court," said Santoro, who beat Arnaud Clement in the first round that year 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 3-6, 16-14. "Quite a few records over the long haul: The longest match, the greatest number of Grand Slam appearances. Those are figures that are going to my head. I couldn't imagine that when I started playing."

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Federer survives lengthy four-set scare in Paris

PARIS - Roger Federer survived a tough match on his least favorite surface Thursday, rallying from a 5-1 deficit in the third set to beat Jose Acasuso 7-6 (8), 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2 in the second round of the French Open.

Federer reached the last three finals at Roland Garros, but the clay-court major remains the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments he hasn’t won.

Against Acasuso, Federer was far from his best. But after losing seven straight games at the end of the second set and beginning of the third, the second-seeded Swiss reeled off five straight to force another tiebreaker.

“Of course, I’m thrilled to be through,” said Federer, who saved four set points in the first tiebreaker. “It was sort of a fun match to be part of with so many ups and downs.”

Federer was in danger of ending his record 19 straight Grand Slam semifinal appearances, but the 13-time major champion won the third set and dominated the fourth.

“Mentally I’ve always been very strong, but I’m not being put in a position like this very often,” Federer said. “So it was good to win both breakers.”

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The last time Federer lost before the semifinals was the 2004 French Open, when he fell in the third round.

Andy Roddick made it to the third round of the French for the first time since 2001, beating 85th-ranked Ivo Minar of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (2).

Nine U.S. men entered the clay-court Grand Slam tournament, and Roddick is the only one who made it out of the second round.

Roddick hadn’t won a match at the French Open since 2005. He retired from his first-round match in 2006 with an injury, lost in the first round in 2007, and missed last year’s tournament with a shoulder injury.

Minar never has reached the third round of a major championship. He fell to 0-13 against players ranked in the top 10.

In other action, fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro defeated Viktor Troicki of Serbia 6-3, 7-5, 6-0.

No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, No. 10 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, No. 11 Gael Monfils of France and No. 16 Tommy Robredo of Spain also advanced.

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Sharapova guts out victory at French Open

PARIS - Maria Sharapova struggled again in her Grand Slam tournament comeback at the French Open, needing three sets and a few extra games to reach the third round with a 6-2, 1-6, 8-6 victory over Nadia Petrova on Wednesday.

Playing with tape on her troublesome right shoulder, the unseeded Sharapova hung on to join top-seeded Dinara Safina and defending champion Ana Ivanovic in the next round.

“Obviously I am spending a little bit more time out there than I want to, but I think I’m learning so many new things, as well,” Sharapova said. “I think this was a great match where I had to fight my way through many, many challenges. And I did.”

Venus Williams lost the first set to Lucie Safarova 7-6 (5) before play was suspended because of darkness.

Sharapova, a three-time Grand Slam champion who has slipped to No. 102 in the rankings because of her injury layoff, won five straight games to close out the first set.

Trailing 4-2 in the deciding set, she broke the 11th-seeded Petrova to get back on serve at 4-4, and then saved two break points to take a 5-4 lead. She saved another break point while serving at 6-6.

“I got off to a really good start,” Sharapova said. “I kind of started stumbling away. Things went in the wrong direction. I was just glad I could pick myself up and keep fighting and do the right things, and end the match with a win.”

Sharapova is making her first Grand Slam appearance in almost a year after missing both the U.S. Open and the Australian Open because of her shoulder injury. She had surgery in October.

Safina easily beat 18-year-old Russian qualifier Vitalia Diatchenko 6-1, 6-1, and Ivanovic defeated Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand 6-1, 6-2.

Safina took a 5-0 lead to open the match, stretching her streak to 17 straight games after winning 6-0, 6-0 in the first round.

“Pretty good start for the tournament,” said Safina, who lost in the Australian Open final and was the runner-up at Roland Garros last year. “I just played a good game today, good enough to win.”

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Ivanovic looked more comfortable on court after struggling in her opening match. The eighth-seeded Ivanovic broke the 32-year-old Tanasugarn twice in the first set and three times in the second.

“I just want to sort of get my way through the rounds and just feel more comfortable match after match,” Ivanovic said. “Today I think I served some aces, which gave me some confidence in my serve, and that’s something I’ve been working on.”

The 21-year-old Serb finished with three aces.

No. 9 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus also made it through, while No. 21 Alize Cornet of France reached the second round. No. 15 Zheng Jie of China lost.

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30-0 at French, but Nadal shrugs: 'So what?'

PARIS - Four-time defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal and third-seeded Andy Murray advanced to the third round on Wednesday.

Nadal, attempting to become the first to win five straight French Open titles, extended his French Open record to 30-0 by beating Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

“So what?” Nadal said of his accomplishment. “(I’m) happy for the record, but in the end happy for the result.”

Murray defeated Potito Starace of Italy 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.

The top-seeded Nadal has never lost at Roland Garros, and his 30th straight win on the tournament’s red clay gives him the record for most consecutive wins.

Nadal was forced to save three break points in the first game of the match. He only had to save one more the rest of the way, winning in straight sets for the second match in a row.

Murray trailed 5-1 in the third set but broke Starace three straight times to win.

“On clay, there’s always time for you to get sort of back into the match and find your game, even if you’re struggling,” Murray said.

Murray also reached the third round at Roland Garros last year but lost to Nicolas Almagro in four sets. In his only other appearance at the French Open, in 2006, he lost in the first round.

No. 7 Gilles Simon of France, No. 8 Fernando Verdasco of Spain, No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile and No. 13 Marin Cilic of Croatia also advanced, but two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin and French veteran Fabrice Santoro played their last matches at Roland Garros.

Safin, who plans to retire after this season, fell to wild-card entry Josselin Ouanna of France in five sets 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), 4-6, 3-6, 10-8.

Santoro, who has made a record 67 Grand Slam appearances, lost in the first round of this year’s French Open — his record-tying 20th — to Christophe Rochus of Belgium 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.

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“Twenty years. That counts for something in a lifetime,” Santoro said. “It has been a long road, a fantastic career. I had a lot of fun and learned a lot.”

Santoro and Rochus started their match Tuesday, but it was suspended by darkness with the Belgian leading 5-3 in the fourth set. The pair came back out onto the court after Safina’s win and played only eight minutes.

No. 21 Dmitry Tursunov of Russia and No. 28 Feliciano Lopez of Spain also lost.

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Serena struggles with wind before advancing

PARIS - Serena Williams moved into the second round of the French Open despite wasting eight match points before eventually beating Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 Tuesday.

The second-seeded Williams was broken twice while struggling through a windy second set. At 5-3 with Zakopalova serving, she had five match points but couldn’t close it out.

Jelena Jankovic dominated her opponent before a 2-hour rain delay, and then did well enough after it to advance to the second round by beating Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-3.

The fifth-seeded Jankovic was leading 4-1 when the rain started at Roland Garros. She quickly closed out the first set when play resumed and continued to play well on Cetkovska’s serve in the second but was broken twice on her own.

“I was controlling the points ... but then we had to stop because of the rain,” Jankovic said. “I felt a little bit slow after the rain delay.”

While serving for the match, Jankovic again struggled and was forced to save break points before finally winning.

“The serve was all right. I didn’t go for too much,” said Jankovic, who added the balls were heavier than usual because of the wet weather. “I just tried to have a high percentage.”

Jankovic finished last season as the top-ranked player on the women’s tour, but the 24-year-old Serb is still looking to win her first Grand Slam singles title after losing in the final of last year’s U.S. Open.

Seventh-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova also advanced, defeating Claire Feuerstein of France 6-1, 6-4. The 2004 U.S. Open champion also dominated before the rain started falling, leading 5-1.

Later Tuesday, second-seeded Serena Williams was playing on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

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Easy street for Djokovic when opponent injured

PARIS - Novak Djokovic advanced to the second round of the French Open after Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador retired Tuesday while trailing 6-3, 3-1 after injuring his left ankle.

Lapentti hurt his ankle when coming to net at 5-2 in the first set. He called for a trainer but then continued playing.

The fourth-seeded Djokovic, who won his fourth career title on clay at this month’s Serbia Open, has reached the semifinals at the French Open the last two years. He also won the 2008 Australian Open.

Fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina had little trouble in his opening match at Roland Garros, beating Michael Llodra of France 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. Del Potro won four straight ATP titles last year, the first two on clay.

No. 27 Rainer Schuettler of Germany narrowly avoided a “triple bagel” after being shut out in the first two sets of a 6-0, 6-0, 6-4 loss to Marc Gicquel of France.

On Friday, Schuettler lost to Robin Soderling 6-0, 6-0 at the ATP World Team Championship in Germany.

“A ’double bagel’ is fine,” said Schuettler, who reached the semifinals at last year’s Wimbledon. “I had one last week. It’s nothing new.”

Gicquel was unapologetic about the thrashing.

“I didn’t come here to sympathize,” said the Frenchman, who was trying to win the third set at love as well. “If I tried to give him one or two games, then everything could be overturned against me.”

No. 11 Gael Monfils of France also advanced, easily beating Bobby Reynolds of the United States 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 despite being hampered by a knee injury.

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French Open Show Court Schedules

PARIS (AP) -Show court schedules for Monday at the French Open (seedings in parenthesesd):

Play begins on all courts at 0900 GMTCourt Philippe Chatrier
Dinara Safina (1), Russia, vs. Anne Keothavong, Britain

Rafael Nadal (1), Spain, vs. Marcos Daniel, Brazil

Alberto Martin, Spain, vs. Roger Federer (2), Switzerland

Marion Bartoli (13), France, vs. Pauline Parmentier, France

Court Suzanne Lenglen

Ai Sugiyama, Japan, vs. Aravane Rezai, France

Venus Williams (3), United States, vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, United States

Paul-Henri Mathieu (32), France, vs. Laurent Recouderc, France

Andy Roddick (6), United States, vs. Romain Jouan, France

Court 1

Nicolas Devilder, France, vs. Stanislas Wawrinka (17), Switzerland

Anastasiya Yakimova, Belarus, vs. Maria Sharapova, Russia

Bjorn Phau, Germany, vs. Jeremy Chardy, France

Vera Dushevina, Russia, vs. Caroline Wozniacki (10), Denmark

Another amazing feat of clay for Nadal

PARIS - The modern day King of Clay eclipsed another mark Monday, this time breaking the French Open men’s record for consecutive wins.

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal looked his usual dominant self in the first round, beating Marcos Daniel of Brazil 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 for his 29th straight win on the red clay at Roland Garros.

“At the beginning, I didn’t quite get the best feelings, but I won in three sets. That’s very positive,” Nadal said. “I should have won more easily ... but it was a difficult match.”

Roger Federer, the man Nadal beat in the last three French Open finals, had an easier time in his opening match, defeating Alberto Martin of Spain 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

Andy Roddick won a match at the French Open for the first time since 2005. The sixth-seeded American beat French wild-card entry Romain Jouan 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 Monday to reach the second round at Roland Garros.

Nadal’s win bettered the French Open record held by Bjorn Borg, who won 28 straight from 1978-81. Nadal also equaled the overall tournament record, matching the 29 straight that Chris Evert won between 1974-75 and 1979-81. Evert did not play at the French Open from 1976-78.

Nadal was broken three times by Daniel, but the top-seeded Spaniard remained perfect on the French Open’s red clay as he tries to become the first player to win five straight titles at Roland Garros.

“His backhand is better than his forehand, but I think I made it a bit easy for him,” Nadal said. “That’s my opinion.”

Federer has won 13 major titles, but he still needs to win the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam.

Against Martin, who missed the last two French Open tournaments because of injury and then by failing to qualify, Federer appeared to play effortlessly.

“I didn’t have much trouble on my service games,” Federer said before leaving center court. “I mixed up my shots well to finish it off.”

Roddick quit in the first round in 2006 after losing the first two sets, was beaten in his first match in 2007, then missed last year’s French Open with an injury.

Jouan was making his Grand Slam debut and playing in only his third career tour-level match.

ALSO ON THIS STORY  Discuss: Sound off on tennis at Newsvine.com

Also on the men’s side, 10th-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, No. 17 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, No. 23 Robin Soderling of Sweden, No. 30 Victor Hanescu of Romania and No. 32 Paul-Henri Mathieu of France advanced.

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Karlovic fires record 55 aces in first-round loss

PARIS - Ivo Karlovic set a record for aces in a tour-level match Sunday, serving 55 in his 6-7 (1), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3 loss to Lleyton Hewitt in the first round of the French Open.

The ATP began keeping records on aces in 1991. Karlovic shared the previous record of 51 aces with Joachim Johansson. The old mark for aces in a French Open match was 37, set by Andy Roddick in 2001.

Karlovic, the tallest man on the ATP tour at 6-foot-10, fell to 0-11 in five-set matches, which also is a record.

“To play him on any surface, he’s so dangerous,” Hewitt said. “(He served) a lot of unreturnables.”

Karlovic had 15 aces in the first set, 12 in the second and 14 in the third. All three of those sets went to tiebreakers, and Karlovic was broken only once in those three sets. In the final two sets, Karlovic had seven aces in each.

“I didn’t feel I was 100 percent after the second set,” said Karlovic, who said he lacked energy under the Paris sun.

Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion, finished with 19 aces.

At Wimbledon in 2003, Hewitt lost to Karlovic to become the first man in the Open era to lose in the first round as defending champion at the All England Club.

If Hewitt beats Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan in the second round, he could end up facing four-time defending champion Rafael Nadal in the third.

“Today was a big enough hurdle,” said Hewitt, who had hip surgery last year.

Marat Safin, another of the eight former Grand Slam singles champions in the men’s field, also advanced. The Russian beat Alexandre Sidorenko of France 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

“Every round is a tough one,” said Safin, who is planning to retire at the end of the season. “I’m trying but I’m really suffering on the court right now. But I’ll try to play better next match and I hope that I will get through.”

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No. 13 Marin Cilic of Croatia defeated Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic 6-0, 6-4, 6-3.

Also in the men’s field, third-seeded Andy Murray was scheduled to play Juan Ignacio Chela later Sunday.

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Nadal eyes 5th French Open title, Federer eyes 1st

PARIS (AP) -Can one match really change everything?

Roger Federer certainly hopes so. Rafael Nadal certainly thinks not.

Can one win over Nadal - in a final last weekend on clay - reverse Federer's recent malaise and point him toward a title at the French Open, the only Grand Slam tournament he hasn't won?

Federer's victory over Nadal at the Madrid Open simultaneously gave the Swiss star his first tournament title in more than six months and ended the Spaniard's 33-match winning streak on clay. Those facts alone at least change the dynamics heading into the French Open, which starts Sunday.

"I am very excited about going to Paris, whereas a couple of weeks ago, I was still a little bit unsure about my game,'' Federer said, "and not sure if I could win the French.''

Four-time French Open champ Nadal graciously noted after that setback, "He was better. That's all there is to it.'' Less graciously, Nadal also pointed out that the altitude and other particulars of the Madrid tournament favored Federer.

Two years ago - also in a clay final shortly before the French Open - Federer beat Nadal at Hamburg, Germany, to end Nadal's 81-match winning streak on the red surface, then spoke boldly about "dictating play.''

Some thought that would foreshadow a title for Federer in Paris. But he lost to Nadal in four sets in the 2007 French Open final, the same way the 2006 French Open ended. In 2008, Nadal beat Federer in three sets in the final. In 2005, Nadal beat him in the semifinals.

"The toughest opponent on this surface is Nadal. There's no question about it. But, still, Roger has been playing really well on this surface,'' said fourth-ranked Novak Djokovic, twice a French Open semifinalist.

There are other story lines that merit attention over the 15 days of the year's second major tennis tournament:

-The Williams sisters try to make up for their 2008 French Open, when both lost to unheralded players in the third round. Serena Williams aims for her third Grand Slam trophy in a row, even though she has a bad knee and a four-match losing streak.

-Maria Sharapova played her first singles tournament this week in nearly 10 months after having surgery on her right shoulder last year.

-Dinara Safina seeks to back up her No. 1 ranking with her first major championship. Ana Ivanovic has struggled since winning her only major title at Roland Garros last year.

-New men's No. 3 Andy Murray and Djokovic plan to show that the gap from Nadal and Federer to them is narrowing, while talented players such as No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro and No. 7 Gilles Simon want to turn promise into results on the big stage. Newlywed Andy Roddick, meanwhile, would like to win a French Open match for the first time since 2005.

And yet, if the recent past is any indication, this tournament will come down to Nadal and Federer.

Nadal, thanks in part to victories over Federer in five-set finals at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, has the No. 1 seeding in Paris for the first time. After all those years atop the rankings, Federer is No. 2.

With 13 Grand Slam singles titles, Federer needs one to tie Pete Sampras' record. With six, Nadal is gaining. Federer bids again to become the sixth man with a career Grand Slam, while Nadal's victory in Australia means he can eye the first calendar-year Grand Slam by a man since Rod Laver's in 1969.

"He definitely has a chance,'' Federer said.

More immediately, Nadal can break a tie with Bjorn Borg, whose 1978-81 titles make him the only other man to win the French Open four years running.

"It's a fait accompli at this point, if Rafa stays healthy, that he wins,'' two-time French Open champion Jim Courier said. "I remember growing up seeing Borg dominate that tournament, and I haven't seen anyone dominate it like that since - until now.''

Nadal is 28-0 at the French Open. He never has been pushed to five sets there. He didn't drop a set in the 2008 tournament. He is 43-0 for his career in best-of-five-set matches on clay.

"Who knows if Nadal is going to win this year, and then maybe next year, and the year after? He could win seven, eight in a row, the way things look at the moment,'' three-time French Open champion Ivan Lendl said. "Guys are closing the gap, there's no doubt about it, but I don't think it's closed enough where anybody who understands the game would say that Nadal is not a heavy favorite.''

What seems to get lost, at times, is just how good Federer is on clay.

Since the start of the 2005 French Open, Federer is 23-0 at Roland Garros against everyone other than Nadal. Against his nemesis, however, Federer is 0-4.

That's part of Nadal's overall 13-7 edge.

But Federer believes their most recent match makes a difference in mind-set. Their previous meeting ended with Nadal's first Australian Open title and Federer's tear-filled breakdown. Also, Federer had been 0-7 against Nadal, Murray and Djokovic since winning the U.S. Open. And Madrid gave Federer his first Masters title since 2007.

"I got the win I needed badly,'' he said, "because I have had some rather bad losses this year.''

---

AP Sports Writers Andrew Dampf in Rome and Paul Logothetis in Madrid contributed to this report.

Capsules on top men's French Open players

PARIS (AP) -Men to watch at the French Open, which begins Sunday (rankings in parentheses; statistics through Thursday):

RAFAEL NADAL (1)

Age: 22 (turns 23 on June 3)

Country: Spain

2009 Match Record: 41-4

2009 Singles Titles: 5

Career Singles Titles: 36

Major Titles: 6 - French Open ('05, '06, '07, '08), Wimbledon ('08), Australian Open ('09)

Last 5 French Opens: '08-Won Championship, '07-W, '06-W, '05-W, '04-Did Not Play

Topspin: Trying to become first to win five consecutive French Open titles; Nadal and Bjorn Borg (1978-81) are the only men with four straight. ... 28-0 at Roland Garros and never extended to five sets; didn't lose a set last year in Paris. ... Won 150 of last 155 matches on clay, but a 33-match streak on the surface ended Sunday with loss to Roger Federer at Madrid. ... Seeded No. 1 at Roland Garros for first time.

ROGER FEDERER (2)

Age: 27

Country: Switzerland

2009 Match Record: 26-6

2009 Singles Titles: 1

Career Singles Titles: 58

Major Titles: 13 - Wimbledon ('03, '04, '05, '06, '07), U.S. Open ('04, '05, '06, '07, '08), Australian Open ('04, '06, '07)

Last 5 French Opens: '08-Lost in Final, '07-F, '06-F, '05-SF, '04-Lost in 3rd Round

Topspin: Only major championship he hasn't won; three runner-up finishes - all to Nadal. ... Trying to become only the sixth man with a career Grand Slam. His 13 major titles rank second to Pete Sampras' 14. ... Has reached the final at 14 of past 15 majors. ... Only man he's lost to at Roland Garros over last four years is Nadal. ... Victory over Nadal in Madrid ended 6 1/2-month title drought.

ANDY MURRAY (3)

Age: 22

Country: Scotland

2009 Match Record: 31-5

2009 Singles Titles: 3

Career Singles Titles: 11

Major Titles: 0 - Best: F, at U.S. Open in '08

Last 5 French Opens: '08-'3rd, '07-DNP, '06-1st, '05-DNP, '04-DNP

Topspin: First British man to get as high as No. 3 since ATP computer rankings began in 1973. ... Reached first career semifinal on clay at Monte Carlo last month, before losing to Nadal. ... Spent 2 1/2 years in Barcelona, from age 15, so clay is not unfamiliar to him. "It's a surface I can play well on, and I used to play well on when I was younger, when I trained a lot on it,'' Murray says.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC (4)

Age: Turns 22 Friday

Country: Serbia

2009 Match Record: 37-11

2009 Singles Titles: 2

Career Singles Titles: 13

Major Titles: 1 - Australian Open ('08)

Last 5 French Opens: '08-SF, '07-SF, '06-QF, '05-2nd, '04-DNP

Topspin: Finalist at four of his last five tournaments. The exception: Nadal beat him in the Madrid semifinals after Djokovic wasted three match points. ... Began working last month with a trainer who used to help 1995 French Open champion Thomas Muster.

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO (5)

Age: 20

Country: Argentina

2009 Match Record: 25-8

2009 Singles Titles: 1

Career Singles Titles: 5

Major Titles: 0 - Best: QF, at U.S. Open in '08, Australian Open in '09

Last 5 French Opens: '08-2nd, '07-1st, '06-1st, '05-DNP, '04-DNP

Topspin: Youngest member of Top 10. ... After Grand Slam breakthrough at U.S. Open last year, followed by Australian Open showing, now could be ready to shine at Roland Garros.

ANDY RODDICK (6)

Age: 26

Country: United States

2009 Match Record: 27-6

2009 Singles Titles: 1

Career Singles Titles: 27

Major Titles: 1 - U.S. Open ('03)

Last 5 French Opens: '08-DNP, '07-1st, '06-1st, '05-2nd, '04-2nd

Topspin: Hasn't won a French Open match since 2005. ... Missed last year's tournament with right shoulder injury. ... Averaging 10.7 aces per match in 2009. ... After taking time off while getting married, returned at Madrid Open and looked good against Federer before losing in three sets.

GILLES SIMON (7)

Age: 24

Country: France

2009 Match Record: 18-15

2009 Singles Titles: 0

Career Singles Titles: 5

Major Titles: 0 - Best: QF, at Australian Open in '09

Last 5 French Opens: '08-1st, '07-2nd, '06-1st, '05-1st, '04-DNP

Topspin: Highest-ranked of a young crop of French talent that includes No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ('08 Australian Open runner-up) and No. 11 Gael Monfils ('08 French Open semifinalist now beset by knee problems). Another member of the group, No. 21 Richard Gasquet will miss the French Open after allegedly testing positive for cocaine. ... No Frenchman has won French Open since Yannick Noah in 1983.

Austin: Safina threat to Serena in Paris

  

 

Tracy Austin 

 

 

The French Open final could be a rematch of the Australian Open final of a few months back when Serena Williams made quick work of Dinara Safina, 6-0, 6-3. If it is these two again in a title match, don’t be surprised if the No. 1 ranked Russian evens the score against the No. 2 ranked American.

While Safina’s been very consistent, having reached five finals in eight events this year and winning two of them (Rome and Madrid), Serena has lost three consecutive matches on clay, and in Madrid she retired after losing the first set to Francesca Schiavone. Serena has suffered with thigh and knee injuries so she heads into Roland Garros without a victory on the dirt this year.

Serena’s preparation for this French Open hasn’t been fantastic, but in the past she has proven she hasn’t needed great preparation to win majors. Defying odds seems to be a favorite of hers.

The top asset of the 10-time Grand Slam champion is her ability to overpower opponents. But the clay is slower, diffusing some of her power, and allowing her opponents to stay in the points longer, so clay is her least favorite surface. On dirt, she must be more patient, and create the opening more than just seek to overpower opponents.

Before her recent struggles, she was playing at a level that likely matched the best of her career. She’s been consistent, and it seems like she is making a concerted effort to play more events. She’s showing a passion and a willingness to work through the highs and the lows.

It’s surprising to most people that Serena has not made it back to the Paris final since 2002. Last year she lost in the third round to Katarina Srebotnik. If her health holds she should exceed that showing this time around.

Serena also may be on a mission since she contends she is No. 1 in the world even though the WTA Tour rankings show otherwise. On April 20, Safina overtook Serena in the rankings, prompting the American to comment at the Italian Open that, "We all know who the real number one is. Quite frankly, I'm the best in the world."

A win last year in Berlin was the beginning of Safina’s coming-out party. In taking the tournament, her victims included Justine Henin and Serena. She followed Berlin with quite a run in Paris, as she made the final before falling to Ana Ivanovic, 6-4, 6-3.

Safina has concentrated a lot more on her fitness, and it has paid off. Her strength and conditioning has increased her confidence on the court. Safina gives a lot of credit to Zeljko Krajan, her coach, who she began working with last year. Krajan was a very emotional player like Safina is so he understands her. He understands what to say, and what to help her with. Where as in the past she was very explosive, she’s more emotionally sound now. She’s learned to harness her emotions in a positive way.

Safina will never be a quick on the court as Henin or Jelena Jankovic, but she is quicker now than in the past. She’s aggressive in her play, knowing that she needs to get ahead in the point quickly since she’s not the swiftest mover on the court. Her serve is very good, right up there with the best. She has massive groundstrokes, and pinpoint accuracy. And her shot selection has become smarter. Add all this to some big wins, and it appears everything is starting to come together for the 23-year-old.

No one is playing unbelievable tennis right now on the WTA Tour, but let’s take a look at some other top contenders in Paris.

Venus Williams
She got to the Paris final in 2002, but since then has made it as far as the quarterfinals only twice (2004, 2006). Clay is definitely her weakest surface. The true clay-courters, the more patient players, tend to trip her up like Flavia Pennetta did last year in the third round.

On clay, Venus’s powerful serve and powerful groundstrokes get nullified a bit, and when players hang in there for long rallies, Venus seems to lose her patience a bit. That said, Venus had won seven Grand Slam titles so she knows how to play in big matches. Venus has become much stronger over the last year. She’s ranked third in the world because her results have become consistent.

In Paris, I wouldn’t say Venus’ chances are better than those of Safina and Serena, but she’s in a group right below those two top players that has a good shot at taking the title if either Safina or Serena slip up.

Jelena Jankovic
She has kind of come into her own the last few years, getting to the semifinals in Paris the last couple of years. She also got to the final of the U.S. Open last year, and she finished 2008 ranked No. 1. Clay is a great surface for her so her hopes are at the French fortnight despite not enjoying a stellar season so far.

Jankovic has always played to her seed and her ranking, but this year there have been some earlier-than-usual losses for her this year. For instance, in Madrid, she lost to Patty Schnyder in the quarterfinals. .

She doesn’t have that one huge shot that other players do, but she moves so well, is mentally tough, and is so very consistent. She’s a great counter puncher so she’s going to make her opponents win the match, and not hand it to them. She doesn’t give, playing every point hard, so she can’t ever be counted out.

Ana Ivanovic
After winning the French Open last year, she couldn’t handle the pressure of being No. 1. She couldn’t handle being the hunted, where everyone was after her. She got kind of the yips with the toss of her serve. So her play has been just up and down. She needs to get back to being stable in her performances. She has the physical talent, but mentally she must learn to handle the pressure.

Vera Zvonareva
She got to the semifinals of the Australian Open before losing to Safina, and she captured the title at Indian Wells. She flies under the radar, but is quite bright, and a very solid player. She can volley well and hit drop shots well, plus, she’s improved her mental game immensely.

 Slide show 

Sharapova reaches quarters at Warsaw in comeback

WARSAW, Poland (AP) -Maria Sharapova eased past Darya Kustova of Belarus 6-2, 6-0 on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Warsaw Open, her first singles tournament since coming back from shoulder surgery.

The three-time Grand Slam title winner needed only 57 minutes to eliminate Kustova.

"I played a solid game and did everything that I had to do in order to win today,'' Sharapova said. "More importantly right now than ever, is just to do the right things and to work on my game. It doesn't really matter who I'm playing.''

The Russian had surgery for a torn rotator cuff last year and missed the past two Grand Slam tournaments. She said the shoulder hasn't bothered her in Warsaw, and the only sign of the injury on Wednesday were two strips of white tape on her right shoulder.

"I'm really enjoying myself, and after putting in so much work and being out for so long, it just gives you so much satisfaction to know that the work that you put in at some point is going to bring you victories,'' she said. "But right now it's just a thrill to be out there and competing.''

Sharapova, who is playing in her first WTA tour singles tournament in nearly 10 months, is trying to regain the form that led her to the No. 1 ranking in 2005. She slid to No. 126 in the rankings while sidelined with the injury, but despite showing a few signs of rust, she didn't face much of a challenge from the 209th-ranked Kustova.

Sharapova broke the Belarusian in the second game of the first set, and her only slip of the match came when she double faulted when leading 4-0 to hand Kustova a break. But she quickly recovered and claimed the first set with a forehand winner that clipped the baseline.

Despite the two wins in two matches, Sharapova stressed she still faced a long road back to her championship form.

"I think it's going to take time. I think I still need match play, and being in different situations in the matches is going to give me that feeling back and that experience back,'' she said.

Looking ahead to her quarterfinal matchup with eighth-seeded Alona Bondarenko, a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Marta Domachowska of Poland earlier Wednesday, Sharapova said she expects a challenge from the Ukrainian.

"She's in good form, she plays a really good defensive game but she can also step in and hit the ball,'' Sharapova said. "She's a good opponent for me to play.''

In other second round action, sixth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia beat Urszula Radwanska of Poland 6-3, 6-1, Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic upended third-seeded Zheng Jie of China 6-0, 6-4, and qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania upset fifth-seeded Sara Errani of Italy 6-4, 6-3.

Also, Anne Keothavong of Britain downed Jill Craybas of the United States 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan beat Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-4, 7-6 (5) and Ioana Raluca Olaru of Romania eliminated Julia Goerges of Germany 6-3, 0-6, 7-6 (3).

Sharapova wins comeback match in Poland

WARSAW, Poland - Maria Sharapova played her first tour singles match in nearly 10 months Monday, beating Tathiana Garbin of Italy 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in the first round of the Warsaw Open.

The Russian wore a bandage on her right shoulder and wasted three match points in the second set before being taken to a third set.

Sharapova hadn’t played a singles match on tour since July 30. She had surgery on a torn rotator cuff about two months later. She played a doubles match in March, losing in Indian Wells, Calif.

The three-time Grand Slam tournament winner and former No. 1 player is now ranked No. 126. She has missed the last two majors.

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Dubai tennis to pay fine after Israeli visa denial

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -The director of the Dubai Tennis Championships says it will pay a record $300,000 fine for the United Arab Emirates' refusal to grant a visa to Israeli player Shahar Peer.

Salah Tahlak says the tournament chiefs agreed Sunday to pay the penalties imposed by the WTA Tour Board, which rejected Dubai's appeal last week.

The UAE turned down Peer's visa request just before her planned arrival for the tournament in February.

The tour also demands that Dubai organizers confirm that qualifying Israeli players will get visas at least eight weeks in advance for the 2010 event.

Tahlak says he hopes all players can take part, but notes that organizers do not have full control over government issues.

Agassi, Graf help Wimbledon unveil its roof

WIMBLEDON, England - Wimbledon picked the perfect day for showcasing its new retractable roof on Centre Court.

The sliding, canvassed roof barely had time to shut Sunday for the All England Club’s grand opening — or closing — of the new structure before the rain starting pouring down over south London. In the same kind of weather that has forced so many rain delays in the past, the Centre Court then hosted a televised tennis spectacle in perfect conditions.

“It’s a real treat to be able to play in these conditions inside, when it’s been so miserable, cold, windy and wet outside,” said Tim Henman, who teamed with Kim Clijsters to play married couple Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf in doubles and singles matches.

It seems no fan with a Centre Court ticket will ever return home again without seeing a single shot of tennis played.

“Fundamentally, it worked like it was supposed to work,” said Ian Ritchie, the All England Club’s chief executive.

To kick off the event, the sliding roof slowly started unfolding with a soft whirring in an afternoon ceremony as British singers Faryl Smith and Katherine Jenkins sang “Amazing Grace” in the center of the court.

The 15,000 spectators — along with invited guests such as former tennis great Boris Becker — collectively raised their heads and cameras as the 10 trusses supporting a translucent canvas slowly covered the court to shield it from the heavy gray clouds above.

As the two-parted roof closed without a hitch, it was greeted by a thunderous applause.

Then shortly after the tennis began, as if on cue, it started to rain.

Not that anyone inside the stadium noticed.

“The conditions were really good,” Clijsters said. “And I love the sound. Wimbledon already had that, where you feel like when (the crowd is) really into the match, the sound really comes down to the players. And now even more so with the roof. For the players, it just feels like they’re right there next to you.”

Agassi also said the closed surrounding will take the atmosphere to a new level.

“The sound was magnificent,” he said. “I think when you get two people out there who can really play, and move and hit the ball, I think you’re going to feel a level of titanic battle that you haven’t seen yet. ... That’s an environment that lends itself to some spectacular tennis.”

The roof is perhaps the biggest change to come to the 87-year-old tennis cathedral, and marks a remarkable break with tradition by the famously conventional All England Club.

But if the Centre Court looked more modern than ever, the action on the grass looked decidedly old-school.

Graf, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, returned to the Centre Court for the first time in 10 years, while Agassi won his first Grand Slam title here in 1992.

They still know how to entertain a crowd, though. The couple drew a large cheer by exchanging a good-luck kiss on the court before the doubles match. Then they showed they can still make some shots as well.

On his first serve, Agassi taunted Clijsters for standing close to the baseline for her return, telling her to “move back a bit.” When she didn’t, he punished her with an ace.

On the next serve, Henman moved nearly all the way back to the wall for his return.

The ladies had their moments as well. In the third game, Clijsters and Graf exchanged so many crosscourt forehands that Henman and Agassi just put their hands on their hips and watched. When Clijsters finally hit the ball Agassi’s way, he netted a volley — to Graf’s feigned dismay.

In the end, Henman and Clijsters won the one-set match 7-6 (6) after Agassi hit a lob long. Agassi then beat Henman 6-4 in singles and Clijsters defeated Graf by the same score.

But as much as the crowd enjoyed seeing the old Wimbledon stalwarts back on the Centre Court, it was the new structure that received the most praise.

“It’s beautiful,” said third-ranked Andy Murray, who hopes to become the first Briton since Fred Perry in 1936 to win Wimbledon. “It looks very nice, compared to most roofs.”

Five-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who beat rival Rafael Nadal in the final of the Madrid Open on Sunday, sent a recorded greeting to the crowd, saying he couldn’t wait to play at the new-look Centre Court.

“So often do we just wait around (during rain delays),” Federer said. “I know that can be fun too, but maybe after a few days you want to see a match. ... For me it’s nice to see that Wimbledon is taking such a big step in the right direction.”

 Slide show 

Safina just can't get any respect as women's No. 1

MADRID (AP) -Dinara Safina may just be the most underappreciated No. 1 in women's tennis.

Why is that?

"I guess they're jealous that I'm so young and No. 1.,'' Safina said at the Madrid Open on Friday. "I don't know. I really don't know.''

Only Evonne Goolagong Cawley spent less time atop the rankings than Safina, who will make it five weeks as the best women's player following the tournament in the Spanish capital.

But Goolagong Cawley won seven Grand Slam titles with four of those coming before the introduction of the rankings system in 1975.

Safina, who will be top seed at this month's French Open, doesn't believe the majors should be the only benchmark.

"To become No. 1 it's not just winning the Grand Slams, it's how you compete the whole year,'' the 23-year-old Russian said. "I won last year four tournaments ... I beat almost all the top-10 players so I think I deserve that spot.''

Jelena Jankovic, another who rose to No. 1 without a Grand Slam win, endorsed that overall thinking.

"She's in this moment No. 1 and that's all that matters,'' Jankovic said. "What everybody else is saying it doesn't matter, everyone has their opinions and everyone can talk all they want but not everyone can say they're No. 1.

"I finished last year No. 1 and I didn't steal that, it didn't fall from the sky - I earned it.''

Serena Williams, who beat Safina in the Australian Open final, said this month that she was the true No. 1.

"Yes, I didn't win a Grand Slam but I was in two finals and in one semifinal in one year. Many people can't achieve that in a career,'' Safina said. "Overall, I think I'm where I should be for the consistency of my whole year.''

She has reached 11 finals in her last 19 tournaments, and won her 10th career title last weekend in Rome.

Although the women's game has names like Venus and Serena Williams and Ana Ivanovic, it has lost major stars like Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters to retirement, while Maria Sharapova has been out for over a year to a shoulder injury.

The women's tour doesn't have the big-name rivalries like Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer and consistent performances from its top-five like the men, where third-ranked Andy Murray and No. 4 Novak Djokovic have lived for some time.

At Madrid, No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark was the only other seeded player to reach the semifinals.

Since Henin's exit last year, five different players have been No. 1.

Goolagong Cawley had to contend with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova during her playing days.

"(When) Amelie Mauresmo became No. 1 she hadn't won a Grand Slam and nobody told her anything,'' Safina said. "I don't know why people tell me and Jankovic that we should have won a Grand Slam.

"It's overall how you compete. I still have time to win a Grand Slam. I think that will come.''

Jankovic offered a more blunt reply.

"I don't have anything to prove to anybody,'' the Serbian player said.

Kournikova changes image in effort to help kids

ATLANTA - Anna Kournikova is moving away from her image as a sexy tennis star in hopes of reaching out to a much younger audience.

Known as much for her good looks as her success on the court, Kournikova now works for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Cartoon Network. She says she is driven to get kids off their sofas and into sports and exercise.

Kournikova says the move from bikini model in magazines like FHM and Maxim to kids' exercise advocate was not expected by some of her fans.

"People always get shocked,'' Kournikova said Wednesday while preparing for the Boys and Girls Club of America's national conference in Atlanta. "It has been a gradual transition, and I wanted it that way.''

Kournikova's provocative photo spreads made some refuse to respect her tennis career, despite winning two Grand Slams doubles titles with Martina Hingis and becoming the eighth-ranked singles player in the world in 2000.

The 27-year-old says she is determined to be taken seriously when educating kids about exercise.

"I started working with the Boys and Girls Club in 2004,'' she said. "The first couple of years I didn't want to do any publicity. I just wanted to learn about the organization and find out about what was going on. I went to the conferences and went to the conventions unannounced and just sat in the back and listened.

"People can tell if you're being sincere, and I think that has helped me in the last few years. I think people have seen that I am sincere about it and I know what I'm talking about.''

She said proof came in a recent appearance on Rachel Ray's talk show.

"There were only women in the audience and I'm sure they were like 'Here's this blonde we used to see in a bikini,''' Kournikova said. "Once we started talking, it was a great feeling and the women were really responding and all nodding and agreeing with the things we were discussing about the kids. That was very satisfying to me, to see that I can make a difference.''

The Atlanta-based Cartoon Network's "Get Animated'' program is Kournikova's current push.

"I've shot a DVD with Cartoon Network to be distributed to all the Boys and Girls Clubs, and basically the Get Animated campaign is about encouraging kids to get active, to get them off the couch and get them really involved in sports activities, exercises and a healthy lifestyle,'' she said.

Kournikova had little choice about exercise as a young child in Russia. Her mother, Alla, was a former 400-meter runner. Her father, Sergei, was a Greco-Roman wrestler and a physical education professor.

Kournikova was 5 when she was given her first tennis racket. By 8 she began playing in junior tournaments. A year later, her family moved to Florida, where she was enrolled in Nick Bollettieri's tennis academy. She turned professional at 14.

She says wanting to spend time with kids is not an attempt to recapture childhood years that were largely devoted to tennis.

"I had the best childhood,'' Kournikova said before adding, "It was very hard work. I was away from home. I didn't speak the language. I was only with my mom and then I started playing professionally, which was extremely difficult. It was 11 months out of the year on the road, living out of a bag and training all the time. Eating, sleeping, training, recouping. Trying to go to school at the same time.

"It was very, very hard but I wouldn't have it any other way. It's what got me here and gave me my life.''

Kournikova has not played on the WTA Tour since 2003. She participates in World Team Tennis with such other former stars as Andre Agassi and Martina Navratilova and plays in occasional exhibitions. She also has competed in several triathlons.

She hasn't abandoned modeling. She was back in Maxim - and back in a bikini - last year.

"I do an occasional modeling job,'' she said. "You've got to have some kind of income.''

Kournikova says she misses the spotlight.

"Obviously you cannot replace playing in front of 10,000 or 15,000 people in Arthur Ashe Stadium in the third set at the U.S. Open,'' she said. "That's completely crazy.

"But I'm finding my Adrenalin and my passion in the things I'm doing now, whether it's working with kids, running in a triathlon, playing tennis for Team Tennis or exhibitions. I try to enjoy it now, not just from the physical part but from inside, to feel good about what I'm doing.''

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Murray, Nadal, Federer win at Madrid Open

MADRID (AP) -Defending champion Andy Murray won through to the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open on Thursday by beating Tommy Robredo of Spain 7-5, 6-1, while top-ranked Rafael Nadal also advanced after his opponent retired hurt.

Nadal and sixth-seeded American Andy Roddick both advanced without having to hit a ball after their respective opponents -Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber and 10th-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko - withdrew with leg injuries.

Second-seeded Roger Federer also made it to the quarters by beating 14th-seeded James Blake of the United States 6-2, 6-4.

The last time the two met, in China, Blake ended Federer's hopes of capturing his first Olympic singles medal.

"We haven't played since the Olympics and I was pleased with the way it went today, especially with him playing so well recently,'' Federer said.

Federer will next play Roddick.

"I've played Andy so many times it's time we played each other on clay,'' Federer said of his next opponent.

Murray had failed to convert seven break points before finally getting the decisive breakthrough to go up 6-5 and then held serve to take the first set.

"I was a little tense when I had my chances and didn't take them,'' Murray said.

Murray, who turns 22 on Friday, then began hitting long, accurate baseline shots and well-timed passers to dominate the second.

"I noticed that at this altitude the ball tends to fly faster, and because the court is sprayed with water regularly the balls also tend to pick up weight,'' Murray said. "I strung my rackets more tightly to compensate and was happy to be able to control the ball in the wind here.''

The 16th-seeded Robredo said he simply couldn't recover after giving up an early break in the second set.

"If you don't take your chances when you've got them, then he's going to kill you,'' Robredo said. "When you attack him he defends well, and if you let him attack he really does it.''

Third-seeded Novak Djokovic won against Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-4, 6-4.

In the third round of the women's event, No. 1 player Dinara Safina of Russia played aggressively to win the first set against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Repubic to love.

But Safina's concentration level then dropped and she lost the second 4-6 before sealing the match 6-3 in the third.

"Suddenly I started to play passively, even fearing the way the wind changed,'' Safina said. "Thankfully Safarova made some mistakes which let me win.''

Meanwhile, Agnes Szavay of Hungary rallied to beat seventh-seeded Victoria Azarenka 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, while earlier, Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine defeated Anna Chakvetadze of Russia, 6-0, 2-6, 6-3.

Roland Garros moving forward on retractable roof

PARIS (AP) -Plans for a new retractable roof at Roland Garros are moving forward.

The roof is scheduled to be ready in 2011 to prevent rain delays at the French Open.

The French Tennis Federation chose an architect Wednesday, unanimously voting for Marc Mimram. Mimram is well known as the designer of the overpass that connects France and Germany across the Rhine River in Strasbourg.

The new roof at Roland Garros will cover the center court. The courts in a planned extension not far away from the main stadium are also set to get roofs.

Wimbledon is using a retractable roof on its center court for the first time this year.

Sharapova to play singles in Warsaw next week

NEW YORK (AP) -Maria Sharapova says she will be back on tour next week.

Sharapova writes on her Web site that she plans to play her first competitive singles match in nearly 10 months at next week's clay-court tournament in Warsaw, Poland.

The three-time Grand Slam title winner was sidelined in August by a torn rotator cuff in her right shoulder and had surgery two months later.

She has played one doubles match since then, losing in March at Indian Wells, California.

Gasquet suspended after positive cocaine test

LONDON - French tennis player Richard Gasquet was suspended Monday following a positive cocaine test and will not play in the French Open.

The International Tennis Federation expects to have a panel in place within 60 days for a hearing. Gasquet could face a two-year ban if found guilty.

The 22-year-old player said he is gathering evidence to prove his innocence despite two samples testing positive. He said a separate test of his hair samples May 7 showed no trace of cocaine. Cocaine traces were found in Gasquet’s urine sample at the Sony Ericsson Open, in Key Biscayne, Fla., in March.

The French Open, the year’s second major, begins May 24 and tournament director Gilbert Ysern withdrew Gasquet’s name after the provisional suspension.

“He’s suspended until the end of the hearing,” ITF spokesman Neil Robinson said. “We’re now assembling an anti-doping tribunal. The ideal time frame is within 60 days, but people have to fly in from all over the world for it.”

Gasquet was ranked No. 7 in July 2007 but has since slipped to No. 21. He has played just five matches since pulling out of the Key Biscayne event before his second-round match against Albert Montanes of Spain.

Gasquet cited a right shoulder injury for the withdrawal and has since returned to play in Barcelona and at the Rome Masters, where he lost in the third round to Fernando Verdasco on May 1.

Gasquet lost to Roger Federer in the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2007. He was considered a future star when he first arrived on tour with a one-handed backhand widely considered among the best in the game.

Martina Hingis was banned for two years early last year after testing positive for cocaine at Wimbledon. The five-time Grand Slam champion and former top-ranked player failed a test after losing to Laura Granville in 2007.

Hingis, who has since retired, became the second WTA player suspended for cocaine after Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain was banned for three months in 2002.

Former top-ranked men’s player Mats Wilander and Karel Novacek had positive tests for cocaine at the 1995 French Open.

That was before the introduction of rules to automatically suspend players following a positive second test. Both continued playing before they were banned for three months and ordered to return prize money and forfeit rankings points.

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Serena Williams injured in Madrid Open

MADRID (AP) -Serena Williams is out of the Madrid Open after aggravating a leg injury in a first-round match against Francesca Schiavone.

The second-ranked Williams retired after losing the first set 6-4 Monday.

She says her movement was hindered by a a recurring injury to her right leg.

Williams would not comment on the extent of the injury or whether it would keep her out of the upcoming French Open.

Montanes beats Blake to win the Estoril Open

OEIRAS, Portugal (AP) -Albert Montanes of Spain won the Estoril Open on Sunday, rallying to beat James Blake of the United States 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-0.

It was the second title for Montanes in his sixth final. He won his first in Amersfoort, Netherlands, last July.

Blake was trying to become the first American to win an ATP title on European clay since Andy Roddick at St. Poelten, Austria, in 2003.

The fourth-seeded Blake, who had beaten Russia's Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinal two hours earlier, had the first break in the match in the 12th game of the first set.

Montanes, seeded seventh, battled back in the second set, breaking Blake at love in the seventh game. Blake immediately broke back and then wasted two match points in the 10th game.

With tiredness likely affecting him, Blake lost all three of his service games in the decider.

Blake was forced to complete his 6-7 (3), 7-6 (2), 6-3 victory over Davydenko on Sunday after the previous day's play was suspended because of insufficient light.

It was Blake's seventh straight win over the second-seeded Davydenko, who was playing his fifth tournament of the year after a two-month layoff due to a heel injury.

The match resumed with Blake leading 4-2 in the second set. Three of Sunday's opening five games produced breaks of serve, with Davydenko winning two before Blake comfortably won the tiebreaker.

Blake then broke in the fourth game of the deciding set, which was enough to become the first American since Todd Martin in 1999 to reach the Estoril final.

The women's event was won on Saturday by Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, who beat Ekaterina Makarova 7-5, 6-2.

Gasquet confirms positive test for cocaine

PARIS (AP) -French tennis player Richard Gasquet has confirmed that he tested positive for cocaine at the Sony Ericsson Open in March, but maintained his innocence.

Gasquet said in a statement Sunday that the "B'' sample from the tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida, confirmed the result of the "A'' sample taken the same day.

"Given the complexity of this dossier, I am gathering together proof of my innocence and I will choose an appropriate moment to express myself,'' Gasquet said.

The Web site of sports daily L'Equipe had reported Saturday that traces of the banned drug were found in the 22-year-old Gasquet's urine sample at the Sony Ericsson Open, where he pulled out after the first round.

The French tennis federation called the report "very surprising'' and said Sunday it would wait for official confirmation before taking any action against him.

Gasquet cited a right shoulder injury when he withdrew before his second-round match against Albert Montanes of Spain. He could face a two-year ban.

The FFT said in a statement that it "would be very sad for Richard Gasquet himself, for tennis in general, for French tennis in particular, whose image would be dented'' if the positive test was officially confirmed.

It added that it will take no action until it has been notified to do so by the governing body of tennis and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

"The FFT will follow developments in this affair with the greatest attention, will avoid passing a hasty moral judgment and take care to leave the player to organize his defense,'' the FFT said. "If the facts are nevertheless proven, it would be particularly regrettable in view of all the efforts the FFT makes with players about (drug) prevention.''

Gasquet reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2007, but has struggled with his form since then and is currently ranked 23rd.

Nalbandian likely to have hip surgery

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -David Nalbandian may need surgery on a hip injury, which would keep him out of the French Open, Wimbledon and Argentina's Davis Cup quarterfinal against the Czech Republic in July.

Nalbandian told Argentine TV TyC Sports on Tuesday that his right hip is hurting him more each day, adding that he expects to make a decision on surgery before the end of the week. He said he would need four to six months to recover.

The French Open begins on May 24, and Wimbledon opens on June 22. Argentina's Davis Cup quarterfinal in the Czech Republic is from July 10-12.

Nalbandian, ranked No. 19, lost 6-2, 6-2 on Monday to Paul Capdeville of Chile in the first round of the Estoril Open in Portugal.

Argentine newspaper Clarin reported on Tuesday that Nalbandian has already decided to have surgery on May 13 in Barcelona.

Nalbandian was a Wimbledon finalist in 2002, and reached the French Open semifinals in 2004 and 2006.

He played in last year's Davis Cup final loss to Spain, but Argentina will be among the favorites to reach the final again with a team headed by No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro.

Jankovic wins in Rome

ROME (AP) -Top-ranked Dinara Safina overcame a shaky start Tuesday to defeat Virginie Razzano of France 7-6 (1), 6-1 and reach the third round of the Italian open.

Defending champion Jelena Jankovic also advanced with a 6-3, 7-6 (6) win over Argentina's Gisela Dulko in a match suspended for about 3 1/2 hours due to rain, and French Open champion Ana Ivanovic defeated Italy's Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-4.

Safina lost her serve in the opening game and allowed her 35th-ranked opponent to take the initiative for most of the first set.

But the 23-year-old Russian dominated the tiebreaker and then kept the momentum with an early break in the second set before winning the last four games. She closed out the match in 1 hour, 50 minutes.

"I was a little bit tight,'' Safina said. "Winning the first set gave me confidence. ... I just started to play a little bit better in the second set.''

Safina, a runner-up here in 2006, is looking for her first title since ascending to the top of the world ranking on April 20. She complained that the rain before the match had made the court damp and dangerous to play on.

"I was just so angry, because you can get injured,'' said the Russian, who fell in the first set as she rushed to the net to retrieve a drop shot, but couldn't slide. "It's soft and you're afraid to play.''

She said tournament organizers should "have a little bit respect to us as the players.''

Jankovic has won the Italian Open for the past two years, but the 24-year-old Serb was far from her best against the 39th-ranked Dulko.

Jankovic won early breaks in both sets but let her opponent break back both times. She saved four set points when down 5-4 in the second, before rain forced the suspension at 5-5.

After play resumed, the third-seeded Jankovic squandered four match points in the tiebreaker before taking the set and the match.

"I had everything under control, and all of a sudden, she's on top of me and she has set points to win the second set,'' Jankovic said. "It was difficult, but I managed to somehow stay positive and stay strong and win that second set.''

The top eight seeds all had first-round byes in this warmup for the French Open, which begins May 24. Second-ranked Serena Williams was scheduled to play later Tuesday.

After finishing the 2008 season as No. 1, Jankovic went through a slump at the start of this year and has dropped to No. 4. She won her first title of the year in Marbella, Spain, last month, but was upset by Italy's Flavia Pennetta in the quarterfinals in Stuttgart, Germany, last week.

The fifth-seeded Ivanovic is also looking to regain her top form. She started off strong against Schiavone, closing the first set in 39 minutes and taking control of the second with a break to love in the ninth game that let her serve out the match.

In other matches, No.7 Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia beat Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 6-3, 6-3, and eighth-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia beat Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, 12th-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy and No. 16 Kaia Kanepi also advanced, while 11th-seeded Marion Bartoli and fellow Frenchwoman Alize Cornet were both upset.

The 13th-seeded Cornet lost 6-4, 6-1 to Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine, and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain beat Bartoli 6-1, 7-5.

'We all know who the real No. 1 is,' Serena says

ROME - Serena Williams may be ranked second in the world but she believes there is no one better.

The 27-year-old American was overtaken in the rankings two weeks ago by Dinara Safina, making the Russian and older sibling Marat Safin the only brother-sister duo to have been No. 1 in professional tennis.

"We all know who the real No. 1 is,'' Williams said Monday at the Italian Open. "Quite frankly, I'm the best in the world.''

Safina has never won a Grand Slam title, losing last year's French Open final and being beaten in the Australian Open final this year by Williams.

"I'm excited for her,'' Williams said with a smile.

Safina acknowledged she is still coming to terms with her new position but insists it is well deserved.

"It's still tough to realize this,'' Safina said. "It's not luck. Nobody gave it to me - I proved it. I played two Grand Slam finals, and last year I won four titles ... so I think I belong to this, because this doesn't come out of sky.''

The 23-year-old Safina said Williams is entitled to claim to be the real No. 1 because she has won 10 Grand Slam titles.

"But she's also older than me, so she has more experience than me,'' Safina said. "So let's see when I'm her age how many titles I'm going to have, and then we can say.''

Williams, the 2002 Rome champion, opens against 2005 runner-up Patty Schnyder of Switzerland on Tuesday in her first clay-court event of the season.

When asked which rival poses the biggest threat, Williams said: "Probably myself. I always beat myself.''

Her sister Venus Williams, seeded fourth and on the opposite side of the draw to Serena, is also in Rome and scheduled to play Monday against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic.

Safina, the 2006 runner-up, two-time defending champion Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Ana Ivanovic of Serbia are among the top eight seeded players who have first-round byes.

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Johnny Mac advise Federer? You cannot be serious!

John McEnroe coaching Roger Federer? You CANNOT be serious!

While McEnroe would like to give the 13-time Grand Slam champion some pointers on how to snap out of his winless season, the mild-mannered Federer isn't quite taking him up on the offer. McEnroe told a French weekly that he'd like to help the Swiss star get on track after Federer lost in the semifinals of the Miami Masters.

"I guess anybody would like to give me advice,'' Federer said at the Rome Masters. "So I don't think that's a crazy comment we should look into much.''

With the French Open looming, Federer is gearing up for another possible match against top-ranked Rafael Nadal, who has defeated Federer in their last five meetings. Federer is still seeking a win at Roland Garros, the one major title that has eluded him.

McEnroe has some ideas on how the second-ranked Federer can beat Nadal on clay.

"Take the ball earlier and not get pulled off the court,'' McEnroe said in a phone interview from Los Angeles on Tuesday. "Nadal has a lefty slice out wide. Roger is content to get into a rally, and not attack the net, which is difficult on clay because of the slipping and sliding.''

After getting married April 11, Federer lost in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters, and his record fell to 18-5 this year.

"There's an argument that he doesn't need a coach and an argument that he could use some help with someone, which he's done in the past,'' said McEnroe, a seven-time singles Grand Slam winner. "He won 11 majors in four years. And back in my prime, I'd laugh at them (who offered advice).

"If he wants my input, we have people that represents us. It's a phone call away.''

On Wednesday, Federer is scheduled to play 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia in Rome. It's a clay-court tuneup for the French Open, which begins May 25.

"At this stage, he'd have to have a lot of things fall his way to win it,'' McEnroe said. "If Nadal is healthy, he seems virtually unbeatable on clay. In a best of five, he's one of the fittest guys on tour.''

Federer said he spoke with McEnroe during the "Showdown of Champions'' in November. He played James Blake and McEnroe faced his old nemesis Bjorn Borg in a series of exhibitions in Macau and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"I spent time with him in the Asian exhibitions,'' Federer said. "We were there together and talked tennis like I did with James and Bjorn. So we had a good time over there.''

Federer is one shy of Pete Sampras' all-time Grand Slam record of 14 titles. McEnroe believes Federer will break the record with titles at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open.

McEnroe, in Los Angles to promote an ad campaign about prostate health for men over 50, said he won't be too upset if Federer doesn't call.

"The few times people asked me to help in past, no one listened to a word I said,'' McEnroe said of Boris Becker, Sergi Bruguera and Mark Philippoussis.

---

AP Sports Writer Andrew Dampf in Rome contributed to this report.

Almagro advances to 2nd round at BMW Open

MUNICH (AP) -Nicolas Almagro of Spain advanced to the second round of the BMW Open on Sunday, beating Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4.

Almagro broke Hernych four times and saved two of the three break points he faced.

The clay-court tournament had only one match scheduled Sunday.

Earlier, defending champion Fernando Gonzalez pulled out because of an ankle injury. The Chilean lost to top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Rome Masters on Saturday and flew to Munich on Sunday to announce his withdrawal.

Jankovic, Kuznetsova advance at Porsche GP

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) -Gisela Dulko of Argentina upset fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-4, 6-3 Wednesday to become the first player to reach the quarterfinals of the Porsche Grand Prix.

Azarenka came into the event as one of the hottest players on the tour, with three tournament titles, including the Miami Masters. But she ran into a player who is very comfortable on clay.

The Stuttgart tournament is the only event on the circuit to be played on indoor clay.

"I love it. No wind, no sun,'' Dulko said after the only second-round match of the day. "She won a lot of matches this year but I feel confident on clay. Everything worked for me. I was solid but I was also aggressive, especially on my serve. I just believed in myself, that I can beat top players.

"I mixed it up, she is very solid from both sides. I get very motivated for such matches.''

Defending champion Jelena Jankovic of Serbia eased into the second round by defeating Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-1, 6-1.

Jankovic finished 2008 as No. 1 in the world but she has dropped to No. 4 after a poor start this year. But playing on clay has revived her game and she won a tournament in Marbella, Spain, on the slow surface earlier this month.

"I have been playing well in the last few weeks,'' Jankovic said.

"I expected a tougher match because she's given me trouble before but I served well and I am happy to be back on clay,'' said Jankovic, who is now 3-1 against Cibulkova.

Jankovic will next play Sabine Lisicki of Germany, who defeated Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-4, 6-3. Lisicki is coming off her first career title, which she won in Charleston, South Carolina.

When Jankovic won last year, the tournament was still played on a hard indoor surface, before changing to clay.

Fifth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia beat German qualifier Andrea Petkovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in the first round.

Kuznetsova wasted a match point in the second set against the 143rd-ranked Petkovic, who is seeking to break into the top 100 again after missing nearly the entire 2008 season with torn knee ligaments.

Kuznetsova then double-faulted to give Petkovic a break and a 6-5 lead in the second set, and the German clinched her set point with an ace. But the Russian bounced back and won the next five games before wrapping up the match.

"I didn't have the patience or the experience in the third set,'' Petkovic said.

Kuznetsova is a three-time semifinalist in Stuttgart, also when it was on a hard surface.

"I had too many ups and downs, especially in the second set,'' Kuznetsova said. "I am quite disappointed with myself.''

Also in the first round, Nadia Petrova of Russia, last year's runner-up in Stuttgart, defeated Zheng Jie of China 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia beat Alize Cornet of France 6-3, 6-1 and Flavia Pennetta of Italy beat Anna Chakvetadze of Russia 6-2, 6-0.