absolutely alex’s adventures & times

Good thing I’m not the betting type. I would have lost badly over the weekend, having backed Roger Federer and Ana Ivanovic to win the French Open men’s and women’s singles titles respectively, but they were both beaten convincingly by their opponents Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin.

Even as Federer was denied his chance to make history by becoming the third man ever to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time, he would probably have to do some serious analysis of how he fared during the match against Nadal, and find a coach, fast.

Federer showed that he was human after all, when he committed 60 unforced errors in the match (vs 28 by Nadal) and only converted one out of 17 break points (a miserly six per cent, compared to Nadal’s 40 per cent, or four out of 10). His serves and forehand, both usually instruments of terror were largely neutralized by Nadal. Federer’s crushing dominance against everybody else was brought to an abrupt halt at Nadal’s feet, who refused to be intimidated nor to give in even when he was down.

Perhaps the pressure was too much on Federer. Expectations for him had been so high coming into the tournament, as he seeks not only to win the only Grand Slam title that’s been out of his grasp but also to hold four consecutive Grand Slam titles.

Federer will certainly try again next year but as he will be 26 then, time might not be his best ally. Nadal on the other hand, has only just turned 21 and is likely to have a few more years to peak and stabs at other Grand Slam tournaments.

But Federer should take heart. He’s in the company of some illustrious tennis champions who have swept every other Grand Slam save the French Open — Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker. And 10 Grand Slam titles to his name is something no one can sniff at.

Still, being a champion is about being competitive. At least it will give Federer something else to aim for. “Obviously, if I would have won today — again, same thing happened last year — I would have had not many other goals to chase in my career. Like this, it stays open. And, eventually, if I get it, the sweeter it’s going to taste,” Federer told reporters after his loss.

As for 19-year old Ivanovic, her mental strength obviously needed more development, the way she crumbled in her match against Henin. But she is young and was perhaps hit by a severe case of nerves, of being in her first final in a Grand Slam tournament, and of facing the world number one and three-time French Open champion across the net.

She started bravely enough, breaking Henin at the opening game, but lost her footing and self-confidence after that and appeared in a hurry to end the nightmare.

But in time, Ivanovic will hopefully gain the experience and confidence in her abilities, and prove to be the champion that she has shown so much promise of being.

That’s the question on everyone’s mind, as the showdown everyone’s been waiting for is set for Sunday — world number 1 Roger Federer will meet world number 2 Rafael Nadal in the final of the French Open.

Both are hoping to make history. Federer is attempting to be win the only Grand Slam title to elude him and collect his fourth consecutive Grand Slam prize. Federer has swept 10 titles at Wimbledon, the US and the Australian Opens. If Federer manages to snatch the crown from Nadal on Sunday, he will be the sixth man with a career Grand Slam, and the first man in about 40 years to win four Grand Slams in a row.

Nadal, meanwhile, is going for a third consecutive French Open title, the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1978-81.

Nadal’s mark seems easier to hit. He is undoubtedly number one on the slippery clay court and has made it to the final without dropping a single set during the entire tournament .

Federer has stepped up his game on clay but watching Friday’s semi-final against Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko {7-5, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7)} there are concerns that Federer let too many points slip. Had it been a stronger player than Davydenko on the other side of the net, that person would have capitalized on the moments that Federer didn’t seem to be concentrating or intent on winning, and brought the match to a five-setter and even win. Davydenko could have won the three sets but was probably plagued by too much self-doubt and awe in Federer’s presence, even if it was a lesser Federer than the one his adoring public has come to know and expect.

Although the other semi-final match between Nadal and Serbian Novak Djokovic was also rather lacklustre, Nadal won more convincingly, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2.

If Federer played the same way against Nadal as he did during the semi-final, he would have a tough time making his mark on the history books. Nadal is a much wilier player and more likely to convert errors or lapse in concentration by Federer to his own advantage.

And what Djokovic had to say about Nadal holds true for every opponent, even the great Federer. “If you win on clay against him, you’ve got to do more, you’ve got to push him more, push him over the limits,” Djokovic said of Nadal. “You’ve got to play really great tennis, and it has got to be your day.”

Federer and Nadal have faced off 11 previous times. Nadal has the better record, bettering Federer seven times, with a five-one record on clay. Federer, however, has won three of their last four outings. Notably, Federer finally beat Nadal on clay just before the French Open, in Hamburg, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0, and broke Nadal’s incredible 81-game winning streak.

Nadal said then he was tired after a series of tournaments. But he certainly doesn’t look anywhere near tired at Roland Garros.

Ok, I’ll admit I’m biased. I want Federer to win. He’s so likable, graceful and absolutely joyful to watch. But it’s not going to be an easy Sunday for Federer. Well, then again, greatness and immortality are never easy but if anyone should have a shot at those, it would be Federer.

Don’t we all love an underdog story?

19-year old Serbian tennis player Ana Ivanovic has a great one. She grew up playing tennis inside a drained Olympic-sized swimming pool. Yes, you read right. And playing in the pool most likely helped her develop her deadly but accurate shots that stayed in line.

The New York Times related that story, to illustrate how far the teenager who grew up in a country (a part of now-defunct Yugoslavia) which didn’t have much of a tennis-playing tradition, had come. At this year’s French Open, there are three female Serbian players in the semi-final stage. Novak Djokovic is their compatriot who’s a rising star on the men’s side.

But the ex-Yugoslavia had another other tennis great, Monica Seles, who was training in the US.

As a child, Ivanovic was so inspired by Seles that she grew up wanting to be a professional tennis player.

Her story should inspire. Running out of money from her family and sponsors in Serbia, Ivanovic was sponsored by a German businessman, which allowed her to go to Switzerland to train.

That has all been worthwhile. Today, Ivanovic annihilated Russian diva Maria Sharapova with a stunning 6-2, 6-1 defeat in their semi-final match in the French Open. Not a moment too soon, as Sharapova’s shrieks were getting unbearably annoying.

On Saturday, Ivanovic will meet the world’s top clay-court player, Justine Henin, who’s trying to make a bit of history herself, by going for her fourth French Open title, and her third consecutive. Interestingly enough, Ivanovic’s inspiration Seles was the last woman to have won three French Open crowns consecutively.

Another coincidence – Henin beat another Serbian, Jelena Jankovic, during the other semi-final, to face Ivanovic for the title match.

Henin will be a tough hurdle for Ivanovic, no matter how hard we might cheer for the underdog.

But with the crop of talent like the two Serbians, there’s perhaps hope for the future of women’s tennis.

The highly-anticipated quarter-final French Open match between Serena Williams and Justine Henin turned out to be an anti-climax, when Serena broke her supporters’ hearts everywhere by going down in straight sets to Henin (6-4. 6-3).

It’s not so much that Henin beat Serena, it’s more like Serena beat herself, which is the saddest thing of all, for a fan at least.

There were only brief flashes of that brilliance during the 78-minute match, but most of the time, hell, even from the start, Serena just wasn’t there and in the game.

She didn’t fight hard, nor did she seem determined enough.

Why, Serena, why?

Everyone had such high hopes for the amazingly gifted young woman, who surprised all when, against the odds, she won in Australian Open earlier this year, despite not having put in enough practice.

Perhaps that’s when her myth started growing again, the talk built up about her brilliance, athleticism and determination. More importantly, people thought she was back and hungry.

But Paris with clay-court surfaces is a different story from the hard courts in Australia, I suppose.

Funny that Serena said post-match that all Henin had to do in the match was show up. But Serena herself never did.

She would have had to do more than just show up to beat Henin, who’s currently the strongest female clay-court player and has lots going for her – with a messy marriage behind her, being comfortable on the clay-court surface and playing before a supportive crowd (the French are natural Henin supporters as she’s from the French-speaking part of Belgium). And clay-court isn’t exactly Serena’s best surface.

But at least both players were gracious to each other this time. There was no repeat of the 2003 match, when during the semi-final, their game turned ugly as Henin displayed unsportsmanlike behavior and Serena was booed out of court by a partisan crowd.

So, no more Americans in the French Open.

Well, there’s always Wimbledon….

And of course, the Federer- Nadal match, which would make the French Open still fun.

Ooh la la!

France continues to be a tough ground for American tennis players, as another American was defeated at Roland Garros.

This time, it’s Venus Williams, who did not survive her third round French Open encounter against Serbian player Jelena Jankovic. Venus pushed the match to a three-setter, but finally went down 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

Sadly, this was after the record-breaking speed of her serve in her second round match, at 129 miles per hour, the fastest ever clocked by a female player. Venus broke the record held by her little sister, Serena, whose speed of 127 miles per hour was set last year in Cincinnati.

Serena, who last won in France in 2002, is now the sole American left in the running for this year’s title. All nine American men had been knocked out in the early rounds of the Open, leading to ESPN’s lament that the US is a third rate power on clay.

Serena’s path to possible victory isn’t going to be smooth. Her next opponent might be surmountable, Russian 10th seed Dinara Safina, whom Serena is playing for a place in the quarter-finals.

But if she makes it past Safina, she is likely to face three-time champion and top seed, Justine Henin.

Henin has been consistent in this tournament, winning comfortably and looking swift and strong. She has not dropped a set in this tournament so far either.

So if Serena wants to stay on course to win her second Grand Slam of the year, she would have to summon her best game, and overcome herself, to beat Henin, and move on.

On the positive side, Serena has had a good year so far — she has won 21 out of 24 matches.

My money’s on Serena, who’s probably the most talented and confident player around and one who’s looking like she is peaking.

So the women’s quarter-finals, if both Henin and Serena face each other,.ought to be an exciting clash, pitting two of the best female players of contrasting styles against each other.

Pity this highly-anticipated showdown isn’t the final match.

What is it about the clay at Roland Garros that is causing US tennis players to falter so embarassingly?

Andy Roddick, who showed signs of turning his stalled career around when he hired Jimmy Connors as his coach last year, has yet again crashed out of the first round of the French Open. This is the world number three’s second straight first set exit, and the fourth in six years, according to stats by ESPN.

Well, maybe winning the French Open was too much of a stretch for Roddick anyway — coach Conners had never won the French title either.

Another American hope, world number eight James Blake, also got the early boot.

In fact, eight out of nine American men entered in the Open are heading home early. The only American man left on the draw is Robby Ginepri, a 48th rank player, whose chances of advancing much further seems bleak too.

Andre Agassi was the last male American winner in Paris and that was back in 1999.

That means the women, such as Venus and Serena Williams are left carrying the flag. And clay happens to be their weakest surface too.

So why is it that the clay courts, generally acknowledged as the most physically demanding surface, spell so much trouble for Roddick and the other American men?

Roddick’s big serves don’t make much difference for him on clay. His coach says his game is better suited to faster surfaces like grass.

Perhaps the nub of the issue is mental. Roddick’s game isn’t honed towards besting others in clay, even if he had won in other clay court tournaments before. Roddick does not play long points well, nor does he race around the court much, two essential characteristics of playing on clay.

Former multiple French Open champion Chris Evert had another point of view on American weakness on clay. She believes it’s a matter of comfort, as most Americans are brought up playing on hardcourts, while Europeans are familiar with playing on clay. Makes sense, except why is it so hard for Roger Federer to win the French Open, since he’s Swiss?

While the American men languish, the general slate of female players have been dismal. Many drop out because of injury or just drop out altogether (hello Kim Clijsters). Others just don’t have it together mentally, faltering most when it matters, during the big games. So it seems like a constant shuffle of female competitors in the game, with one being almost interchangeable from the other, and none making deep impressions.

Three-time French Open crown winner Justine Henin is the favorite to win here, simply because there isn’t anyone strong enough, especially mentally, to take her on. Serena Williams might be the most talented, but she has only played a few matches this season, and does not seem prepared enough to beat Henin.

If only there were more fantastic rivalries in the women’s field like the Federer-Nadal rivalry. That would make watching the game that much more interesting.