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Reuters

Reuters

Queen Sofia of Spain poses for a photograph with Spain's Rafael Nadal after he won in the men's final match in the French Open tennis championship at the Roland Garros stadium, on June 6, 2010, in Paris.


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A few of you may remember me commenting that when Roger Federer got back his Wimbledon crown last year and the No. 1 ranking, it was as though nothing had ever changed.

Just shy of a year later, the tour is almost back to where it was before Rafael Nadal had to sit out with injury: the Spaniard sits atop the rankings and holds the Roland Garros trophy.

Robin Söderling, unwittingly I suppose, played the third side of this tennis triangle. Buoyed by a crowd that wanted so desperately to see Federer win their title and complete the career Slam, he hit a struggling Nadal off the court last year, ultimately made it to the final, and gave the fans what they wanted. This year, he hit an in-form Federer off the court in the quarterfinals, denying him the chance to remain No.1 and break Pete Sampras' record, and then fell to an in-form Nadal in the final. If someone had told him three years ago he would play such an important role in the fate of the top two players in the world, he'd probably have shrugged it off as stupidity.

You can make this stuff up.

Rafa is back. I hadn't seem him weep like that in his chair after a tennis match since he lost that grueling Wimbledon final in 2007 because his knees failed him. He won every big title there was to win on clay this season, a first even for the Ruler of the Red Stuff. Sure, his camp is now saying the focus is on the US Open, but no one will convince me Nadal won't move heaven and earth to win back a title he was unable to defend last year on the lawns of London.

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Roland Garros 2010 Men's Final Open Thread

AP

Argentina's Agustin Velotti, left, holds his first place trophy next to runner up USA's Andrea Collarini after a boy's finals match for the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 6, 2010.

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From peytonallen:

So we get the “other” final everybody wanted. Personally, this one is more fascinating to me than another Fed/Nadal matchup. Roger wasn’t winning that one, no matter how many people gathered hands and prayed. We’ve seen that match too many times. Why would it change now when Fed is a year older? Madrid proved it wouldn’t. But Sunday we find out if Soderling is Nadal’s Panatta.

A lot on the line for both guys. I don’t see Soderilng becoming a future #1 player or really even a Slam champion at any point, but there have been late career surges before. Rafter isn’t an all-time talent but for a couple of years there he was Pete’s main rival and the best player in the world. I can see why the Swedes would push the hype, though I think Robin’s career path has already been set. But as Peter Korda proved anyone can rise up and win a slam.

If he wins it certainly would be the most interesting/explosive 12 month run at the French. Beating the new Borg, then ending Fed’s streak and taking home the title. Who would’ve thought Soderling at any point in his career would be regarded as the best clay court player?

If Nadal loses it’s the end of the Federer/Nadal stranglehold on tennis. They may both win another slam, but a loss at the French, in his element, would signal a slight end for Rafa. It’d be a sign he’ll always struggle against the ‘power merchants’ for the rest of his career.
If he wins, he’s #1 and on his way to 10-11 slams and proves his break last year was just that, a pit stop while on the road to more glory. He’d have the rest of his career to chase Borg’s French mark and he’d be the overwhelming favorite to defend his Wimbledon crown.

Soderling may be a little less nervous than last year, but I still think he’s got an uphill battle to win this title. He was hitting winners from everywhere last year and like his win over Federer serving out of a tree. He’ll play well Sunday but he has to match his performance from last year, if not exceed it to win. I’m not sure he can do that. If he has an average service day, he’s out in straights.

Rafa has to save his BP’s against and show his new aggressive game was worth it. If he repeats last year’s performance and gives Robin a steady diet of short balls he’ll be in for a long day.

A few weeks before their match last year Nadal beat Soderling 6-1, 6-0. It’s hard for me to believe suddenly he’s the only man Nadal can’t beat in Paris.

Nadal in 4.

READ MORE - Roland Garros 2010 Men's Final Open Thread

Roland Garros 2010 Men's Semifinals Preview

BY MADPROFESSAH

I previously made predictions of the four women's quarterfinals and four men's quarterfinals and got 4 of 8 results correct at this year's French Open. The 2010 Roland Garros men's semifinals are now set.

Roger Federer SUI (1) Robin Soderling SWE (5) vs. Tomas Berdych CZE (15). Soderling loves Court Phillippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros. Last year he beat defending champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round before losing to Roger Federer in the final. This year he beat defending champion Roger Federer in the quarterfinal and seems destined to reach his second consecutive Roland Garros final on the biggest clay court in the world. But there's someone who is even taller and serves bigger in the way of Soderling's dream: Tomas Berdych. Berdych has cut through the men's draw like the 6'5", 200 pound Czech scythe that he is, eliminating Andy Murray and John Isner along the way without dropping a set. Berdych recently had a career milestone when he finally beat Roger Federer for the first time in 9 matches(second time overall) in Miami in March. Soderling beat Federer for the first time of his career on Tuesday. The two have played 8 times overall, with Soderling holding a slim 5-3 lead in their career head-to-head match up. They have split the two matches they played this year, and they have split the two matches they have played on clay. In my mind, either Berdych will continue his rout of the field and win easily in straight sets (a low probability event) or he will start off hot and not be able to sustain his high level against someone like the powerful Swede who can match him toe-to-toe. Also, although this is Berdych's very first major semifinal, it is only Soderling's second, but this is also where Soderling outlasted Fernando Gonzalez in a very thrilling semifinal last year. I believe he will make it to the final for the second year in a row.

MadProfessah's pick: Berdych in 3 sets or Soderling in 4 or 5.

Novak Djokovic SRB (3) Jurgen Melzer AUT (22) vs. Rafael Nadal ESP (2). Although Nadal survived his toughest test of the tournament in countryman Nicolas Almagro by having to play three very tight sets (7-6(2) 7-6(3) 6-4), there is almost no doubt that the Spaniard will reach his 5th Roland Garros final in six years by dismissing the surprising Austrian veteran relatively quickly. Many people (myself included) were salivating at the chance of seeing another showdown between Nadal and Novak Djokovic in an important clay court match which could possibly reprise their now-legendary 2009 Madrid semifinal where Nadal won a 3-set match in 4 hours. However, it is significant that the Serb let slip a double set and a break advantage to lose another Roland Garros semifinal, this time to the relatively unheralded Melzer. Could he possibly have blanched at the thought of having to face Nadal for the third time in four years in the semifinal round? Nadal and Melzer have only met twice before, once on clay, with Nadal winning easily both times and this time will be no different.

MadProfessah's pick: Nadal in 3 sets.

READ MORE - Roland Garros 2010 Men's Semifinals Preview

Roland Garros 2010 Men's Quarterfinals

BY MadProfessah

Here are my predictions for the men's quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2010.

Roger Federer SUI (1) vs. Robin Soderling SWE (5). This quarterfinal is a repeat of last year's final, which Federer won relatively easily in straight sets. Although Soderling has not beaten Federer in an official ATP Tour match in 12 tries, he did beat the World #1 at an exhibition earlier this year in Abu Dhabi and having beaten Rafael Nadal in what some people call the greatest upset ever, the tall, powerful Swede knows he has the game to end Federer's jawdropping streak of 23 consecutive major semifinals. In fact, this match is very important to Federer, not only due to the semifinals streak, but also because he needs to win it in order to be certain that he will break Pete Sampras' record of 286 weeks at #1 before Wimbledon. Federer has yet to drop a set in Paris this year, but I am sure that he will take the challenge posed by Soderling seriously, even though the 6'4", 195-pound ballcrusher has only ever won two tie-break sets against him. After all, it is very possible to never lose your serve and still lose the match! Some say that Federer is losing his edge now that he is a husband, father and broken the major singles title record. I disagree, even though the fact is that Federer has already lost 6 matches this year (to Nadal, Tomas Berdych, Ernests Gulbis, Marcos Baghdatis, Albert Montanes, and Nikolay Davydenko). Regardless, I think that there is an inexorable march towards another Nadal-Federer final. PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets.

Tomas Berdych CZE (15) vs. Mikhail Youzhny RUS (11). Berdych has been playing really well this year, and made a huge mental breakthrough by finally ending his losing streak against Roger Federer earlier this year in Miami. He has been demolishing his way through the draw, not dropping a set despite playing good clay court players like John Isner and Andy Murray. Youzhny got lucky in the previous round since an injured Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was forced to retire after losing the first set. Although head-to-head Youzhny leads Berdych 6-4 in career ATP matches, I believe the in-form Czech will take out the (un)lucky Russian. PREDICTION: Berdych in 4 sets.

Jurgen Melzer AUT (22) Teimuraz Gabashvili RUS vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (3). Gabashvili blew Andy Roddick off the court in the 3rd round in straight sets, blasting forehands into the corners of the court and defly handing the American's deflated serve easily. However, he was unable to repeat this performance on the clay against the wily lefty veteran Melzer, who like Samantha Stosur on the women's side, had previously experienced success and fame on the doubles court and used that to build confidence on the singles court. Melzer was one of the few Top 30 players never to reach the fourth round of a major, and now he finds himself in a quarter playing Djokovic. The World #3 has had mental lapses in the second set in three of the four matches he has played at Roland Garros this year. If that happens again, perhaps Melzer can find a way to win the resulting best-of-3 match. All the pressure will be on the higher ranked player to reach a 3rd semifinal against Nadal, who took out the Serb in that round in 2007 and 2008. Roland Garros 2010 is looking like a replay of those years, with another Nadal-Federer final. PREDICTION:Djokovic in 4 sets.

Nicolas Almagro ESP (19) Fernando Verdasco ESP (7) vs. Rafael Nadal ESP (2). The Verdasco and Nadal played one of the best matches of the year (probably of the decade) in the semifinals of the 2009 Australian Open, a five-hour, thrilling slugfest that both competitors were ennobled simply by their participation, although of course there was only one winner (Nadal). Almagro dashed hopes for a reprise of that thrilling Melbourne showdown by taking out Verdasco in four sets. Although Almagro has never beaten Nadal on any surface in 6 attempts, he did start off the match very strong when they played the Madrid Masters semifinal. It i beyond belief that Almagro could maintain that level of play over 5 sets in Paris when he could not do it for 2 sets in Madrid. PREDICTION: Nadal in 4 sets.

READ MORE - Roland Garros 2010 Men's Quarterfinals

Roland Garros 2010 Day 5 Open Thread

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After nearly a five-hour rain delay, live tennis is underway. American Andy Roddick is playing clay court tennis against Blaz Kavcic, a Slovenian clay court challenger who dismissed Argentinean clay court player Edwardo Schwank in the first round and became the first Slovenian male to ever win a Slam match. As per John McEnroe.

Because of the delay, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, both scheduled last on their respective courts, have already been sent home.

Later the Gael Monfils, Fabio Fognini debacle from last night's darkness will commence after Jelena Jankovic cleans the dirt with her opponent. One would think, after all the wait, they would have put them first up. But that would have been too much like right.

Here's hoping the feisty one can send the clownish one home.

Schedule for Day 5: Thursday, 27 May 2010

Court Philippe Chatrier 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[4] v. Kaia Kanepi (EST)

Not Before 12:30
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Fabio Fognini (ITA) v. Gael Monfils (FRA)[13] To Finish 2-6 4-6 7-5 6-4 5-5
3. Women's Singles - Second Round
Klara Zakopalova (CZE) v. Justine Henin (BEL)[22]
4. Men's Singles - Second Round
Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[7] v. Florent Serra (FRA)
5. Men's Singles - Second Round
Horacio Zeballos (ARG) v. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2]

Court Suzanne Lenglen 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Andy Roddick (USA)[6] v. Blaz Kavcic (SLO)
2. Women's Singles - Second Round
Olivia Sanchez (FRA) v. Marion Bartoli (FRA)[13]
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Kei Nishikori (JPN) v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3]
4. Women's Singles - Second Round
Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Julia Goerges (GER)

Court 1 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)[28] v. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
Not Before 12:30
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Andy Murray (GBR)[4] v. Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) To Finish 6-2 3-3
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Jurgen Melzer (AUT)[22] v. Nicolas Mahut (FRA)
4. Women's Singles - Second Round
Maria Sharapova (RUS)[12] v. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL)
5. Men's Singles - Second Round
Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr (UKR) v. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)[12]

Court 2 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Elena Dementieva (RUS)[5] v. A. Medina Garrigues (ESP)
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)[16] v. Pere Riba (ESP)
3. Women's Singles - Second Round
Rossana De Los Rios (PAR) v. Samantha Stosur (AUS)[7]
4. Men's Singles - Second Round
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)[28] v. Denis Istomin (UZB)

Court 3 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[17] v. Sophie Ferguson (AUS)
Not Before 12:30
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Marcos Baghdatis (ESP) v. Marcel Granollers (CYP)[25] To Finish 4-6 6-1 7-5
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Pablo Andujar (ESP) v. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)[24]
4. Women's Singles - Second Round
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)[23] v. Olga Govortsova (BLR)
5. Men's Singles - Second Round
Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[19] v. Steve Darcis (BEL)

Court 4 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) v. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[8]
2. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Alize Cornet (FRA)/Aravane Rezai (FRA) v. Lisa Raymond (USA)/Rennae Stubbs (AUS)[7]
3. Women's Doubles - First Round
Sara Errani (ITA)/Roberta Vinci (ITA) v. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)/Selima Sfar (TUN)
4. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Maria Kirilenko (RUS)/Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[11] v. Petra Kvitova (CZE)/Stefanie Voegele (SUI)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)/Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA) v. Aurelie Vedy (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA)

Court 5 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) v. Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR)[32]
2. Women's Singles - Second Round
Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) v. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)[27]
3. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Lucie Safarova (CZE)/Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) v. Iveta Benesova (CZE)/Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)[13]
4. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Vera Dushevina (RUS)/Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)[14] v. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)/Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR)

Court 6 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) v. Jarmila Groth (AUS)
Not Before 12:30
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Marco Chiudinelli (USA)[17] v. John Isner (SUI) To Finish 7-6(3) 5-5
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Potito Starace (ITA) v. Robby Ginepri (USA)
4. Men's Doubles - First Round
Richard Gasquet (FRA)/Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) v. Gael Monfils (FRA)/Josselin Ouanna (FRA)
5. Women's Singles - Second Round
Jie Zheng (CHN)[25] v. Anastasia Pivovarova (RUS)

Court 7 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) v. Na Li (CHN)[11]
2. Men's Singles - Second Round
Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)[14] v. Mardy Fish (USA)
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Xavier Malisse (BEL) v. David Ferrer (ESP)[9]
4. Women's Singles - Second Round
Sybille Bammer (AUT) v. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)[16]

Court 8 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)/Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) v. David Marrero (ESP)/Stephane Robert (FRA)
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Marc Gicquel (FRA)/Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) v. Simon Aspelin (SWE)/Paul Hanley (AUS)[7]
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Ross Hutchins (GBR)/Jordan Kerr (AUS) v. Daniel Nestor (CAN)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)[2]
4. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Anastasia Rodionova (AUS)/Paul Hanley (AUS) v. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS)/Simon Aspelin (SWE)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)/Frantisek Cermak (CZE) v. Patty Schnyder (SUI)/Daniel Nestor (CAN)

Court 9 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Lukas Dlouhy (CZE)/Leander Paes (IND)[3] v. Johan Brunstrom (SWE)/Jean-Julien Rojer (AHO)
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)/Albert Montanes (ESP) v. Wesley Moodie (RSA)/Dick Norman (BEL)[4]
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Stephen Huss (AUS)/Andre Sa (BRA) v. Marcel Granollers (ESP)/Tommy Robredo (ESP)[11]
4. Men's Doubles - First Round
Mardy Fish (USA)/Mark Knowles (BAH)[13] v. Carsten Ball (AUS)/Chris Guccione (AUS)

Court 10 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Andrey Golubev (KAZ)/Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) v. Alejandro Falla (COL)/Santiago Giraldo (COL)
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Oliver Marach (AUT)[6] v. Thiemo De Bakker (NED)/Rogier Wassen (NED)
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Marcelo Melo (BRA)/Bruno Soares (BRA) v. Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG)/Eduardo Schwank (ARG)
4. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)/Michal Mertinak (SVK) v. Monica Niculescu (ROU)/Michael Kohlmann (GER)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Rennae Stubbs (AUS)/Robert Lindstedt (SWE) v. Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)/Bruno Soares (BRA)

Court 11 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Tomasz Bednarek (POL)/Mateusz Kowalczyk (POL) v. Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL)/Marcin Matkowski (POL)[8]
Not Before 12:30
2. Women's Doubles - First Round
Darija Jurak (CRO)/Petra Martic (CRO) v. Claire Feuerstein (FRA)/Stephanie Foretz (FRA) To Finish 6-7(6) 6-2
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Karol Beck (SVK)/Jaroslav Levinsky (CZE) v. Guillaume Rufin (FRA)/Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA)
4. Men's Doubles - First Round
Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) v. Fabio Fognini (ITA)/Michael Russell (USA)
5. Mixed Doubles - First Round
Pauline Parmentier (FRA)/Marc Gicquel (FRA) v. Cara Black (ZIM)/Leander Paes (IND)[2]

Court 14 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - First Round
Jamie Delgado (GBR)/Evgeny Korolev (KAZ) v. Thierry Ascione (FRA)/Laurent Recouderc (FRA)
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Julien Benneteau (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA)[15] v. Leos Friedl (CZE)/David Skoch (CZE)
3. Men's Doubles - First Round
Colin Fleming (GBR)/Ken Skupski (GBR) v. Marco Chiudinelli (SUI)/Christopher Kas (GER)
4. Women's Doubles - First Round
Mathilde Johansson (FRA)/Camille Pin (FRA) v. Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)[2]
5. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Edina Gallovits (ROU)/Melanie Oudin (USA) v. Kveta Peschke (CZE)/Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)[12]

Court 16 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Second Round
Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) v. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)[21]
2. Men's Doubles - First Round
Bob Bryan (USA)/Mike Bryan (USA)[1] v. Jan Hajek (CZE)/Lukas Lacko (SVK)
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Victor Hanescu (ROU)[31] v. Yuri Schukin (KAZ)
4. Men's Doubles - First Round
Philipp Marx (GER)/Igor Zelenay (SVK) v. Nicolas Devilder (FRA)/Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)

Court 17 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Second Round
Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) v. Grega Zemlja (SLO)
2. Women's Singles - Second Round
Shahar Peer (ISR)[18] v. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)
3. Men's Singles - Second Round
Andreas Seppi (ITA) v. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)[30]
4. Women's Singles - Second Round
Jill Craybas (USA) v. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)[29]

READ MORE - Roland Garros 2010 Day 5 Open Thread