9 pm: The schedule is up! (Admit it, you thought I'd all gone home...) http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/schedule/index.html Gagliardi - Vaidisova to open things up - promises to be quite a match that, and no, there is NO rain forecast for tomorrow!
Well one and all, it's been a pleasure typing at you all day. Switch your computers off and go out and enjoy yourselves/go and do some revision. Good luck with your various exams tomorrow - you're all doing far more complicated stuff than I ever did, I just read books... See you here tomorrow, play starts at 11 am, but I'll be here before then, ploughing my way through my overnight mail bag. Take care, boys and girls, a demain...
7 pm: Sniff sniff. No more play today. The rain keeps threatening to stop, but it's positively Baltic out there and the players would need gloves to hold their racquets. Tomorrow's schedule will be announced at 8 pm, so if you're still online then, I'll send you all the link (I know, I spoil you all outrageously).
Questions questions: Rabia from Lahore, who admonished me for not saying a-salaam-alaikum earlier on, asked where the balls go after nine games (when they are automatically changed). Well, good that you should ask. http://members.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=OrphelinsdAuteuil&promo=homepage#uk Auctioned off for charity. Kuda hafiz, Rabia, and thanks for your question.
6.45 pm: The rain has just about stopped. Come on guys, lets get a-moppin' and a-sweepin' (easy for em to say from the comfort of my desk). It's still bright, so play will hopefully still be possible. While we're waiting, you can admire my handiwork (well, more the handiwork of our intrepid photographers, out there braving the elements...) http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/photos/index.html
6.30 pm: Still pleut-ing chiens et chats here, I'm afraid, and quite a few fans have headed home. It also seems to have affected my mail box, much to my chagrin (that's French, that is...) Before it collapsed, no doubt under the weight of your posts, I was asked who my favourite player is. As a Brit who lives in Switzerland, I have soft spots for Andy Murray and Roger Federer. Ditto for Martina and Patty in the women's draws. I love the way Serena plays and think Ana Ivanovic will be one to watch for the next few years. Overall though, I just like to watch good tennis, so no real favourites.
6.00 pm: Before the break, Federer had looked in ominously good touch. To answer Smitha's question, I do think that this year might be his year. He will be brimful of confidence having finally beaten Rafa last week, but much will have to do with how they play over the next few weeks, and also the temperatures here. The hotter it is, the more Nadal's topspin will kick up, and Federer is happier with the ball at waist rather than shoulder height. I still think that Federer will do it this year though.
What is "Roland Garros", asks Ameet? Well... http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/about/history.html paragraph 3 here should help you out.
Hmm, the rain really is back with a vengeance. Keep the mails coming, and I'll go and make some photo galleries for your delectation. Deal?
5.55 pm: In an incredible tournaround, Razzano takes five games in a row to win the first set 7-5. So incredible, in fact, that the clouds burst and the rain comes down. Ahem. Once again, I repeat, don;t shoot the messenger. At least this way you might start mailing me again after at least an hour of neglect. What were you all doing, watching the tennis? I ask you, some people... The rest of the scores can be found here: http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/index.html but play has been suspended on all courts except two. Volandri and Capdeville are still going, as are Robredo and Roitman. Ah no, off they go, as you were.
5.45 pm: Razzano breaks back twice to level matters at 5-5 in the first, much to the delight of the home crowd. Federer has a break in the second but Clement is holding his own against Ljubicic. Robredo is now two sets to love up against Roitman, while Perry is serving to level matters at one-set all. Kirilenko is three games away from victory. It's all go here. I hope you're still all revising, though... You'll regret it otherwise.
5.37 pm: Game and first set Federer, 6-4. 4 aces, 14 winners but 12 unforced errors from Rog. Volandri wins the opener against Capdeville 6-3, while Perry has broken Sanchez in the second (though the latter took the first). After winning the first set tie-break over Kloesel, Li is now 4-0 up in the second, while Kirilenko is a set and break up, as are Obziler and Vassallo in the men's draw. Sorry about the jokes drying up (what jokes, I hear you cry) but this is serious stuff. I'm worried that if I crack a funny, the rain'll come backm and we can't have that...
5.25 pm: Ljubicic races to the first set 6-1, Robredo breaks back, Sequera and Volandri are two breaks up. It's 12 degrees out there but we're hoping that the wind will blow away the rain clouds. Russell saves a break point but is still 4-3 down.
5.17 pm: Sequera leads Razzano 3-0, Federer is 3-2 up, Ljubicic 4-1, Roitman leads the second set 3-1 over Robredo (who is one set up), Sanchez took the first set from Perry, Li beat Kloesel on a tie-break to take the first, Obziler also won the opener (6-3), and Kirilenko is about to serve to do likewise against Camerin. It's chilly out there due to the breeze, but at least we seem set to get a fair bit of play in.
5.08 pm: Milagors Sequera out on No.1 court has sunglasses on, but takes a tumble on what is still obviously a slippery surface out there. Eschauer takes the first set, as do Harkleroad and Garbin (the latter on a tie-break 7-2). Sam Stosur is also through to round 2, having beaten Jamea Jackson 6-2, 6-1. Meanwhile, on centre court, the Fed Express has broken Russell.
5.03 pm: Russell wins the opener and takes Federer to deuce, but the Swiss metronome holds his serve. Elsewhere, Ljubicic has broken "La cle", Robredo has taken the first set against Roitman, Jackson is serving to save the match against Stosur, Li has broken back against Kloesel, Morigami-Garbin has gone to a tie-break and Eschauer is serving for the first set. multimedia@fft.fr to send your feedback either to li'l ol' me or to any of my radiophonic counterparts.
4.57 pm: Russell leads! Only 15-0, but against Rocket Rog, a lead is a lead. Play has recommenced across the board, and the radio is back on, so go up to the top of the page, click and listen to my friends Eli and Araz (or alternatively Benoit et Georges si vous le preferez en francais, and cut me some slack, I have no accents on this keyboard).
4.49 pm: Ladies and gentlemen, please rise to acclaim the number one seed. Roger Federer slopes nonchalantly out onto Chatrier, behind his opponent, Michael Russell, ranked 67 places lower than the Swiss maestro. Roger Zauberer they call him back in my adopted home of Switzerland - Roger the magician. What can he conjure up here? Clement and Ljubicic are out on Lenglen, while Misses Sequera and Razzano are on No.1. The covers are off on around a dozen courts. Huzzah to that.
4.42 pm: The covers are off. Fans are huddled together as it's still a tad on the chilly side, but there will be action soon to warm them up. Time for you students to do a bit more revision, then it'll be back to the tennis. Reading this counts as practising your English, by the way - tell your lecturers I said so. Mens sana in corpore sano - well, mens sana in mente sana I suppose, since you're watching rather than playing sport, but you know what I mean. Never did me any harm when I was at university. Ooh, the umpires are out. One your marks, get set...
4.25 pm: The rain has stopped, thanks to Fatima from Estoril who is sending us over the same weather that they had at her home tournament last year. Much furious mopping is being carried out everywhere, and there should be some play again soon. Friso wants to know my top 10 songs. I can't stand the rain, it's raining again, singing in the rain, flowers in the rain, here comes the rain again, here comes the rain... you get my drift? Kristina reckons the rain is, or rather was, being sent over from the South of England. I thought they liked rain up there...
4.05 pm: It's raining less, he says, trying to see the glass half full. Mind you, if I opened my window and put the glass outside, it would be totally full within minutes... I'm concerned about some of you, I really am. Where do you get these e-mail addresses from? blood_drained is particularly worrying, kinniebinnie is intriguing, happiness is nice, and a lot of you obviously live for tennis. gamesetmatch89, serenaslam, dreamtactics, tennisgero, tennis_man99... Good on you.
In the meantime, peruse the site at your leisure (not you students, you're meant to be working. I didn't get where I am today by watching sport instead of studying. No hang on, that can't be right...) The multimedia section is always a good place to stop and browse: http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/multimedia/index.html
3.47 pm: I popped outside for a mere 30 seconds, and got thoroughly drenched. It's raining again... good and proper. Robredo and Vassallo are a break up, Stosur a set and two breaks up, Sanchez and Kloesel serving for the first set, Ashley Harkleroad won the first set in the North American battle over Aleksandra Wozniak, while Cohen-Aloro is one and Eschauer two breaks up respectively. Don't go away though - I can see some sun trying to break through the clouds.
3.45 pm: Don't shoot the messenger, but guess what...
3.38 pm: Arnaud Clement versus Ivan Ljubicic. French favourite versus number 7 seed. A veritable match of the day: http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/match_analysis/200705261180186548234.html and it's about to get underway on Lenglen. You can hear all about it on Radio Roland Garros (link at the top of the page), and you can congratulate/berate the commentators, both spoken (Matt and Sandra) and written (me) via multimedia@fft.fr . Venus wins 6-4 6-3, but judging by the way she battled today in chilly conditions, young Alize Cornet has a great future ahead of her.
3.31 pm : Gefeliciteerd Michaella Krajicek and pas de chance for Severine Bremond, as the Frenchwoman becomes the first seed eliminated at this year's tournament. Venus and Davydenko are now a break up and need only to hold serve to win their matches in straight sets. Stosur takes the first against Jackson, Robredo leads against Roitman in their hispanic duel, Volandri broke Capdeville before the latter had even got his tracksuit off, while Signorina Garbin is serving to save the first set against Miss Morigami (sorry, my Japanese leaves a lot to be desired). Vassallo Arquello is a break up on Fallo (he also has more double-l's, come to that) in the South American derby, while Stephanie Cohen-Aloro is flying the local flag and a break to the good over Anastasiya Yakimova.
3.24pm: Mevrouw Krajicek is now two breaks to the good and one game away from being the first player to eliminate a seed. I must remember to congratulate her later. Cornet is hangin' tough, as they say, against Venus, while Stosur is serving for the set already. There's action on every court now (or at least there will be when Volandri - Capdeville starts on No.4). For those of you expecting the second match on the various courts at 2.45 pm, well it all depends on when the first match on each particular court starts. There could soon be a match number 2 on Suzanne Lenglen, as Krajicek is two points from glory.
3.20pm: Cornet breaks back, Krajicek re-breaks, Robredo breaks Roitman, French hopeful Mademoiselle Sanchez breaks Shenay Perry, Sam Stosur breaks Jamea Jackson, Fraulein Kloesel breaks Na Li, Czink breaks Obziler and another Frenchie, Sidorenko, breaks Eschauer. A break-tastic run of events there, all brought on by my lucky cup of coffee, I'd like to think.
3.12 pm: Action on 12 courts now, with the points trackers here: http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/index.html . You don't really need me any more, do you? Galvani needs something though - perhaps a sip of the coffee that my colleague has just considerately brought me - as he's now two sets down against Davydenko.
3.08 pm: Krajicek breaks Bremond in the second set. Our brief encounter in the corridors of Philippe Chatrier certainly did bring her luck. Venus gets an early break over Cornet in the second, while Davy is two breaks to the good over his Italian opponent. Elsewhere, Robredo-Roitman, Stosur-Jackson and Morigami-Garbin have all got underway. Czink-Obziler is about to start. More tennis than you can shake a stick at, and more than enough to distract all you dilatory students out there. Ah, the Drew jinx has struck again. Bremond breaks back...
2.55 pm: Players are warming up on courts 2, 3, 6, 9 and 17, under cloudy but blueish skies. Oh happy day. But not for the locals, as Venius finally breaks in that critical 10th game and wins the first set against Alize Cornet 6-4. The American has hit twice as many winners and twice as many unforced errors as the French teen sensation, obviously deciding to take the game to the youngster. The second sets in the other two games are going with serve.
To answer Smitha, there won't be any need for a third week (much as I would like to stay here a while longer) as the weather as of tomorrow should be lovely. Balmy to begin with, scorching as the fortnight wears on. Baking by the final weekend.
2.50 pm: The race is on to win the first set of the day, and the winner is... Nikolay Davydenko, the Russian No.4 seed taking the opener 6-3 against Stefano Galvani. Bremond serves to save the set and the umpire overrules a call at 30-30. High drama on Lenglen. Bremond falters, Krajicek has a set-point and... takes it. 6-3 to the Dutchwoman. Cornet is also serving to save the set, at 4-5 30-30.
2.43 pm: Cornet breaks back. Whatever happens today, she will be able to look back and remember the moment when she broke Venus on centre court. Tomislav asks how live the live points scoring is on the site. Livelier that my updates, Tomas. They come up mere seconds after the actual point has been played. Technology's an amzing thing. Bremond holds serve, but she's 4-3 down still. Goddag to Adelina, who overtakes Fatima to go back to the top of the mail frequency league... As I speak, or rather type, Davy has a break and set point. Galvi saves. Well done that man. 5-3, Davy serving for the set.
2.35pm: Krajicek, whom I bumped into this morning on my way to enjoy a very reasonably priced crepe (pancake) for lunch, to answer Geoff's two questions, is on fire, winning three games in a row and is now a break up over Bremond. Our brief eye-contact has obviously brought her luck... More weather news - sunny skies all day tomorrow. You heard it here first. Venus leads 4-2 over Cornet, will Davy has broken Galvi to lead by a similar score. The outer courts are being mopped/cleared by the fantastically diligent groundstaff, and play should soon be underway out there too.
2.26 pm: Hup Holland Hup! Krajicek breajeks bajek, sorry, breaks back. Venus breaks Cornet to lead 3-1. Davy .v. Galvi is going with serve. How much tennis needs to be lost for the tournament to be late, asks Geoff from Nova Scotia. More than has been lost thus far, Geoff. The Sunday Start gives us some valuable leeway. We're still officially ahead of schedule, how about that? And if we get really behind, we can just introduce the new doubles rules to the singles. No ad, tie-breaker matches at the end of the second set, that kind of thing (just kidding, but watch out for the new rules in doubles, they make for some really exciting games).
2.23 pm: Allez les Bleues. Cornet holds serve, 1-1 against Venus. Bremond breaks, to lead 2-0 over Krajicek. And my apologies for not saying goeie morge earlier on to all the Dutch readers sending me groetjes. Ik hou van all of you, I really do. Galvani also holds serve, and it's 1-1 between him and Davydenko.
2.18 pm: Venus, Bremond and Davydenko all hold serve. The sun is out. What more could you ask for?
2.15 pm: Tracksuits are coming off. Venus is ready to serve. Clouds are clearing, and Radio Roland Garros will also be on the air any minute now. Use the button at the top of this page to listen to Sandra and Matt (and keep reading me, otherwise I'll get jealous). Their address is the same as mine - multimedia@fft.fr . How is Aravane Rezai's knee, asks Joe? Well enough for her to play, is the reply.
2.05 pm: Alize Cornet and Venus Williams are back out on court for a second attempt. Most players are referred to by their last names but Serena and Venus get first names due to their sibling-ness (siblingitude? siblingerie?) Ditto the Rochuses in the men's draw. Misses Bremond and Krajicek are also out on Lenglen, while Davydenko and Galvani are on No.1 court. It's looking positive...
1.51 pm: The covers are off. I repeat. The covers are off. The players due up will have been practising no doubt on one of the covered courts near by, to answer Ruan's question. Pozdrav svima to Tomislav, dobar dan to Stjepan and likewise to all their fellow Croats who've been mailing me yesterday and today.
1.45 pm: They're mopping furiously out on Chatrier, Lenglen and No.1. Keep those fingers crossed, ladies and gents. Ah, there has just been an announcement that play will once again get underway at 2pm. In 15 minutes! Mexican waves all round, hats being thrown in the air, hearty slaps on the back etc etc.
1.20 pm: Ho hum. The rain has slowed to a drizzle, so I personally am pretty hopeful that we will get some play soon. I sneakily crept off to lunch, getting the thrice daily necessity of sustenance out of the way so that once play actually starts, I'll be able to keep you abreast of all the action.
One thing that hasn't slowed to a drizzle is your mails, or emails, as I apparently have to write, having been admonished by John from Spain. And there I was, thinking that Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks had "got mail"... Gruezi wohl to the Swiss Germans reading, namaste to the Indians, howdy to the Americans, bom dia to Fatima and hello, awfully nice to hear from you to Ishy and the others from the UK. Someone will have to tell me how to say hello in Serbian or Croat, since there's a whole host of you guys out there mailing me from that neck of the woods.
When will play start, you all ask in chorus? If only I knew. Soon, soon. Patience is a virtue, catch it if you can. As I mentioned, it's barely spotting now. Where am I sitting, asks another? In a press building, overlooking No.7 court. When will the weather improve? Well everything's relative. The forecast has improved though - when I looked this morning, it said rain until Tuesday afternoon, but now it's saying that by this time tomorrow, it'll be sunny. Still a chilly 14 degrees C, which is er... multiply by 9, divide by 5 and add 32 if you want it in Fahrenheit, but sunny nevertheless. What should I wear when I come on Saturday, asks another reader. Hmm... should be shirt-sleeve order by then, as my old headmaster used to say, ie t-shirts, but should it drop a tad cooler during the day, then you can always pop into the Boutique and purchase a sweater. I'm wearing a rather fetching v-necked "Mousquetaires"-style number that I picked up last year, which I've also spotted today being worn by France's most prominent commentator, so what more of a recommendation could you want?
12.10 pm: And the mails are flooding in here (pardon the pun - with weather like this, we have to make our own fun). A big hello and GET BACK TO YOUR BOOKS! to all the students out there who are trying to avoid their revision by watching tennis - unlucky there. Adelina is currently at the top of my leader board as she has written me three mails so far - keep up the good work! Glenn wants to know if the organisers are planning to build some Wimbledon-style roofs. Well, after last year's slow start and this year's torrential downpours, I'm sure that they will be looking for into all kinds of possibilities. Is there a big social circle among the pros, asks Glenn? Well we have a fair contingent of the Dutch and German players at our hotel, and they were playing pool when I came in last night at around 11.30 pm. Otherwise, they do tend to socialise together - after all, it's like you and I - we hang around with our work colleagues, and they do the same.
Gerry wants to have a flutter today - I'd bet on it raining off and on, with play in short sharp bursts. I'd also bet on me running out of things to say by about 4 pm if this weather continues...
12.00 pm: Sorry all, I was off dubbing Paul-Henri Matthieu's physio (all will be revealed later when the video appears on the site - cutting-edge technology here, don't you know). And the reason why I popped off is because the heavens opened, and as soon as the players had come out, they were running for cover. It's currently bordering on the torrential here at Roland Garros, and the covers are on all of the courts. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.
11.15 am: Eyes down, look in: Out comes local youngster Alize Cornet onto Philippe Chatrier in what surely must be a very special moment for her. She's followed out by No.26 seed Venus Williams, who will obviously be red hot favourite for this tie, but maybe the 17-year-old French girl will be able to raise her game.
11.05 am: Silly me, I forgot to give you the mail address should you wish to keep me company throughout the next 9 hours or so of tennis. multimedia@fft.fr
The covers are off Chatrier, Lenglen and No.1 and we should be underway soon. It's a chilly morning, and conditions are likely to be a little slower than usual here. Nadal, for example likes it warmer, making his topspinners kick up even higher. Federer likes things a little cooler and should be in his element today when he comes out onto centre court - he's due up second, against USA's Michael Russell.
10.45 am: Morning all! Like the prodigal son, I've returned. But will the prodigal sun return? Well, when I emerged from my slumber at 9am, it was absolutely bucketing down, but since then, there has been a tiny break in the clouds and yes, the sun has got his hat on, hip hip hip hooray! We should therefore be in for a decent day's tennis, but it could be a bit of an on-and-off affair, since the forecast is for sunny intervals and scattered showers for the next 36 hours. Which means that I'll plenty of time to answer your queries to the best of my abilities during breaks in play.
Today's schedule sees Venus, Roger, "Richie" and Jelena on Chatrier, Severine .v. Michaella, Arnaud .v. Ivan, Marion .v. Aravane and Gael .v. Oliver on Lenglen. And if I use their first names, you're all going to think that I know them intimately...
There are another 23 seeds in action in the singles today, so plenty of action, and it'll all get underway in around 15 minutes, so watch this space!
