Stormy weather

Rainy day in Montmartre

Roger Federer had a practice session interrupted by hail last week. The first round went on for days, there have been so many rain delays at the French Open this week. The weather has frequently been chilly--Venus Williams was spotted wearing a hooded parka--and the WTA players have sometimes competed a la Azarenka, in leggings. The court is already slow, and in humid, wet weather, the tennis balls get very heavy.

Conditions will have to get worse, however, to top those of 2010, when players found themselves competing in mud--in the dark. There were no lights on the court, but officials ruled that play should continue, anyway.

In the third round, Nadia Petrova and Aravane Rezai played in the dark during a rainstorm. Each held three match points; each saw three match points disappear. The next morning, they returned, and--after a total playing time of two hours and 48 minutes--Petrova won the match, 6-7, 6-4, 10-8.

Also in the third round, Maria Sharapova and four-time champion Justine Henin played in the dark on wet clay. Henin won, but Sharapova took the match to three sets. Henin would go out to eventual runner-up Sam Stosur in the next round.