French Open--what they said

I like the fact that it’s a little bit slower probably than a lot of the courts that we play on and gives me time to use my big shots, set up points the way that I want to. I like the sliding into the shots and all that type of thing.
Sam Stosur

I would love to win this one, but there are still a lot of people in the draw that would love to win this tournament, as well. I'm just one of those.
Serena Williams

Varvara Lepchenko transformed the terre battue into a treadmill and Angelique Kerber was doing much of the road work.
Richard Pagliaro

Well, you know, I’m an old-timer, and experience serves when you’re old, because I knew what she was thinking about. So I thought, "If I can produce a shot when I oblige her to do even better, and she can’t, then she will be thinking about it," which is exactly what happened.
Marion Bartoli

Bartoli vs. Schiavone: Coming soon to a theater near you

Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli didn't have an easy time of it today in her French Open second round match against Mariana Duque-Marino, but she walked away with a 7-6, 7-5 victory. 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone won her second round match (against Kirsten Flikens), too, and now two of the tour's most colorful players will meet in the third round. Schiavone is 5-3 against Bartoli, and the Italian won the only time they played each other on clay, in the semifinals of the 2011 French Open.

Clay is Schiavone's favorite surface; it is Bartoli's least favored. Schiavone has to be considered the favorite here. The contrast of styles provides some intrigue: The Italian is the master of slice and spin, and she can exhibit stunning athleticism. Bartoli, on the other hand, is a fierce returner of serve. Both love the fight. We can count on plenty of grunting (actual grunting, not screaming), fist-pumping, yelling, glaring, and who knows what else. Just something to look forward to.

Bartoli wasn't the only one who had a hard time of it today. Agnieszka Radwanska had one of her "off" days against Dinah Pfizenmaier the German qualifier who beat Radwanska's sister in the second round. Pfizenmaier has some impressive skills, but her tentative forehand led to some poor shot selections, and she lost in straight sets. Radwanska was a step slow throughout most of the match, however, and will definitely have to turn it up a notch to compete with Ana Ivanovic in the next round. Ivanovic defeated Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano.

Also advancing to the third round today were Serena Williams, Roberta Vinci, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Carla Suarez Navarro, and Angelique Kerber, who beat Varvara Lepchenko for the first time in her career in what turned out to be a real slug-fest. The other player to advance was 2012 runner-up Sara Errani, who made pretty short work of Sabine Lisicki.

Finishing their matches and advancing to the second round were defending champion Maria Sharapova and Stefanie Voegele. who beat Brussels champion Kaia Kanepi.

Aside from the Bartoli vs. Schiavone match, the most interesting contest--at least in terms of the draw--scheduled for tomorrow is the third round match between Jelena Jankovic and Sam Stosur. Jankovic is 6-2 against Stosur, and beat her this year in Stuttgart. I think another match worth watching is the one between Voegele and Maria Kirilenko.

Victoria Azarenka, not known for her clay court skills, is operating a bit under the radar at Roland Garros, which is probably good for her. Her next opponent is Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, so the world number 3 will feel right at home--the entire crowd will be cheering against her. Should Azarenka win that match, she'll then face either Bartoli (another Frenchwoman) or Schiavone (a beloved former French Open champion). It's a good thing that Azarenka has embraced the "outsider" role.

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.

French Open--what they said

I was a little bit surprised the way she's hitting on the court. Well done for her.
Li Na

I knew she wasn't going to give it to me.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands

I haven't done too well with the delays. During the first wait I played on my phone, in the second I went to sleep. You literally have nothing to do. Should I eat? Do cartwheels? You have no idea. Last week in Brussels I had my nails done, and went and made chocolate. Then I played a match on the same day-- chocolate. Obviously the nails and chocolate weren't a good combination.
Sloane Stephens

She looked a little like a 1930s newsboy. But instead of delivering newspapers, Mattek-Sands delivered the biggest upset of this year's French Open so far by beating the 2011 champ 5-7, 6-3, 6-2..
Jim Caple

This is is not about tennis, it’s about something inside, and in this tournament I found something in myself.
Zuzana Kucova, bidding farewell to her care

I had a lot of food allergies, and it made a world of difference when I switched that up.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands

I usually have a song in my head.
During the whole match?
Between points or at a change of ends. Or if they play music at the change of ends or the U.S. Open, I have the song in my head for the next two games.
And it doesn't hurt your concentration?
No, it's actually a way for me to know if I'm concentrated or not. But if I'm good, I can look at people in the crowd, I can tell you who ate what, who drank what. It's pretty amazing.
Marion Bartoli

"La Chaussette" makes news in Paris

It has always been a matter of frustration to me--how talented Bethanie Mattek-Sands is and how cursed her career has been by chronic injury. Fortunately, the WTA's anti-fashion (and I mean that in a good way) icon has made a big name for herself in doubles. But then, during her healthy periods, one sees how much potential she has in singles.

Like today, for instance. The 28-year-old American literally beat 2011 French Open champion Li Na at her own game, displaying the kind of aggression that makes her a joy to watch.

At first, the match appeared to go "as planned." Li won four straight games, but then Mattek-Sands won four right back, and the fight was on. Li took the first set 7-5, then both players had to deal with light rain, as well as rain delays. And the more the 6th seed lost her way, the more Mattek-Sands took it to her. The world number 67 won the last two sets 6-3, 6-2 and hit 32 winners. Up 5-1 in the third, Mattek-Sands faced a suddenly feisty Li and wound up having to serve for the match twice. A losing Li can be a dangerous Li, but her surge came too late this time.

Mattek-Sands will play Paula Ormachea in the third round. Ormachea defeated Yaroslava Shavedova in straight sets today.

Meanwhile, a still-cranky (and especially after the rain delay) Victoria Azarenka faced up-and-coming German Anika Beck, who generally appears fearless when she opposes higher-ranked players, and who generally makes those players work for the points. Today was no exception. Aazarenka won, 6-4, 6-3, but it wasn't pretty.

Jelena Jankovic beat Garbine Muguruza, and Marina Erakovic beat Dominika Cibulkova (what a terrible season she's having). Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic lost to Sam Stosur, but Frenchwoman Alize Cornet advanced to the third round with a win over Silvia Soler-Espinosa.

Jamie Hampton and Sloane Stephens won their second round matches. There are four American women still in the draw.

Of note: Petra Kvitova hit 30 winners and won her match against Peng Shuai in straight sets.

There was a notable upset in first round doubles play. Irina-Camelia Begu and Magdalena Rybarikova defeated 6th seeds Abigail Spears and Raquel Kops-Jones. 2011 French Open champions Andrea Havackova and Lucie Hradecka advanced to the second round by defeating Alize Lim and Aravane Rezai.

How many Radwanska sisters does it take to change a light bulb?

Two. One to hold the ladder, and one to twist Maria Sharapova.

But seriously...

The somewhat anticipated (not by me) third round French Open clash between the Polish sisters is now merely a fantasy, as Ula was defeated in straight sets today by Dinah Pfizenmaier. The German qualifier now has to face the wrath of Aga in the third round, and who wants to take on consecutive Radwanskas?

Please note that the Radwanska Threat Level has been downgraded from Alarm to Calm (for now).

French Open--what they said

I had a very tough opponent; I was actually surprised she wasn't seeded at the tournament.
Victoria Azarenka

Clay probably is not my favorite surface.
Caroline Wozniacki

I knew that I had more chances of losing than winning….
Aravane Rezai

Sometimes you have to risk more on the second serve, and sometimes you can just put the ball on the court.
Agnieszka Radwanska

So I found myself faced with a mirror in front of me; she plays pretty much like me….
Aravane Rezai

As the Frenchwoman tired, Kvitova took the match in hand and stumbled, rather than cruised home.
Andrew Lilley

Are you ready for the big returners?
Always.
Agnieszka Radwanska

Keep being you, Marion. Keep twitching. Keep competing. Keep hogging that stage. We’ll be watching.
Lindsay Gibbs