Miscellany

Tennis X reports that, according to Ladbrokes, the odds for Justine Henin's winning the French Open are 7/4. Following Henin are Serena Williams (4-1), Jelena Jankovic (6-1), Venus Williams (11-1), and Sam Stosur (14-1).

Luke Jensen says that too many tour women "just fall off the map."

Be sure to check out the latest edition of the Backspin Time Capsule, which features Monica Seles.

Luke Crampton says that Roger Federer is the only player (both ATP and WTA) who never looks up at his box. No kidding...he really said that.

Caroline Wozniacki, via Eurosport, will publish a video blog throughout the French Open.

Navratilova to play senior doubles at French Open

Martina Navratilova will team with Jana Novotna at the French Open, where the two will play in senior doubles competition. Navratilova, who will work as a French Open commentator for Tennis Channel, will also continue to receive radiation treatments while she is in Paris. In March, the former tour star underwent a lumpectomy for noninvasive breast cancer.

Navratilova is in Paris now, practicing with Novotna.

French Open champion: Henin or...?

Because clay neutralizes power, and because so many players struggle on clay, clay tournaments are considered prime breeding grounds for upsets, and--as we have seen so far in this clay season--they certainly are. Sam Stosur was not expected to win Charleston, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez was not expected to win Rome, and Aravane Rezai was not expected to win Madrid. To add to the drama of the victories, both Martinez Sanchez and Rezai were unseeded.

I can't say I was shocked by any of these wins: Stosur is more confident now and has become more comfortable on clay, and-as far as I was concerned--it was only a matter of time before both Martinez Sanchez and Rezai won something significant. Still, to have all three tournaments go to non-favorites is rather unusual.

The other premier clay court tournament, in Stuttgart, was won by Justine Henin.

And that is as good a segue as any for introducing my question: Will Henin win the French Open, or will someone else prevail through seven rounds in Paris? Henin has had some bad luck lately, breaking her finger in Fed Cup play, and developing a throat infection. Assuming she is healthy by the time play begins in Paris, she still seems a pretty good bet to hold the trophy.

Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova is having a terrible clay season, and cannot be considered a contender. Last year's hottest clay court player (and French Open finalist) Dinara Safina is trying to find her way after sustaining a serious back injury. Kim Clijsters hurt her foot in Fed Cup play and won't even be in Paris. 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic is starting to improve on her poor 2009 and 2010 results, but I can't imagine her making enough of a leap to win a major.

With those four out of the way, we are left with Elena Dementieva, Jelena Jankovic, and Serena and Venus Williams. Prior to the start of clay court season, many people would have narrowed that list down to just Dementieva, Jankovic and Serena. Venus, however, has really come alive during the European season, and--given her both her resurgence and her experience as a major champion--I'm putting her in the mix (and besides--never count out a Williams sister).

Having said that, I do believe that Serena has a bit more of a chance than Venus. Serena won the French Open once, in 2002. She made the semifinals the following year, but hasn't gotten past the quarterfinals since then (in 2005 and 2006, she wasn't there). Last year, she lost an extremely close quarterfinal match to eventual champion Kuznetsova. If Serena Williams were to win at Roland Garros, she would be halfway through a potential Grand Slam, with two (for her) winnable majors remaining. That provides a lot of motivation, as well as a lot of pressure.

Dementieva and Jankovic are contenders, despite the doubts some fans have about them. Each is outstanding on clay, each has improved her serve, and each has big match experience. I know they both seem to find ways not to win majors, but this is new year and a new opportunity, and they are just too good to leave off of the list. It wouldn't surprise me at all if one of them won.

In the background is Sam Stosur. We know, after last year's semifinal run in Paris, and after this year's Charleston tournament, what she can do, but how will she hold up under the pressure? She's a contender, nevertheless.

And then there's Caroline Wozniacki. She had the misfortune of injuring her ankle in Charleston, but I think a bigger problem is that she did not heed the lesson provided by Jankovic: Wozniacki has played in a lot of tournamnents, and she may have reached the burn-out point.

There are other players who can make good runs in Paris, or who could--at least--create some upsets. Aravane Rezai, if she doesn't buckle under the  Mauresmo Curse, could do some real damage. Last year, she made it to the round of 16, during which she was obliterated by Safina. But that was last year. Francesca Schiavone, who resurrected her career after a big "Is retirement near?" slump, is always dangerous on clay (her countrywoman, Flavia Pennetta, generally is, too, but she is having a tough time this season). The stylish Martinez Sanchez certainly poses a threat, and--if she should suddenly get her game back together in the next week--so does Sara Errani. Nadia Petrova is great on clay, and could also make a signfiicant run in Paris.

Both Lucie Safarova and Alexandra Dulgheru have made great strides this season, and both excel on clay. Vera Zvonareva is still trying to find her optimum fitness level after returning to the tour, but she still can cause trouble in early rounds. Shahar Peer is also capable of pulling an upset.

Finally, we come to Justine Henin. Henin has a new, more aggressive game, which seems to have been crafted for Wimbledon competition, but we will see some version of it in Paris. Henin is still Henin, but some of her opponents are no longer as intimidated by her as they used to be, and the decrease in her psychological advantage could make her make her vulnerable. Or not. We'll know more when we see her draw.

Relentless Rezai wins Madrid title

Today in Madrid, Aravane Rezai became the second consecutive unseeded woman to win a premier tournament. Rezai upset 4th seed Venus Williams, 6-2, 7-5, in the final, adding a surprise (to some) ending to the dramatic story she has unfolded all week in Spain.

Rezai began her Madrid effort by defeating Justine Henin in the first round, and adding a 6-0 final set as a flourish. That was just the beginning.

All I could do was shake my head when Tennis Channel commentator Brian Webber said that Rezai "cruised" through the rest of the tournament. What tournament was he watching? Rezai defeated Klara Zakopalova in the second round, then--in the third round--the Frenchwoman had to contend with a very tough Andrea Petkovic in what was probably the thriller of the tournament. She had to work  hard again in the quarterfinals, especially in the grueling first set, to defeat Jelena Jankovic. Rezai got a break in the semifinals when opponent Lucie Safarova retired after the first set, but there were a lot of tense moments in other matches.

Being unseeded and upsetting Henin, Jankovic and Williams is big. As big as Rezai's hitting. Her personality is big, too. In the past, she has made public statements about her distaste for Jankovic, and she didn't hesitate to expand that rhetoric in Madrid. (Those who wondered why Jankovic was distant during the handshake might take this history into consideration; I'm not judging or justifying anyone--just pointing out that, right or wrong, it may not be that easy to behave warmly toward someone who publicly denounces you.) She also had some less than flattering things to say to the media about Henin. For better or worse, Rezai clearly has no inner editor.

Rezai's on-court presence became increasingly fiery throughout the week, too. The harder and deeper she hit the ball, the larger her persona seemed to be.  And then there was the black and gold lame outfit. A friend designs Rezai's tennis outfits, and I will now refrain from making obvious observations about that.

In her first set against Williams, Rezai was dominant on serve, and also she broke Williams twice, quickly attacking Williams' second serves. Rezai held at love in her last service game, and appeared fully in charge of the match. In fact, she was so dominant that her first serve win percentage for the set was 100.

That type of momentum can be hard to maintain, especially against a top player, and--sure enough--Rezai was broken right away in the second set. Her serve went to pieces, and Williams took full advantage, breaking Rezai again, and taking a 5-2 lead. But just when a third set seemed inevitable, Rezai started to scratch her way back. She held for 3-5, then broke Williams. Rezai then held again, and--once again in a psychological comfort zone--she broke Williams to go up 6-5. By this time, she had saved six set points, and just like that--she found herself with three match points. She needed only one to take the biggest win of her career.

Rezai is not that good of a mover and doesn't appear to be comfortable at all at the net, but her in-the-zone, laser-like ball-striking can be overpowering. It certainly was this week. And it should be noted that being down 2-5 in a final and refusing to let a third set occur reflects the mindset of a winner.

For me, the Madrid tournament leaves much to be desired. I've long complained about having female models be "ballgirls," and this year's concession to the women--having male models be "ballboys"--I find only a tiny improvement. The heterosexist tone of the arrangement aside--there are children and adolescents who are being robbed of the opportunity of to be real ballgirls and ballboys.

Then there is the Madrid website, which is almost useless.

And finally, poor Rezai will have to tell her friends and family, "I won the Madrid Open, and all I got was this tacky plate."

For many reasons, I'm already nostalgic for the good old days in Rome.

But I digress. Rezai's win confirms why she's been on my "watch" list for a while. She's been working for four months with a new coach, and has been steadily improving. One hopes that, in the future, she'll add more dimensions to her game. In the meantime, she moves into the top 20, and Venus Williams--who is having a fine clay season--moves into the number 2 spot in the rankings.

Williams sisters win Madrid doubles title

The very hot streak of Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta came to an end tonight in Madrid, where they were defeated for the doubles title by number 1 seeds Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams team broke the 8th seeds six times to win 6-2, 7-5.

Dulko and Pennetta won the title last week in Rome, and before that, they won in Stuttgart. Prior to the start of the clay court season, they also won the title in Miami.

Williams and Rezai to meet in Madrid final

As expected, 4th seed Venus Williams has advanced to the final of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open. Today in the semifinals, she easily defeated Shahar Peer, 6-3, 6-0, to set up a final match against Aravane Rezai. Rezai won her match against Lucie Safarova when Safarova, suffering from a left thigh strain, retired after the first set. Rezai won that set 6-1.

Williams and Rezai have played each other only twice, both matches were played in 2007, and both matches were played on clay. Williams defeated Rezai in straight sets in the first round at Amelie Island, and Rezai defeated Williams in straight sets in the third round in Istanbul.

This has the makings of a really good final. Both women hit hard off the ground, Williams is a very good volleyer, and she is certainly the better mover. If she can move Rezai around a lot, she has an advantage. Rezai hits flat and goes for broke. If she senses the weakening of Williams' forehand, she will waste no time exploiting it. The Frenchwoman's hitting has become more and more explosive. Against a player like Williams, will that work for her or against her?

Miscellany

Kim Clijsters has confirmed that she is out of the French Open.

Here is a look back at the Barcelona Bumblebee.

Sania Mirza will return to the tour in June, when she plays in Birmingham.

Have fun looking at this retrospective of Bethanie Mattek-Sands' tennis outfits.

Four clay courts are being installed at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Bad news for fans: Editor-in-Chief James Martin is leaving Tennis to cover soccer for ESPN.com. I'll miss his thoughtful and intelligent writing, especially on Tennis.com.