“I think I proved I’m a good clay court player,” the Brit said. “You saw by the way that he reacted at the end of the match that it was a tough match. To win against me on clay is a very good result. I’m not someone that’s going to be taken lightly on this surface in the future I don’t think.”

So much for Serena Williams taking over women’s tennis following the abrupt departure of Justine Henin. Serena, the only player with a French title still playing tennis, went into the toilet today against Katarina Srebotnik losing 6-4, 6-4.

“The match was just poor, not within my game,” Blake said. “I think I played the way too many commentators think I should play. Saying I probably didn’t make very many errors, and I didn’t hit that many winners. And that’s the way a lot of them think I should play, and I think today was a good indication of that’s not the way to win matches for me. I lost to a guy ranked No. 80 in the world. Granted, he didn’t play like No. 80 in the world, he played better than that, but there are a lot of guys out there that can dictate play against me if I try to play like that. That’s just really frustrating for me to play a match like that when I know my game, I know what works best for me, and I didn’t necessarily do it effectively today.”

Look what I missed while I was sleeping, James Blake blowing a first set lead to eventually lose to 19-year-old Ernests Gulbis, and David Nalbandian caved-in after a 2-set lead against French newcomer Jeremy Chardy.

I’M NOT A HEADCASE: Richard Gasquet, who withdrew from the French Open citing a bad knee, says don’t count him out: “What can I say except that it’s been a huge amount of bad luck for me,” Gasquet said. “I keep reading I’m having a hard time mentally, but it’s not true.

Only 13 of 72 scheduled men’s and women’s matches were completed on Tuesday at the rain-soaked French Open, where Nikolay Davydenko and Stan Wawrinka were the only two Top 10 seeds on and off the court.

“I was lacking practice and matches,” said Baghdatis, who says he hasn’t been playing of late for personal reasons. “I was not making the appropriate choices at the right time. I wanted to play, but the problem is I didn’t know what to do.”

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah. Like, I don’t know, I was just laying there for three weeks, and, you know, an offer came to me. I thought, Well, I’m not really doing anything right now.
So I thought about it, and, you know, it was something that I did. I’m proud of my body. I was representing a female athlete’s body, you know.
Like Amanda Beard would have done, so, yeah.

The weather remains unpredictably rainy the next few days in Paris.

“Sometimes they put athletes in [Playboy],” said the Bible-studying Georgian Harkleroad. “Like [swimmer] Amanda Beard, or [volleyball player] Gabriella Reece. So I’ll be the first tennis player ever. That’s kind of cool. I really didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I’m proud of my body. I stay in shape and try to stay fit. I’m just trying to represent a female athlete and her body. That can be sexy too.”

Now another former No. 1 and French Open champ, Carlos Moya, has to wonder how much time he has left after a first-round exit in five sets to unheralded Eduardo Schwank.

Rafael Nadal has never, ever lost a best-of-five set match on clay. Never. The Spaniard has a perfect 34-0 mark in his career in best of five matches on the dirt, but that fact is not the only reason I’m making him my pick to win a fourth straight French Open.

The French Open draws are finally out. I won’t go into my picks just yet, but I will say it looks good for the top players Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

“The ATP, as ever, bumbles on in its own fashion, assuring everyone who is bothered to listen that all will be well, while producing publicity material, posters and the like, that appear to have been formulated by someone devoid of the least understanding of what the game is about.”

2008 French Open on ESPN2 (times EST)