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.”

Best Case Scenario: A player such as David Ferrer or Juan Monaco gets a shot at Nadal on a day when Rafa is feeling low. Maybe he had a tough match, maybe he is a little sick, maybe he got dumped … but a day where Nadal is not at his steely best. On that day, Ferrer especially could come through.

The ATP has reverse its rule instituted in 2004 that banned ads from alcohol companies on players’ clothes.

Sayonara North America hardcourts. Hello, European clay. For the Americans, it’s a time of anguish, when even such simple matters as making a phone call or ordering dinner exacerbate the tensions of playing on a less than familiar surface.

Roger Federer will have to wait another year to claim a French Open title, and the way it looks it he will probably have to wait a lot longer than that.

Time for a little pre-work update on the tennis from Roland Garros. Today’s two women’s semis are a toss up. Both Henin and Sharapova are the slight favorites, but their Serbian opponents, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, can each steal a win.

What an uninteresting Sweet 16 at the French Open the last two days. Aside from the Maria Sharapova-Patty Schnyder debacle the matches weren’t exactly memorable. In fact, I can barely remember them now. But heck, at least the favorites made it through setting up some pretty tasty quarterfinal matches. Let’s start with the women.
The match [...]

If the forecasters are right and it keeps raining in Paris, the winner at the end of the French Open might night be not be best clay courters but rather the fittest. The more it rains the more likely players will be playing back-to-back five setters, meaning unfit guys will be falling by the wayside rather quickly.

The draws are out, the players are in Paris. It’s time for the previews.
Top Quarter
Justine Henin and Rafael Nadal are sharing the same mission at this year’s French Open. Both of them want to win the biggest clay court prize for a third consecutive year. Henin is looking for a fourth career title in Paris.
The [...]