sábado, 31 de mayo de 2014

ORDER OF PLAY, 1 JUNE 2014. ROLAND GARROS


Simona Halep darted into the fourth round at Roland Garros 2014.


Simona Halep darted into the fourth round at Roland Garros 2014 with a doughty demolition of the world No.55 Maria Teresa Torro-Flor. 


With warm sunshine at last flooding the courts, Halep would not allow the Spaniard an opening, even when her own service repeatedly came under threat throughout the second set. Halep emerged the 6-3, 6-0 winner in 61 minutes, and she will meet the American Sloane Stephens for a place in the last eight.
“This is the third match where I have played really great tennis,” said Halep, now the highest-ranked woman left in the draw. “It's not a surprise because I'm more confident in myself, and I’m feeling the ball really well here. I love this tournament. I love to be here. It’s a surprise that the first three seeds lost and not easy to be the highest one left, or to play Sloane. I played her in Australia a couple of seasons ago and she beat me very fast. Now I think I’m more prepared than I was then. I have confidence I can take revenge.”
Torro-Flor cites Juan Carlos Ferrero as her hero growing up – and the 2003 French Open champion watched this match on No.2 Court, chatting to the 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez alongside him. But the presence of her illustrious compatriots could not help the 22-year-old. She had a good win over No.30 seed Klara Koukalova round but could not take her chances against Halep, of which there were eight (in the form of break points) in the second set.

She came under attack from the start, fending off a break point in the opening game. At 2-2 she saved another with a powerful forehand down the line – her favourite shot on her favourite surface – but Halep forced a second and a third, whereupon Torro-Flor delivered a backhand into the net. Halep was chipping away at her, emphasising her authority with a hold to love. Torro-Flor did not fold, saving two more break points at 2-4, but she could not get a foothold with any break points of her own, and Halep punched away a volley to take the set 6-3.

SLOANE STEPHENS ADVANCES IN FRENCH OPEN, 31 MAY 2014.


Sloane Stephens is through to her sixth straight fourth-round appearance at a major after handily accounting for dangerous Russian leftie Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-4.


In a more evenly-matched showdown than the scoreline would suggest, it was Stephens who converted when it mattered, winning three of four break points as opposed to Marakova’s one from four.
The American’s half-dozen fourth-round berths in a row is the most among any of her rivals on the Tour but the weight of expectation continues to mount. She is the highest-ranked player never to have won a title - and has yet to reach a final.
“Yeah, it's a great thing [the last 16 streak]. If I knew [why she plays better at Slams than in WTA events], I would capitalise on it. I would do it every week. But I guess it's all just a learning experience,” Stephens said. “I just peak at four tournaments a year. Every other tournament just gets me ready for these.”


Still a long way from the business end of the tournament, but Stephens is well-pitted to make the breakthrough on what she says is her favourite surface.
Stranger things have happened. Three-time former men’s champion Gustavo Kuerten won his first tour title with his 1997 Roland Garros triumph.
“It would be nice to start here,” Stephens said.

ANA IVANOVIC OUT IN FRENCH OPEN 2014. SAFAROVA WIN.


It’s been a long time between drinks for Lucie Safarova. Seven years since her team was last toasting a fourth-round berth at Roland Garros the Czech leftie has equalled her best run on the clay with an upset of former champion Ana Ivanovic on Suzanne Lenglen Court.


While Safarova had won her past four matches against the Serb, she had lost their only prior encounter on clay – during Ivanovic’s 2008 title run. The year before she had reached the last 16 having beaten Amelie Mauresmo at a second successive major. Those matches were distant memories in Saturday’s 6-3, 6-3 dismantling of the 11th seed.
“I went out like this that I won the last four [but it is] always a tough match with her, she’s a great player,” a beaming Safarova said after the 89-minute triumph. “I’m very excited about that. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the fourth round here.
"I think I was playing very solid today, and I was not making a lot of mistakes. I was pressuring Ana into her backhand side and then attacking the forehand side, which was working well. I was serving decent."
With games on serve at 3-3, Ivanovic survived a break point on serve, winning a 17-shot battle of aggression to close for an off-forehand putaway. Safarova, though, would land the break with a screamer of a running forehand up the line for 4-3. On a roll, the Czech 24th seed began to swing freely, clocking back-to-back forehand winners to bring up set point before Ivanovic sent a backhand wide to relinquish the opener 6-3 after 41 minutes.
A set and a break up, Safarova looked to be coasting to victory. The Serb had other ideas. She broke for 2-3, however, her inconsistency came back to haunt her. Safarova immediately broke for 4-2 and with Ivanovic throwing in a fourth double fault at 2-5, the Czech stood at match point. Far from a foregone conclusion. Safarova held a match point in her third-round loss at the Australian Ope

SCORES 31 MAY 2014, ROLAND GARROS


viernes, 30 de mayo de 2014

ORDER OF PLAY, 31 MAY 2014, ROLANG GARROS


MARIA SHARAPOVA IN 4 ROUND OF THE FRENCH OPEN 2014.


Break points either side of a rain delay were the closest Maria Sharapova got to having her feathers ruffled before handing out a double bagel to Argentine Paula Ormaechea on Philippe Chatrier on Friday afternoon.



Unable to slow the Russian express steamrolling her, Ormaechea was able to smile in the face of the humiliation, the 6-0, 6-0 drubbing dished out in just 51 minutes. The ferocity of the 2012 champion’s return of service was telling. Ormachea did not win a point on her second delivery throughout and hit just one winner to her opponent’s 23.
The seventh seed’s weight of shot simply proved too much for the world No.75. With Sharapova holding for 5-0 after just 47 minutes, the Argentine could only close her eyes and grin; the very realisation creeping in that she could well fail to get on the board. When Ormaechea netted a nervous forehand, she looked to the skies above. Sharapova had three match points. She would need just one, taking it when the Argentine’s backhand sailed long, the Russian taking the last 13 points of the match.
It was all smooth sailing for the new tournament favourite. “Except the first game, which was a little bit tough … I started a little bit nervous, but other than that I was happy with how I played,” Sharapova said.
The competition will likely be a step up for the Russian in the fourth round where she will carry a 13-2 head-to-head record into her match with Australian Sam Stosur. She beat the 2010 Roland Garros finalist only weeks ago on clay in Madrid but is all too wary of what her opponent is capable of producing in Paris. “I believe this is one of her favorite surfaces to play on and a lot of her successes come on clay," Sharapova said. "Despite my record against her and my victory a few weeks ago, this is a new match. I'm sure she will be ready for the match against me, and so will I. I look forward to that challenge. She has a great serve, she uses the court extremely well, moves well on it. It's a good matchup."

SAMANTHA STOSUR IN FOURTH ROUND. CIBULKOVA OUT. FRENCH OPEN 2014


Dominika Cibulkova falls into the latter group, and on Friday at Roland Garros, the Australian continued her mastery of the Slovak with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the third round on Suzanne Lenglen Court.

 "I think it's the first time I won three matches in a row for a while," she said. "I'm really happy with the way I played today. 
And to keep playing well when your opponent is putting you under pressure at certain times in the match, it's really amazing to come out of those as well. 
And I'm pleased to find myself in the fourth round."
Coming into the tie, Stosur had never dropped a set against the 2014 Australian Open finalist in four career meetings. Two of those victories were especially notable; right here at Roland Garros in the quarter-finals two years ago, and just a few weeks ago on red clay in Madrid, where she reeled off 12 straight games after trailing 0-4 in the first set. In the early stages of this match, the same old patterns that serve Stosur so well – and give Cibulkova fits – were on display, as the 19th seed broke serve immediately to open a 2-0 lead. Cibulkova got her teeth into the match with some powerful and consistent hitting to level at 2-2 and moved ahead 40-15 in the fifth game, but after some errors brought the game back to deuce, Stosur sliced a winner up the line off a drop shot and then belted an inside-out forehand winner to break for 3-2. This had to be demoralising for the No.9 seed. You could even see it in her eyes – she was contending not only with a tricky opponent, but a nagging sense of inevitability and futility. Stosur’s blueprint for success on red clay – a heavy first service followed by a powerful forehand off the short reply – was being executed to perfection, especially in the sixth game, when she followed up three huge first services with powerful winners and capped the game with an ace. It was all clicking for Stosur, and there was nothing Cibulkova could do. Down a set, the Slovak continued to fight, an admirable trademark. The first two games of the second set took almost 20 minutes to complete, but she could never gain the upper hand in the match; despite holding several break points to move ahead 2-0, Stosur was always able to muster a winner. Another ace made it 1-1. The match progressed on service until the seventh game, when, sensing an opening for Stosur at 0-30, the French crowd began their traditional rhythmic clapping. The suspense was building, and soon Cibulkova double-faulted, handing Stosur a break point, which she would convert. A drop-shot winner in the next game followed by an ace put Stosur ahead 5-3. The ninth seed held to make Stosur serve for the match, but the Aussie would not be denied. Despite falling 15-30 behind, she cracked a backhand winner up the line then landed her 10th ace on match point to progress.

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA OUT IN FRENCH OPEN 2014.


Free-swinging Ajla Tomljanovic has continued the carnage in the women’s draw at Roland Garros, ensuring the tournament is without its top three seeds going into the second week after disposing of Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets.




The promising 21-year-old Croat continued rewriting the script in the race for the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen, using the full array of weapons in her artillery to dismantle the third seed 6-4, 6-4 in her main-draw debut at the French.
Maintaining a cool head in the face of the sizeable upset, Tomljanovic realises she is still a considerable way off emulating her countrywoman Iva Majoli's title run here back in 1997. Indeed, she dismissed the term "Cinderella run" after the match, telling the press: "Don't you call it that when it's the quarters, not fourth round?" with a grin.
Friday's win marks the world No.72's first time into the fourth round of a major and her first top-10 victory, leaving the top half of the draw in tatters, with Maria Sharapova (No.7) now the highest remaining seed on that side of the draw.
“After seeing the two first seeds go out, (I) feel like I can do this too. I grew up with these girls that are beating them... Obviously, you respect everyone, but you don't fear anyone,” Tomljanovic said. “This year I’ve been in a few situations where I was up and didn’t execute so I wanted to make it right this time." One of those situations came at this year’s Australian Open where she served for the match against 13th seed Sloane Stephens, but failed to close it out, eventually succumbing 7-5 in the third. "Honestly, what went through my mind was that match in Australia. I thought, 'Oh, my God, here I am again with an opportunity. I'm definitely not going to do the same thing I did last time,'" she said. Her clay-court lead-up was also less than impressive. She fell in qualifying in both Madrid and Rome and lost in the second round in Strasbourg, but on Friday at the Porte d'Auteuil she made no mistake against the crafty Radwanska.
It became clear from the outset that unless the Pole was able to get any zip on her service, Tomljanovic would crunch anything short. The Boca Raton-based Croat surged to a 5-1 lead before the first sign of nerves crept in; Radwanska pegging one of the breaks back before Tomljanovic was able to bring up set point with a big first delivery down the T drawing the error from her opponent. A lob from Radwanska landing just long of the baseline then handed her opponent the opening set after 37 minutes.
She carried the aggression into the second, ripping a backhand winner crosscourt after a lengthy baseline exchange. Her confidence now was soaring and against one of the most intuitive movers in the game, she had the audacity to pepper her opponent’s side of the court with backhand drop-shot winners on the back of her heavy groundstrokes.
Breaking for 1-0, she would go on to stave off a pair of break points to hold for 5-3 and never looked like faltering, bringing up match point with a huge backhand forcing Radwanska into an error and sealing it after one hour and 21 minutes as the Pole’s forehand misfired one last time.

SCORES 30 MAY 2014, ROLAND GARROS


jueves, 29 de mayo de 2014

ORDER OF PLAY, 30 MAY 2014, ROLAND GARROS 2014


JELENA JANCOVIC IN PRESS CONFERENCE. ROLAND GARROS 2014


Q.  It was a pretty convincing finish to that match.  How are you feeling so far in this tournament?
    JELENA JANKOVIC:  I'm feeling pretty good.  I think I'm getting a little bit better with each match.  And, you know, happy to get through this round.
    My opponent, she's always tough to play against.  We have been playing the last three Grand Slams against each other.  So hopefully she can play someone else from now on.
    So far, so good.  So hopefully I can, you know, continue and get better.

    Q.  The first set was quite a close match.  All of a sudden the second set everything goes easy for your side.  What do you think makes that difference?
    JELENA JANKOVIC:  In the first set I think I was playing quite, you know, too short.  You know, I wasn't doing enough, you know, especially when she was serving.
    I think the conditions were quite slow, and it was    the ball was not going through.  My balls were going really, really short, so she took advantage of that.  I did not break her, you know, until, you know, that game at 5 All. 
    I think that was the difference.  Then a little bit I started playing a little more aggressively in the second set and it made a difference. 
    But overall, I think, you know, she gets so many balls back.  She doesn't give you many free points, so you have to work your way through.  Especially in slow conditions like this, it's not easy.
    Happy with my win.

    Q.  Always you seem very difficult and uneasy against her.  What you don't like, most of all?
    JELENA JANKOVIC:  (Smiling.)  Like I said, she doesn't give me any free points.  She's a very solid player, a fighter.  She fights for every point.  She plays so well. 
    I have to earn every point that I, you know, that I win.  You know, she never gives you anything easy.
    So I think that's her biggest    and she's so fast.  I think she's one of the fastest players on the tour.
    Like I said, I have been playing her the last three Grand Slams, and the person she lost to in the last three Grand Slams was me.  You know, hopefully in Wimbledon we don't play against each other.  I hope not.
    I wish her lots of luck.  It's unfortunate, really, the draw. 

NEWS SUMMARY OF DAY FRENCH OPEN: KUZNETSOVA, JANCOVIC AND BERTENS ADVANCES

CAMILA GIORGI OUT IN FRENCH OPEN 2014

Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2009 champion and a quarter-finalist last year, looks to be putting together another good run at Roland Garros. 
The No.27 seed traded breaks with Camila Giorgi in a close-fought first set, but was never headed in the second to take the match 7-6(5), 6-3. But last year’s Wimbledon semi-finalist Kirsten Flipkens went out. She faced the 98th-ranked Julia Glushko, who had fallen either in qualifying or the first round of all 11 tournaments she played this year ahead of Roland Garros 2014, saw off the No.21 seed 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. 
 Another casualty was the No.24 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who struggled all the way throughout her encounter with the qualifier Kiki Bertens. The No.24 seed was eventually forced to retire when trailing 0-3 in the third. The first result of day five came out on Court 17. Yanina Wickmayer, who disposed of the No.13 seed Caroline Wozniacki in the first round, was herself defeated by Silvia Soler-Espinosa. 
The Spaniard, ranked 85, was always in control of the match and beat the former US Open semi-finalist 6-2, 6-4 to take her place in the French Open third round for the first time.

SCORES 29 MAY 2014, ROLAND GARROS


SLOANE STEPHENS ADVANCES IN FRENCH OPEN 2014.

STEPHENS_HERCOG  61 63
Sloane Stephens has a lovely habit of raising her game when it matters most during tennis’s four major tournaments. 

 And on Thursday at Roland Garros, she again showed why she has been identified as one of the game’s most promising talents with her comprehensive victory over Slovenia's Polona Hercog. Stephen’s 6-1, 6-3 win in just an hour and 14 minutes sent her through to the third round at Roland Garros for the third straight year. She is one of the few players who owns a complete record across all four majors; in her young career she has reached the second week at each, even progressing to the Australian Open semis in 2013. But Roland Garros is where it all began for her; in 2012 she won through to the fourth round as a teenager, and on her favourite surface she has continued to replicate that success this year in Paris. At times on Court No.1 against Hercog, she made it look ridiculously easy. 
The statuesque Slovenian gave her plenty of help too, thanks to a somewhat bizarre tactical approach to the match. She mostly rolled forehands and chipped backhands at Stephens, while standing several metres behind the baseline to return Stephens’ not-overly-powerful service – at one stage a delivery nearly bounced twice before she got her racquet to it. Despite her strong, athletic build, Hercog was comprehensively beaten for power off the ground. Presumably this was a tactic to give Stephens lots of time to think, and hope she missed. Instead, the 15th seed had all the time in the world to set herself up for shots and rip her ground-strokes, which she did; Stephens smote a total of 23 winners to 13. 
Errors also proved costly for Hercog: routine shots lofted long or flopped into the net, and combined with Stephens precision from the back-court, a 5-0 lead was soon built. The Court No.1 crowd was briefly roused when Hercog got on the board in the sixth game, but soon returned to its subdued state when a rash of errors put her behind a set and 3-0. 
 Thankfully the closing stages of the second set were more competitive. Yet when Stephens nudged ahead 5-3 after a struggle, she decided enough was enough. Tightening the screws, she advanced on the net to punch away a volley, and then produced a forehand winner to secure a trio of match points. Two points later, another forehand winner saw her complete the contest with a flourish.

miércoles, 28 de mayo de 2014

ORDER OF PLAY, 29 MAY 2014. ROLAND GARROS


MARIA SHARAPOVA ADVANCES IN FRENCH OPEN 2014.


The 42nd-ranked Bulgarian had never beaten the Russian in four previous attempts, but started in a hurry, breaking immediately on her least-preferred surface, before consolidating the advantage to have the seventh seed trailing 4-2. 

 As a qualifier, Pironkova claimed her first title at the Premier-level event in Sydney to begin the year and is better known for her feats on the faster Wimbledon surface, where she has twice beaten Venus Williams en route to quarter-final and semi-final appearances. 
 In the cold, drizzly conditions though, Sharapova soon found her range, breaking to level at 4-4 before luck fell her way; she sealed the set with a break of serve when her backhand trickled over the net out of reach of the fleet-footed Pironkova. 
 Grabbing at her left hip throughout the latter stages of the opening set, the Bulgarian had a lengthy injury treatment at the end of the set and managed to stick with the former world No.1 on serve until trailing 3-2. 
 Further treatment on her troublesome hip did not bode well and from there she would not win another game; the Russian booking her place in the third round on the back of 22 winners, double what her opponent could produce.

SCORES 28 MAY 2014, ROLAND GARROS


LOS MUNDOS DE CAROLINE! WOZNIACKI PLANTADA POR RORY McLLROY


Plantada se quedó la tenista danesa Caroline Wozniacki, que fue abandonada por su pareja el jugador de Golf Rory Mcllroy a falta de sólo dos meses de la boda. 
Caro, fan del Liverpool, se consuela ahora con el lema del equipo inglés, "You'll neve walk alone", para nunca más caminar sola, y así nos lo hace saber a todos. 
 Rory se dio cuenta de que no estaba listo cuando empezó a enviar las invitaciones de la boda y decidió dar un paso al lado. 
La tenista reconoció en las redes sociales nos cuenta que este es "un momento difícil".
Todos con Caroline!
No hay mal que por bien no venga!

VAMOS CARO! NO TE PIERDES NADA Y A LA LARGA GANARÁS! 

EUGENIE BOUCHARD WINS OVER GOERGES IN FRENC OPEN 2014

BOUCHARD_GOERGES 26 62 61
TIME MATCH : 95 MIN


Venus had succumbed to Anna Schmiedlova on Philippe Chatrier today. Roland Garros 2014


 Venus had succumbed to Anna Schmiedlova on Philippe Chatrier today. 

 Williams, world ranked No.30 but unseeded here, looked to be on course for the sibling encounter when she broke early and took the first set from the world No.56. But Roland Garros has never been Williams’ happiest hunting ground – her best result was runner-up to Serena 12 years ago – and she has not made it through to the second week since 2010. The odds were against her, not least because (a) she turns 34 next month and (b) her first and second-round opponents here had a combined age of 36. All the same, Schmiedlova did well to take control of the match. The 19-year-old is clearly on her way into the top 50 very soon. 
Venus saved two match points but Schmiedlova took the third with a backhand as authoritative as it was stylish

SERENA WILLIAMS OUT IN FRENCH OPEN 2014. WOW MUGURUZA


Serena Williams has ensured Roland Garros is without its top two seeds in only the second round with the defending champion crashing out in a straight-sets boilover to Spaniard Garbine Muguruza under heavy clouds on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

The world No.1 could not find rhythm on her usually dominant serve, winning just 55 per cent of first serve points and a mere 27 per cent on the second delivery in the 6-2, 6-2 defeat, throwing the top quarter of the women’s draw wide open..
It marked the first time Williams had bombed out in the second round of a Grand Slam since losing to sister Venus at the Australian Open 16 years ago.
Murguruza, who first turned heads back in January where she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, cracked an impressive 60 winners to 40 off the racket of Williams and committed just 18 unforced errors to her opponent’s 29.
In what was tipped to be an all-Williams third-round affair, Muguruza will now face Slovak Anna Schmiedlova after the world No.56 earlier upset big sister Venus on Court Philippe Chatrier.

SCORES 28 MAY 2014, ROLAND GARROS


martes, 27 de mayo de 2014

ORDER OF PLAY 28 MAY 2014, ROLAND GARROS


CAROLINE WOZNIACKI OUT OVER WICKMAYER IN ROLAND GARROS 2014


It has been a rotten month for Caroline Wozniacki. 
Only last week her fiancé, the golfer Rory McIlroy, ended their engagement within days of the wedding invitations going out; and while her decision to play at Roland Garros 2014 was applauded, when it came to it the former world No.1 could not rise to the occasion as she would have hoped. 
The Belgian Yanina Wickmayer proved Wozniacki’s nemesis at the very first hurdle, beating the No.13 seed in three hard-fought sets 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-2.

ANA IVANOVIC IN 2 ROUND OF ROLAND GARROS 2014.


Pressure can be a blessing in disguise for some competing on their home stage, but French hope Caroline Garcia found it all a bit much. 

The 19-year-old left Philippe Chatrier Court in tears after falling to a convincing display from Serb Ana Ivanovic.
Billed as arguably the toughest of the first-round affairs, the pair brought form to their opening-round clash; Ivanovic in her best clay court form since capturing the title in 2008 and Garcia coming off a maiden tour title in Bogota – where she upended Jelena Jankovic in the final.
Perhaps more impressively, the Frenchwoman knocked out Angelique Kerber and Sara Errani en route to a three-set quarter-final loss to Agnieszka Radwanska in on the clay in Madrid. An upset of the often fragile Serb was not out of the question.
The teenager, who famously led Maria Sharapova 6-3, 4-1 before falling in three sets at Roland Garros in 2011, returned to Paris with the added pressure of a top-50 ranking and knowing she was now the No.2 Frenchwoman behind Alize Cornet.
The nerves showed from the outset.
Ivanovic powered to 4-0 with Garcia landing just 30 per cent of her first serves, instantly backing herself into a corner when facing one of the hardest-hitting returners in the women’s game.
A third double fault and a wild forehand hooked wide of the tramlines gave the Serb a pair of set points at 5-1. Ivanovic would require a third, before taking it on another missed Garcia forehand after 31 minutes.
“I have experienced many things over the last few months," said Garcia. "I have made lots of progress. I have lived through many emotions. Today it probably was a bit too much for me. I'm going to take as much as I can from this experience. Ivanovic played a very good match today. She didn't give me any opportunity.
“But the pressure has been building up around me for the last few weeks, and I couldn't be the person I usually am. Sometimes stress can be positive, but this time I didn't manage it.
“I had my feet stuck on the ground, and when you play Ivanovic, things go very fast and you need to be very fast on your legs. I was totally stuck. So I was like a tractor out there.”

SCORES 27 MAY 2014. ROLAND GARROS 2014.


LI NA IN PRESS CONFERENCE. 27 MAY 2014, ROLAND GARROS . LI NA OUT


Q.  Obviously it's a tough loss here in the first round.  What did you talk about with Carlos before the match?  Obviously I think you had a game plan.  Why was it so difficult for you to execute that game plan today?
    LI NA:  Nobody say if you No. 2 in the world you have to win all the matches.  I mean, this is tennis.  I mean, everyone come to the court, everyone has a chance to win the match.
    I think doesn't matter who plays today against me, I always lose the match today, because I don't think she was put a lot of pressure from me. 
    I think today just I gave it away for the match. 


    Q.  What did Carlos say to you after the match?
    LI NA:  I didn't see him right now.  Yeah.

    Q.  What do you expect him to say to you?  How is he usually after... 
    LI NA:  Of course it's tough, because is not about    I think today is not about tennis game.  It's so many thing are wrong. 
    Yeah, for sure, it's tough.


    Q.  Can you elaborate on those things?
    LI NA:  It can be anything.
    Q.  You obviously had many unforced errors today during this match.  When it's going like this it's a bad day at the office, as we say.  What do you feel you can try to change with these things?  What did you try today to maybe find back your timing?
    LI NA:  I don't think I'm doing well.  If I doing well, I believe I still can win the match if it's not my best day.
    But I don't think today I try a lot.  I think this is probably know I just state I'm doing wrong thing until end of the match.


    Q.  Can you maybe talk a little bit of tension maybe?  Because it's the first round.  You're a favorite.  Did it play in your part?
    LI NA:  No, I mean, this is the match.  I really don't want to find another reason to say because of that I lose the match.
    Lose is lose. 


    Q.  And about her game?  Was there anything annoy you more than... 
    LI NA:  Like I said before, doesn't matter who plays today against me.  I already lose the match already.
    Q.  Is it just a bad day?
    LI NA:  I don't think it is only the bad day.  I think probably is about myself.
    Of course the easy thing I can say is bad day for me, but it's not.  I'm 100% sure. 
    The problem is myself.  I don't think I'm doing well on the court.  And also, even during the match, I don't think totally what I should do, like especially I didn't follow the game plan, and even I was standing up the court, in my mind I didn't have any idea how to play the match.

SIMONA HALEP IN 2 ROUND OF ROLAND GARROS 2014


Sometimes you have to look beyond a scoreline and some scant ranking facts to find the actual story. 

On Court Philippe Chatrier today, the No.4 seed Simona Halep blitzed 87th-ranked Alisa Kleybanova 6-0, 6-2 in 55 minutes. 

It might seem there wasn’t too much to say about the match. How wrong can you be? As statistics go, an invitation to name the women’s world No.4 is an excellent pop quiz question of the moment. Step forward 22-year-old Halep, who rocketed up the rankings last year, improving 36 places to finish at No.11 after snaffling six titles (only Serena Williams won more) on grass, clay and hard courts. Impressive stuff. And she hasn’t stopped there, reaching the quarters in Australia and winning in Doha in 2014. She is clearly one to watch at this year’s French Open. That 2013 rise made her the international tennis writers Most Improved Player of the Year – and in the first round at Roland Garros 2014 she faced the international tennis writers’ Comeback Player of the Year in Alisa Kleybanova. The Russian, now 24, reached a peak ranking of 20th in February 2011 before being forced off the Tour with cancer, specifically Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She returned to WTA events only last August in Toronto, having seen her ranking sink to 589th at the end of 2012. By the close of 2013, she had climbed back to 185th, since when she has leapt almost another 100 places. Players don’t come tougher. These two had met twice before, most interestingly last year in Moscow, a tournament destined to be meaningful for both players. Kleybanova achieved the biggest success of her comeback to date by making the quarters, where Halep allowed her just one game in each set and went on to win the title.