Fabulous Federer stands firm to make final

Roger Federer will be advancing to the Finals of the Roland Garros tournament after a five-setter game against the 5th seeded Juan Martin del Potro.


Click HERE for full details on their match.

Roland Garros: In the Semis

Wow..too many upsets for this year’s RG Cup. Robin Soderling defeated the defending Champ Rafael Nadal, No7 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated No2 seed Serena Williams and women’s defending champ defeated by No.9 seed Victoria Azarenka. I have been really upset for the defeat of the defending Champs and Maria. But as what Maria had said, that’s tennis and that is sport. No one is really invincible.

As you have read from my previous posts, I am following this tournament because of my fave players. But now that they’re out (Maria, Ana, & Rafa), I’ll now be cheering for world’s WTA #1 Dinara Safina and ATP’s #2, Roger Federer. So now, I make myself satisfied that Dinara is still on the go for the cup and will be facing No7 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova who just defeated No.2 seed Serena Williams. Hurray! Dinara for the win!

On the other hand, since Rafa is out of the way, I would love to see Roger Federer getting the RG crown. For now, I will be following the semi-finals round of both the men’s and women’s and I bet that the top 2 seeded players will go victorious, I hope so!

Click this link to see on who will be vying the Semi-Finals Round for the women.

And here for the men’s.

You will also see further stories at the right sidebar of this blog. Enjoy Reading!

Rafa out, Ana out -- I still can't believe it...

As you would know, it has been a habit of me nowadays to check out on the Roland Garros site for updates on the ongoing French tournament on Tennis and to get sight of my faves namely the defending Champs Rafa Nadal and Ana Ivanovic. And since Maria Sharapova is now back on the tennis world, it made me visit the site more for updates and to see who's advancing up to the finals. Since the tournament is a Grand Slam, many players all over the world are participating hoping to grab the crown one day. It has also been a reason on why I have subscribed to Google news for more updates on the tournament.

But sadly, upon visiting my site this morning for new updates, it broke my heart to see that defending Champs Rafa and Ana has been eliminated from the tourney by Robin Soderling and Victoria Azarenka respectively in the 4th round of the tourney. Click here for the details of what really happened on the May 31st games. As what Rafa has said, "This is not a tragedy, losing here in Paris. It had to happen one day, and this is an excellent season for me. Of course it's a bit sad, but I have to overcome this as quickly as possible.”

Despite of that, I am still not totally down because my fave of them all, Maria, is on the go and advances to QF defeating the 25th seeded Na Li from China.


More Power Maria and Good Luck!

For the detailed articles, click the story on how the Stunning Soderling dethrones Nadal.

Maria Saharapova advances to the 4th round..

" Maria Sharapova hit back from losing a 6-1 set for a second successive match as she battled her way into the fourth round of the French Open."

Just like her game against fellow Russian and 5th seeded Nadia Petrova, Maria bounced back after being left behind for the 1st set against Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan on the 3rd round of the Roland Garros tournament.


As Skysports has reported, Sharapova has endured a tempestuous relationship with the Roland Garros crowd in the past - she was booed off after being knocked out in 2007 and 2008.

But she said she was enjoying playing the role of the underdog after seeing her ranking slide during her enforced absence.

"You're ranked outside the top 100, so people like you," she quipped. "When you're number one in the world, for some reason they don't like you anymore. It's amazing how the society works.

"Especially here in France, I think they always love the underdog, and they always love the one that comes back from behind, or the one that's not expected to win. I'm probably that person,"

She will now take on another player returning from injury in Li Na of China for a place in the last eight.

Despite favoring other top-seeded players like Dinara Safina and former French Open title holder Ana Ivanovic, I would love to see Maria advanced up to QF, then SF, and hopefully in the Finals. I just love her - her fighting spirit and her strong mentality to win. And besides, seeing her dressed up with her Nike-sponsored sports outfit makes me root for her more. Good luck Maria!

Sharapova stuns Petrova in thriller

Yey! My Maria won.. I've really been a fan of her since she won that Wimbledon Cup 2 years ago. And now, she's back to fight in the recent French Open held in Paris. Here's an article from the site sighting her second win in the tournament defeating 11th seeded and fellow Russian Nadia Petrova.

Maria Sharapova edged past fellow Russian Nadia Petrova on Suzanne Lenglen court, hanging tough in a nail-biting third set before seizing her opportunity to clinch a 6-2 1-6 8-6 triumph in 2 hours 12 minutes.

Sharapova may be diminished by her recuperating shoulder, but the former world No1 has clearly lost none of her legendary will to win. Trailing 4-2 in the third set and seemingly for the count against No11 seed Petrova, she hauled herself back into the match by sheer force of will.

The first two sets were contrasting affairs, as the score-line suggests. Sharapova found her groove quickly, and a mixture of powerful winners and unforced errors on the part of her opponent saw the statuesque Siberian wrap up the opener 6-2 in just 32 minutes.

Petrova refused to crumble however, and knocked Maria off her stride in the second set when it was her turn to find the lines and force the error. In just 29 minutes she was level.

Then began an epic third set which saw Petrova make the first break to lead 3-2, then 4-2 and even miss a break point at 30-40 for a 5-2 lead. Had she broken then, Sharapova would surely have found no way back, but as it was the 22-year-old former Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open champion held on, and broke back to 4-4.

Petrova carved out further break points that would have seen her lead 5-4, but could not take them, and then at 6-7 30-all, the 2003 and 2005 semi-finalist cracked. She double-faulted, disputing the first serve and losing her concentration, then hit an unforced forehand wide on match point to hand victory to her thrilled compatriot.

On the tentative road to full fitness, Sharapova will be delighted at showing such resilience in the face of an onslaught. Petrova, not for the first time against Maria in a Grand Slam, is left with regrets at what might have been.

Clay courts should help Maria Sharapova regain her footing

By Douglas Robson, special for USA TODAY

PARIS — The player whose drive on the court is matched perhaps only by her business acumen off it returned to Grand Slam tournament tennis Monday in the French Open with an atypical mind-set: understated ambitions.

"I think this is the first time in my career where I can really say I don't have any expectations. I don't know how things are going to work out," Maria Sharapova said after her first win in a Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon nearly a year ago.

Sharapova, who played with strips of white tape on her rehabbed right shoulder, shook off a sloppy start to beat Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Next up is a tough second-round test against 11th-seeded compatriot Nadia Petrova.

Sidelined since August, Sharapova had arthroscopic surgery on her serving shoulder and is competing in her second tournament in singles in the last 10 months. She played one doubles match in March at Indian Wells and won two singles matches in an event last week in Warsaw.

A year ago, now-No. 102 Sharapova came into the French Open seeded No. 1 after the sudden retirement of Justine Henin.

During her time away, the Siberian-born, Nick Bollettieri-trained three-time major champion said she didn't touch a racket for three months and gained some mellowing perspective.

For instance, she won't take losses as hard as she once did.

"It was a little calming," the 22-year-old Russian said.

Her famous fighting instinct, however, is intact. It helped her battle through the "sloppy" start Monday and the long and often frustrating rehabilitation at a facility outside Phoenix.

"If I was a mentally weak person or individual, I think I wouldn't be here today," she said. "I'd be on some island ... with a nice, cold piña colada and a nice cold towel they hand around at the pools."

Her hunger to be back playing big-time tennis is likewise palpable, even if she's been relegated to a dangerous floater in the draw.

"I've always made a point about not really caring who's on the other side of the net and knowing that I have to go out there and just compete and try to win the match," said Sharapova, who won Wimbledon in 2004 at age 17.

Like most things in Sharapova's life, the decision to resume play on her least comfortable surface is a calculated one.

Sharapova, whose best result in Paris was the semifinals in 2007, can get needed matches, reacquaint herself with the pressures of Grand Slam tennis and prepare for the upcoming grass and hardcourt seasons where she thrives.

"It's kind of a Wimbledon tuneup," says her longtime coach and hitting partner, Michael Joyce.

"When she gets on surfaces she likes better ... all of a sudden it's not a new experience."

"It's a great strategy," ESPN analyst Mary Joe Fernandez says. "She needs matches. And if she can win a few and get confidence, it will do a world of wonder for her on grass."

Because clay is slower than other court surfaces, it is also where any lingering weaknesses from her shoulder will be less noticeable.

Sharapova lost her serve once after dropping it three times in the first set Monday.

She averaged just over 100 mph on her first serve, lower than before her injury but not glaring considering that many players aim for a high percentage of first serves on clay. Her fastest delivery was 115 mph.

As the tour's most marketable player — Sharapova earns an estimated $25 million-$30 million annually and was ranked No. 1 on Forbes' list of female athletes last year — her return is a boon for the game, if not for opponents on the other side of the net.

No. 3 Venus Williams said it's always good when a big star comes back: "That's just a no-brainer."

For more sports news, click here.

Nadal made to work, Federer impressive

Rafael Nadal was forced to up his game before overcoming brave Brazilian Marcos Daniel 7-5 6-4 6-3, while Roger Federer was never troubled by Alberto Martin and secured safe passage to the second round with a 6-4 6-3 6-2 win.

Significantly, Nadal notched up his 29th straight victory at Roland Garros (where he has never been defeated) to best Bjorn Borg’s record number of consecutive victories at the French Open which dated back to the 1978-81 seasons.

Dressed to kill, Rafael Nadal emerged onto Centre Court for his first round match wearing a bright pink shirt with yellow wristbands and bandana, but the world No1’s opponent, Brazilian qualifier Marcos Daniel, was determined not to go down without a fight though, and the Spaniard had to dig deep to force the issue at crucial points.

30-year-old Daniel can look back with much pride on a match in which he broke Nadal’s serve on three occasions and was far from outclassed throughout. The player ranked 97 enjoyed his time on the big stage, pushing his prestigious opponent onto the back foot on numerous occasions.

Sluggish start

Nadal took time to get going and never looked as comfortable as he normally does here in Paris. In the muggy heat, he was less mobile and more error-prone than usual. But class will out, and the four-time champion was able to find the array of shots needed, notably to see out the first set after being broken back to 5-5 and then come back from a 3-1 deficit in the second set. Daniel had a last chance to get back into the match when he broke back to 4-5 in the third set and led 40-0, only for Nadal to ruthlessly take the next five points to seal his victory.

Roger Federer meanwhile had no trouble dispatching Alberto Martin. As is so often the case in the early rounds of Grand Slam tournaments, the Swiss world No2 eased through the gears, effortlessly raising his game to frustrate the attempts of a valiant opponent to knock him off his guard.

2-0 down in the first set, Federer broke straight back and after games went to serve broke Martin to love at 5-4. The second and third sets saw Federer increasingly take control, and without ever needing to stretch himself, he clinched a 6-4 6-3 6-2 win in 1 hour 43 minutes.

Source: Click here.

More of Roland Garros tournament here.