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ROLAND GARROS 2014 - DAY 4 WEDNESDAY 28 MAY IP: 46.255.183.159 Posted on May 28, 2014 at 10:14:28 PM by David Barnes
ROLAND GARROS 2014
WEDNESDAY 28 MAY
The big talking point this morning, inevitably, was Venus Williams’ defeat at the hands of the 19-year old Slovakian Anna Schmiedlova, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6 in two and a quarter hours of engrossing play on a very poorly attended Philippe Chatrier court. It is hard to write about Venus without mentioning the Sjogren’s Syndrome illness from which she suffers, but a more nuanced view is merely to state the obvious – at the age of nearly 34, one year older than Roger Federer, she is, like the great man himself, prone to off days and bound to lose almost as many important Grand Slam matches (especially those which go the distance) as she wins. It always helps to keep these things in perspective – in prize money, Venus has won US$ 29.5 million since she turned pro in 1994, while her opponent has amassed a mere $325,000 in the three years since she joined the circuit. Well, a little more ($42,000) now, having secured her 3rd round spot.
As one American journalist put it in the closing stages of Venus’ match, when yet another agonised look skywards graced the TV monitors; “Everything hurts for Venus out there today”, to which another added succinctly; “Especially that thing on her head”. Venus is currently sporting an Afro hairstyle of dubious origin and balance. “Don’t worry, there’s always the design business” quipped the same journalist a few moments later. Nice to know that American tennis women can be cheerfully patronising and catty with one of their own. Venus was more than usually subdued after the match; “I made too many errors, it just wasn’t my day in the last couple of sets. I was a little impatient as well, just rushing a little too much. No match is given to you”.
Indeed, and precisely as sister Serena found to her cost an hour or so later in an even bigger talking point, when she fell victim to the Spanish girl Garbine Muguruza, 6-2, 6-2, a player whom she had beaten 6-2, 6-0 in 2013 at the Australian Open. “I don’t know anything that actually worked for me today. It was one of those days. It is what it is. She played really smart. I’m going to go home and work five times as hard to make sure I never lose again”, were just some of Serena’s press conference remarks, as she attempted to deflect an impatient line of questioning which tried to mine the open cast scar on the verdant Bois de Boulogne landscape that was the former champion’s demeanour this afternoon. At least no journalist mentioned her hair, which rivalled her sister’s in being prime nesting territory for the many sparrows and pigeons that fly around Roland Garros and occasionally disrupt play during the fortnight. The sisters would have met in the 3rd round, had they both won, so maybe they thought they’d just give that opportunity a miss for another year.
With Li Na losing her first round match against Kristina Mladenovic, for the first time in the Open era both top women’s seeds have been eliminated from a Grand Slam tournament before the third round. Ooh la la indeed. Who said that the women’s game lacks drama?
There was considerable drama out on Court 1 again today; Berdych was in the Bullring, playing, and eventually outplaying, Aleksander Nedovyesov from Kazakhstan. The umpire had trouble keeping up with the number of line calls queried by the Czech boy band member lookalike; he didn’t take to her way of trying to keep the crowd quiet, saying it often continued just as his opponent was starting his service action, while Nedovyesov, who has no coach currently, but clearly needs one badly, smashed a racket and generally let rip vocally at every opportunity. A retinue of followers wrapped in Kazakh flags, one with a t-shirt reading ‘Life is a Joke’, invaded the players’ benches and gave the clash a lively atmosphere. All to no avail from their perspective, and Berdych won in four sets, 6-7, 6-4, 7-5, 6-3. Quite a contrast to the Philippe Chatrier court earlier, where [mother] Oracene Williams had spent most of the third set with her eyes closed, as if in supplication, praying for the miracle that never came.
Tomas’s camp is known as being a bit of a charisma-free zone, so it was no surprise to see him flunk a question about the likely winner of the women’s tournament here now that the draw has opened up; “I have no idea. I think this is unpredictable to say any word on this. I will not even try”. His immediate concern is to prepare for his 3rd round match with the talented 27th seed, Roberto Bautista Agut, against whom he has come up short twice, most recently in Indian Wells this year. Tomas may want to do some praying of his own before he goes on court for that little spat.
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David Barnes/Topspin, 2014
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