Gonzalez has had a strong debut when he soundly defeated Czech player Jiri Vanek 6-3, 6-2 and 6-3 in one hour and 26 minutes. He played very strong in all three sets.

The Chilean tennis star recorded a video clip called “On the Road to Roland Garros”. He talks about the French public and how much they enjoy tennis. Check out the video clip below, plus a few more photos from the match.

Image Credit: ZUMA Press

Post from: EveryJoe

Gonzalez Defeats Machado at 2009 Roland Garros

“It’s about playing well and getting ready for Paris,” said Federer. “It’s good to get the first match.”

Federer came out strong and took advantage of his opponents unforced errors.

The Swiss star hit 24 winners and took advantage of the Swedish player’s 25 unforced errors to capture four break points. Federer fired down 11 aces, including on the final point to clinch his place in the third round.

Andy Murray had a tough win against Simone Bolelli, 7-6 (9), 6-4. Next up for Murray is No. 16 Tommy Robredo who defeated Mardy Fish of the United States 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Source: NBC Sports

Image Credit: Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

Roger Federer Wins Over Robin Soderling

I turned on the television to look for when the men’s final started at Roland Garros, and I got in on the very end of the trophy ceremonies. After looking at the score, I’m really wasn’t all that disappointed that I missed the match.

Rafael Nadal not only beat Roger Federer in straight sets in the French Open final, he humbled him – it was an utter thrashing of the world number one by the world number two. Three sets – 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 – and Rafa proves his point with an exclamation that he is the best player on clay right now. Well – for the last four years, actually – because this was Rafa’s fourth consecutive French Open title and his 28th match in a row he’s won in Paris. It was true yesterday and it’s still true today: the guy has never lost at Roland Garros.

Now I don’t really know what to say. The television commentators were saying that Rafa will win Wimbledon this year. Actually I think it was Bjorn Borg that said this was going to be Rafa’s year. There’s no denying the fact that Rafa is a lot closer to winning Wimbledon than Roger is to winning the French (obviously…today’s final only punctuates that). I’m not quite sure how I feel about that, but I guess we’ll find out. An athlete can’t stay number one forever, and the respect people have for Roger is really unbelievable. In Rafa’s on-court interview, he really seemed to feel bad about how soundly he beat Roger. Not about the fact that he won the title, of course, but I think Rafa has a great deal of respect for Roger and to beat him the way he did – well – he would have chosen to have it be a tight battle instead.

But for now, bring on the grass and bring on my favorite Grand Slam: Wimbly!!

(Image: Newscom)
Rafael Nadal claps in victory after demolishing Roger Federer in the French Open finals.

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Nadal Thrashes Federer in Blowout French Open Final

With a 4-1 opening to the first set, Ivanovic was sitting pretty in her chance to win her first Grand Slam title. Safina mounted one of her famous comebacks and evened it up at 4-4, but Ivanovic broke Safina’s serve in the next game and then managed to serve out the set.

The second set wasn’t much of a battle, and Ivanovic hoisted the trophy a year after she was so thoroughly beaten by Justine Henin in Paris. Henin was present for the championship and actually presented the trophy to Ivanovic. Perhaps she missed it? Maybe Henin was thinking about the four times she was the one posting for photo ops with the big piece of hardware.

Regardless, women’s tennis has a relatively new star in the ranks. Ivanovic has risen very quickly to the top…how long will she be able to stay there?

(Image: Newscom)
Ana Ivanovic hoists the hardware from her first Grand Slam title in the French Open.

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Ivanovic Wins French Open

Nadal knocked off Novak Djokovic. Easily. Too easily to have Roger thinking the final is going to be anything but a ridiculously hard battle that’s going to be hard to win. The world number three lost in straight sets (6-4, 6-2, 7-6(3)) and never really had a prayer against Rafa. Speaking of Rafa, he has never lost at Roland Garros. Ever. He’s got a 27-0 record in Paris. Isn’t that just crazy? To think that the guy has never lost at a tournament in his entire career. That’s big.

And then you’ve got Federer. He struggled a bit with Gael Monfils, just as I predicted. Federer eased past his 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5. Monfils was in his first major semifinal of his career which explained the blowout of the first set, but he settled down and made a match of it. Monfils will be back around. I don’t know that he has what it takes to be the best of the best, but I think we’ll be seeing him again.

But now I find myself conflicted. Do I root for Federer? I love his style. His finesse. His mad skillz. But then there is Nadal. I love his fire. His gutsy balls-to-the-wall defense. His mastery of clay courts. Hmm…good thing I have another day to figure it out.

(Image: Newscom)
Roger Federer stretches out for a return in his match against Gael Monfils in the French Open semifinals.

Post from: EveryJoe

Third time the charm? Nadal and Federer in French Open Finals

What a great semifinal between two really nice players. Not great – I don’t use that term loosely and neither of these players have earned the title of great. But they are good, quite good. And it showed in the knock-down, drag-out fight at Roland Garros.

In the women’s all-Serbian semifinal, it was Ana Ivanovic who eventually won the three-setter against Jelena Jankovic. With the 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory, Ivanovic claimed the number one world ranking from Maria Sharapova. (Sharapova lost earlier in the tournament to Dinara Safina, the other finalist.)

It was a see-saw match for the Serbs. Ivanovic was solidly in control of the match, up a set with a 3-1 lead in the second, but Jankovic rattled off seven straight games to win the second set to force the deciding third set.

Jankovic opened up the third with a 2-0 lead, but Ivanovic played well in the final games of the third set to move into the finals.

I’m not going to lie – when I first tuned into the match, I wasn’t pulling for either player. I like them both. They’re really two different style of players so it’s easy to point to one and say that you like something about her and then turn to the other and point out something different you like equally well.

By the end of the match though, I was rooting for Jelena. Which is probably why she lost. But when I force myself to be objective, I think Ivanovic matches up better with Safina. It should be a good final…I’m actually excited about it and I think that says a lot!

(Image: Newscom)
Ana Ivanovic notes her new ranking after beating Jelena Jankovic in the French Open semifinals.

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Ivanovic Wins Serbian Battle and Number One Slot

Safina was playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal, and the big story is the possibility of a brother-sister combo Grand Slam winners. Marat Safin won the 2000 U.S. Open and the 2005 Australian Open.

Should Safina win her first Grand Slam title, it’d be the first time for brother and sister to win a Grand Slam.

(Image: Newscom)
Dinara Safina wins her way into the French Open finals against Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Post from: EveryJoe

Safina Topples Kuznetsova

I think the King might be in for a spot of trouble in the semis though. Gael Monfils has been impressive in his run throughout the tournament. The unseeded Monfils needed four sets to overcome fifth-seeded David Ferrer and is the first Frenchman to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals in seven years.

On the women’s side, the all-Serbian semifinal will be paired by an all-Russian semifinal on the other half of the draw. Dinara Safina came back from a set down to defeat seventh-seeded countrywoman Elena Dementieva. The first set went to Dementieva at 6-4 before Safina won a tight second set tiebreak. Safina unleashed in the third with the big 6-0 score to show for it.

In the other quarterfinal, Svetlana Kuznetsova eased past Kaia Kanepi with a 7-5 first set before comfortably moving into the semis with a 6-2 second set.

And this is when it gets really exciting! The whole two weeks are fun, but when it comes down to the wire, I stay glued to the web and the television. Can’t wait! (Speaking of down to the wire…anybody a hockey fan? How ridiculously insane were the last 10 seconds of the sixth game?!?)

(Image: Newscom)
Roger Federer concentrates on his backhand in his victory over Fernando Gonzalez in the French Open quarterfinals.

Post from: EveryJoe

Federer into Semis; All-Russian Women’s Semi

It’s going to be a Serbian semifinal match in half of the women’s draw at the French Open. Both Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic advanced to the clay court semis by the same score (6-3, 6-2) over their respective opponents. Ivanovic handled 10th-ranked Patty Schnyder easily, and Jankovic had no problems with unranked Carla Suarez Navarro.

With the absence of Justine Henin, I’m relunctantly picking Jankovic as my temporary, sort of, almost women’s tennis player to back. But at this point in the night, I really haven’t the faculties to say whether it’ll be Ana or Jelena into the final and so I’m just going to let this one play out as it will.

On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal is into the semis. Is it just me, or does he seem to be doing this about as quietly and efficiently as a master of clay possibly can? I looked back through Nadal’s path to where he is now and it’s astounding. Straight sets, all of them. Very one-sided straight set victories for the Spaniard.

However, Nadal now has a pretty difficult opponent since Novak Djokovic made it into the semis after a tightly contested three-set match against Ernests Gulbis. I gotta go with my boy Rafa on this one. I like him about a million times more than Djokovic. And Rafa is, as mentioned a few seconds ago, ridiculously good on clay.

And I think that’s just about all I have to say about that.

Post from: EveryJoe

Serbian Semi-final; Novak and Nadal to Clash

You heard it here a long time ago, but let’s say it again: Dinara Safina isn’t a fluke folks. In a battle of the Russians, Safina came out on top against No. 1 Maria Sharapova in a three-set marathon.

Sharapova won the first set in a tiebreak, but she couldn’t keep the momentum and Safina won the second set in another tiebreak before blowing the No. 1 off the court with a 6-2 third set.

Well…if you couldn’t tell from my opening line, I’m quite excited about this turn of events. I thought Safina could pull it off and if “Marat’s little sister” didn’t just do that very thing. I think the question everybody should be asking themselves (outside of how freaking over-rated is M.Pova?), is when are people going to start saying “Dinara’s big brother”?

Marat is just – well, buddy, you’re a has-been. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. Dinara’s got the goods, and she’s flaunting it all over Paris with her recent victory over Blondie.

(Image: Newscom)
Dinara Safina sinks to the ground in celebration after her three-set victory over Maria Sharapova at Roland Garros.

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Caution: Sharapova Wreckage Ahead