After 6-0, 6-1 semi-final win over Italian Sara Errani.

Q.  You have mentioned a couple of great Grand Slam performances in the past, but you had 40 winners of your 52 points. That’s got to be right up there with one of your best, no?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Definitely. Those stats are really good, I think, and very consistent. So, yeah.

Q. Just talk about the match, how you felt. Obviously you must have felt in very good form, no?

SERENA WILLIAMS: For me, I didn’t necessarily go out there and I was feeling great. For me, it was more like let’s just see what happens and try to do the best I could.

Q. I think you won your last 12 matches against Maria in the last 11. She’s only taken two sets off you. Does that put you in a position where you get extra confidence from that, or is it something you don’t take into consideration?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not really right now, because it’s a different time, a different era, just a different match. It’s a brand new match, so definitely don’t take it. But we have played a lot. Just gotta do the best that I can.

Q. Would you accept it’s soul destroying playing against you at the moment?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, wow. (Smiling.) I would never say that. Ever. But I just go out there and do the best that I can and that’s it. But I would never say that.

Q. Clearly you kept her from playing her game, but she never had a chance to get in the points and that’s what she wants. She only won 16 points. Was there any point out there like she’s a nice girl, you were feeling a little sorry for her, or you can’t even allow yourself? Read more »

If for some reason you have no access to a TV channel that broadcasts Roland Garros 2013, try to find a live online free channel on this site. Enjoy the show

Argentine tennis player David Nalbandian is not participating in this year’s French Open due to injuries. However, I have a feeling he is not missing Roland Garros.  On May 27, his longtime girlfriend Victoria gave birth to their daughter Sossie. Sossie, or often spelled Sosi, is a beautiful Armenian girl name.

This photo is from the Twitter of David’s official site. The message says: “I’m happy!!! Last night, Sossie was born. Both the baby and Vicky are in perfect conditions.”

Congratulations to David and Victoria.

P.S. I am glad , we were able to get his autograph last year at Roland Garros. Check out the photos here.  

According to Sportbox.ru, Russian tennis star Maris Sharapova might play in the Fed Cup final against Italy. The Russian Tennis Federation, and especially Shamil Tarpischev, are actively negotiating with Maris and her team to see if she will be available for the final that is going to take place in Italy from Nov. 2 to Nov. 3. Usually the Federation prefers that the original team members play in the final, but the ultimate goal is to put together a team that can beat the Italians.

An interview with MARIA SHARAPOVA after her semi-final win against Jelena Jankovic, 6-2 6-1. Sharapova is meeting world no. 1 Serena Williams in the finals.

Q.  Did you feel like you could take advantage of Jelena because she got off the court so late last night and the turnaround was tough?  You jumped on her right away.
MARIA SHARAPOVA:  Unfortunately I’m selfishly not really thinking about that when I’m out on the court, because it is my job to try to win the match as well as I can, and I did have a late one, as well.  Not a late one but a long one yesterday.
So it was important for me to physically and mentally be there because I didn’t feel like I played my best tennis yesterday.  But it was really important to go out and, you know, change a few things, just have a better mentality, be a bit more positive, and I felt like I did a few things better today.  That’s why the result was a shorter one. Read more »

At this year’s Roland Garros Kids’ Day, my five-year-old daughter and I left the main entertaining show with Novak Djokovic and other stars on the center court, and started checking the side courts to hunt for some autographs for my daughter. We spotted American Andy Roddick practicing on one of the side courts, and decided to wait until he finishes it to ask for an autograph.

(Hoping for an autograph from Andy Roddick.)

Then, I see David Nalbandian getting ready to start his practice after Roddick. I have been a huge David Nalbandian fan for years, don’t know how many sleepless and frustrating nights I have spent because of him. Read more »

Today Serena Williams lost in the first round of the French Open, for the first time ever at a major. Her  record was 46-0 in first-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments. Unbelievable accomplishment. She fell to 111th-ranked French Virginie Razzano. Read Jon Wertheim’s comments about this entertaining match where Serena saved seven match points.

Below is the post-match interview with Williams.

Q.  I know you just finished the match and it’s hard to describe.  Just kind of talk about from 5?1 in the second set breaker on, what kind of happened there?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  Well, I just started making a lot of errors.  I mean, the whole match, I just didn’t play at all the way I have been practicing.

So, yeah, I just made ?? I don’t know how many errors I ended up making, but I haven’t been playing like that in the past.

Q.  Do you want to talk about the last game?  You climbed back to 5?3.  I think five or six break?point opportunities.  Couldn’t get over the hump?

Read more »

Sovetskiy Sport has published an in-depth interview with a Russian tennis player Alisa Kleybanova. Kleybanova talks candidly about her health condition and her tennis future. She thankfully mentions Ekaterina Makarova and Vera Zvonareva who actually took time to visit her in Italy where she was undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The interview is in Russian, but you can Google Translate it.

I finally got my Roland Garros tickets. For the first time, I will also be there on the kid’s day. My five-year-old daughter is excited to visit the French Open with me and hopefully to see some tennis superstars. Of course she is going to make me buy one of those huge souvenir tennis balls. I strongly hope to see David Nalbandian play.

Meanwhile, check out the photos that I took of Roland Garros grounds during my last visit.

Novak  DJOKOVIC defeated Rafael Nadal to win the 2012 Australian Open.

5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5

NOVAK DJOKOVIC:  Many of you stayed this late.  Thank you.

 Q.  We have to.  

NOVAK DJOKOVIC:  I know you have to, but make it look like you want to.  (Laughter.)

 Q.  Was that the greatest win of your life? 

NOVAK DJOKOVIC:  Ah, yes.  Right now, yes.

Probably Wimbledon because Wimbledon is right up there next to this one because it’s just the tournament that I always dreamed of winning.

But this one I think comes out on the top because just the fact that we played almost six hours is incredible, incredible.  I think it’s probably the longest finals in the history of all Grand Slams, and just to hear that fact is making me cry, really.

I’m very proud just to be part of this history, part of the elite of the players that have won this tournament for several times, and I was very flattered to be playing in front of Rod Laver, in front of the alltime greats, and in front of 15,000 people that stayed until 1:30 a.m.

It’s incredible, really.  Read more »