A fortnight of firsts at the French

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim will answer your tennis questions every Monday. Click here to send a question.

PARIS -- Cleaning out the notebook ...

The Belgian equivalent of mad props are in order for Justine Henin-Hardenne. She not only took out Serena Williams in a (melo)dramatic French Open semifinal but also kept her wits about her and ran roughshod over a nervous Kim Clijsters in the final. ... You never hear the 5-foot-5 Henin-Hardenne mentioned as a member of the Big Babe Brigade, but we sure didn't see her getting overpowered too often last week. ... Quite apart from Henin-Hardenne's accuracy, her play on big points was spectacular. While Amélie Mauresmo turned in another (euphemism alert) "neurologically dubious" performance in a high-stakes match, Henin-Hardenne seems to have conquered whatever mental demons she once may have had. Good for her. ... Trivia: JHH became the first married female champion since Chris Evert in 1986. ... Most bizarre scene: During the final, a woman in a Cubs hat applauded each of Henin-Hardenne's missed serves and errors. (Not that there were many.) Payback, no doubt, for the fans' treatment of Serena in the semifinals. ...

As for the men, Juan-Carlos Ferrero abdicated his title as the best player never to have won a Slam (Roger Federer, come on down!) and played clinical tennis to bag major numero uno. ...Though the final was a bit of a dud, Ferrero's quarterfinal throwdown with Chile's Fernando Gonzalez was among the most entertaining matches we've seen in a while. ... All credit to Ferrero, but the real story of the tournament may have been Martin Verkerk. The guy failed to qualify for the French Open last year and had never before won a match at a Grand Slam. Then suddenly he beat Rainer Schuettler, Carlos Moya and Guillermo Coria and played for the title. Even in defeat Verkerk was utterly charming and self-effacing. ... Verkerk sure played like he's the real deal, but it's possible he could go Chris Lewis (1983 Wimbledon finalist) on us. Whatever, the guy had the time of his life in Paris, and it was a joy to watch. ...

It's rare that being a genuinely pleasant person works against you. But you have to wonder if Clijsters simply doesn't have the constitution to be a Grand Slam champion. We've never seen a favorite lose so comprehensively in a Grand Slam final yet fail to lose her smile. Maybe Lleyton Hewitt can lend her some of his natural fight and she, in turn, can lend him some of her natural charm. ... A round of applause for our other winners. The Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, won the men's doubles, beating Paul Haarhuis and Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the final. ... Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond won the mixed title. ... Surely Clijsters took some consolation for Saturday's debacle after she and Ai Sugiyama beat Virginia Ruano-Pascual and Paola Suarez in three sets in the women's doubles final. ... Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland beat American Brian Baker in a three-set boys' final. For a guy whose results have trailed off a bit in recent months, Baker has to be pleased with his showing. Look for him to formally announce his pro intentions in the next couple of weeks. ... No. 2 seed Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany beat top-seeded Vera Douchevina of Russia in the girls' final. ...

Told that despite his win he was still No. 3 in the ATP entry rankings, Ferrero smiled. "That's s---, no?" he said. ... Depending on when you make the exchange, the French Open might be the first Grand Slam to pay the men's winner in excess of $1 million. As of Monday, the 840,000 euro winner's check is worth $990,000. (Of course, as long as Americans struggle on clay, this is a somewhat moot point.) ... Trivia: What do Raemon Sluiter, Harel Levy, Jean-Rene Lisnard and Adrian Voinea have in common? Each has beaten Verkerk this year. ... Discuss for next week: Whose backhand would you rather have, Henin-Hardenne's or Coria's. ... Speaking of Wee Willie, his racket chucking was bush-league stuff. A few more inches and this could have been a really serious situation. But you have to hand it to the guy for quick damage control. When he disrobed and handed his sweaty shirt to the ballkid he nearly decapitated with his racket, he won over the crowd. ... Just asking: How does one get umpire Jorge Diaz's job security? ... For a guy with an injured wrist who hasn't played a match in months, Guillermo Cañas (a quarterfinalist last year) sure spent some quality time in the players' area last week. ...

From the ITF office: 13 players were fined a total of $11,000 last week. Two observations: 1) All of the bad actors were male; 2) If the ITF fined players in euros instead of American dollars, it might be able to meet the ATP's demands for increased prize money at the Slams. ... Speaking of, I hereby demand a meeting with the Grand Slam chiefs, in which I will ask that they double my pay for writing the Mailbag every week. Why? Because they're filthy rich, that's why. And, besides, I'm having a hard time finding sponsors. What is my leverage? Nothing. But since when does that matter? ... If the audible-obscenity rule were enforced with any regularity, Hewitt would be selling plasma to cover his debts. The ousted top seed muttered naughty words even after hitting winners in his third-round loss to Tommy Robredo. ... Speaking of Robredo, will he remember this event because he beat No. 1 Hewitt and three-time champ Gustavo Kuerten? Or will he remember it because he blew a two-sets-to-none quarterfinal lead to Albert Costa? ...

Patric Reeves, mother of The One (aka, Keanu), was part of Andre Agassi's entourage in Paris. ... How do you not like a sporting event at which attendants sell gummy bears in the public restrooms? ... Honk if you think Verkerk has the game to win Wimbledon. ... If you want to know what an intelligent, thoroughly entertaining press conference sounds like, check out Martina Navratilova's interviews on www.ASAPsports.com, Web site of tennis' ace transcription service. ... Speaking of Navratilova, she and John McEnroe have signed a petition encouraging tennis' governing body to curb racket technology. ... McEnroe to the 'Bag: "You're not going to believe this, but I stink at doubles now. I played the other day and it's just not there." ... Here's a question we put to Henin-Hardenne after the final: "In the United States, you're best known for the backhand. Even John McEnroe has called it the most beautiful shot in tennis. But what do you like best about your game?" Answer: "I think my best shot is my forehand. I won so many points on it. I feel better about it physically and I was earlier on the ball. It's not as natural as my backhand, but it's much better." Interesting, no? ... I'm on vacation for a week but check in the middle of next week for Wimbledon predictions.

Time for a few questions. ...

I have been a tennis fan for more than 10 years, and I can honestly say that I have never seen a player treated in the abominable manner in which Serena Williams was treated during her French Open semifinal match. Usually the boos are because a player has misbehaved (e.g., Martina Hingis at the 1999 French). Generally, the TV commentators attempt to excuse the behavior by pointing out that the crowd always pulls for the underdog. However, this does not seem to be the case with other players; crowds always support Jennifer Capriati or Andre Agassi, regardless of whom they are playing. Others say that Serena deserves it because she never gives credit to her opponent when she loses; I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement as I have noticed that most athletes fail to give credit to someone else.

I have thought about this situation since the Williamses came on tour and I have tried to look for different reasons, but the only thing that makes any sense is their race and/or their unwillingness to show their gratitude that they have been let into the club. Is there another reason that makes sense to you? And please refrain from giving the same tired excuses I heard during the tournament.
—Hope Hicks, Alameda, Calif.

We received a million questions about the crowd behavior during the Serena-JHH semifinal. I don't know how this played out on American television or in the American press, but as someone who watched the match 20 or so rows behind the umpire's chair, I think the whole thing must have been blown way out of proportion.

There's no question that a few fans disgraced themselves by cheering Serena's missed serves and booing her winners. But we're talking about a vocal minority here. Before we start throwing out some fairly serious allegations and accuse 15,000 fans of anti-Americanism and/or racism, let's add some context:

A) The vast majority of fans everywhere root for the underdog. (Digression: Three weeks ago in Rome, one Serena J. Williams told me that she was happy the Lakers lost because they always win.) The match in question featured an undersized scrapper (with a tragic backstory and a history of choking, no less) against the defending champion and the most dominating player women's tennis has seen in years.

B) Most fans root for their own. Serena not merely beat but humiliated a French player (Mauresmo) on the same court 48 hours prior. Surely there was some leftover emotion from that. And while Henin-Hardenne is, obviously, not French, she speaks the language and hails from a few hours up the road.

C) The Roland Garros fans are notorious for wanting to be part of the show. These are the same fans who wolf whistle anytime a player asks the chair umpire to inspect a mark. These are the same fans who nearly drove Hingis (neither American nor black) to the sanitarium during the 1999 final.

D) Whatever else you can say about them, French fans knows their tennis. When Serena stopped play to call a ball wide, it was a faux pas, if a minor one. Players don't call their own lines, and while Serena was correct -- the ball was wide -- it really wasn't her call to make. (The converse, of course, is that Henin-Hardenne was unequivocally in the wrong when she held up her hand to return serve and then didn't let Serena play two serves.)

E) While sideline journalists are universally mocked in the U.S., the French Open's colorful on-court reporter, Nelson Mortfort is something of a Gallic cult hero. It was only when Venus blew off his postmatch interview request that the fans turned on her. (Why this guy is trying to interview the loser seconds after her defeat is another matter.) Likewise, the boos picked up only when Serena marched past him and headed to the tunnel.

Anti-Americanism? Surely in the current political climate, it didn't help that Serena is American. But in the previous 12 days you didn't hear any other complaints from American players about hostile crowd behavior. The French love Agassi; they rooted like mad for Ashley Harkleroad to beat Daniela Hantuchova; and had Serena won the tournament, it says here she would have received a warm reception when all was said and done, as was the case last year. Racism? It's na•ve to think that race (conscious or un-) didn't poison the thinking of some. But these are the same fans who adored the Williams sisters last year and who gave Yannick Noah a standing ovation when he presented the trophy on Sunday.

Famously candid, Oracene Williams (now Oracene Price) accused the Indian Wells fans of "taking off their hoods" when they booed Serena in 2001. Had she perceived any "-ism" at Roland Garros she would have said so. Asked to explain the crowd's behavior, she said, "You know, you always pull for the underdog. When I watched tennis on TV, I always pulled for the player who never won anything. I wanted them to win a match."

The booing? "I think it showed a lack of class. Or total ignorance. They just don't know tennis."

But this is supposedly the most sophisticated crowd? "Most of the people who were [booing] were in the high seats."

So why did Serena lose? "She tried all those stupid drop shots!"

Is it just me, or do you also find Martin Verkerk to be an obnoxious ham? It's one thing to be positive about oneself and display the occasional fist pump, but during his match with Vince Spadea, Verkerk (or Verjerk as I call him) was cheering on Spadea's double faults. Can you imagine if Venus or Serena did that? They'd be crucified. This guy acts like he's Jimmy Connors out there, and even with Jimmy, that schtick got tired. What say you?
—Peter Faso, Oakland

It's just you, Peter. Here's a (heretofore) journeyman who came to Paris never having won a solitary Grand Slam match. In a matter of days, he's doubled his career earnings, made a quantum leap in the rankings, and is playing for a chance at a title. Forgive him if he emotes a bit or isn't the picture of cool. I didn't see him cheering double faults. I did, however, see him signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans on the grounds, hugging his opponents in victory and defeat, offering praise to the chair umpire and ballkids in his runner-up speech, and making a string of disarming remarks in the press room. To traffic in clichŽ, far from being a jerk, he was a breath of fresh air.

A larger point: These players can't win. If you contain your emotions in the manner of Pete Sampras or Ivan Lendl, you are branded as "boring" or "robotic." If you wear your emotions on your sleeve, you are an "obnoxious ham." Verkerk was completely disarming last week, a warm, humble, outspoken guy who was in as much disbelief as everyone else. If that was manifest in the way he conducted himself, so be it.

Are Tommy Robredo's antics creating any tension and resentment amongst his fellow pros? In his match against Lleyton Hewitt he seemed to be egging on the crowd by encouraging it to chant his name, and in his match against Gustavo Kuerten he seemed to be rubbing it in with the dropshots. (No doubt a player does what he must do to win a match, but Robredo seemed to be going a little too far with the droppers against a three-time champion.) Any thoughts?
—Paul Bercovici, Larchmont, N.Y.

In keeping with our theme, CUT THE GUY SOME SLACK. He's a 20-year-old kid who had been in need of a big breakout win for a while now. Suddenly, he's playing the top seed in the French Open and has rallied from a two-set deficit. There are 5,000 or so fans in an intimate stadium chanting his name and waving Spanish flags. If he acknowledges the support, so be it. To me, it's almost worse if he pretends to ignore just how momentous an occasion it is.

As for the dropshots, Robredo used the shot (particular a nasty forehand cutter cross-court) as a bona fide weapon. So long as it was winning him points (and wearying his opponent), it's hard to fault him for deploying the dropshot effectively.

I watched the French Open and was impressed with Carlos Moya's attire but more impressed with his tattoo. I know Mark Philippoussis has Alexander the Great on his arm. How many of the players, men and women, sport this type of artwork and of what?
—Lianne Clarke, Christchurch, New Zealand

First, are we all in agreement that players clad in those sleeveless Nike shirts are the most unfortunate of fashion victims? (As if Moya didn't look enough like Patrick Swayze to begin with, now we have to attire him in '80s Lycra?) Like Agassi's denim shorts, Lendl's argyle ensembles and the Hantuchova cocktail dress, those sleeveless numbers are headed for the bottom of tennis' sartorial dustbin.

Anyway, what was your question? Oh, right, something about tats. I feel like we've answered this before, but off the top of my head: Mauresmo has that angel/dolphin thing going on. Lindsay Davenport has the Olympic rings on her lower back (so we've heard). I think Lisa Raymond has a Florida gator on her ankle. Guga has a fair amount of body art, including a sun on the back of his wrist. Nicolas EscudŽ has something or other. Of course, Tim Henman has the Metallica logo on his chest. (Kidding.)

Note to our friends in the WTA and ATP media relations departments: There seems to be a good deal of curiosity about tattoos. Why not include this info in the "personal" section of the players' bios?

I've heard a lot of people complain that American TV's coverage of the French Open seemed to concentrate almost exclusively on American players, especially on the men's side. I'm sure that the TV networks would suggest people prefer watching U.S. players, and the popularity of women's tennis (as opposed to men's) in the U.S. would seem to prove this. But is it a vicious circle? Is there little coverage of foreign players because there is no interest in them, or no interest because there is little coverage?
—Craig Michaelson, Portsmouth, England

Agree, agree, a thousand times agree. The vast majority of people who watch tennis at noon on a Tuesday (on a cable network, no less) are going to be serious, well-informed fans. It is an insult to show them, say, James Blake playing Taylor Dent or Capriati beating some qualifier when infinitely better matches are going on. It's totally a vicious cycle (or a "viscous cycle," as Serena called it last week.) The networks and USTA suits conspire to shove Harkleroad and the like down our throats; then, when superior players like Vera Zvonareva and Nadia Petrova make the latter rounds of tournaments, viewers tune out because "unknown foreigners" are playing. I should add that Sports Illustrated is guilty of this, too. I know that if Agassi or the Williams sisters make the final, my story will get more space than if -- just to pick two names at random -- Ferrero and Henin-Hardenne win.

Here's some advice we could all stand to follow: SELL THE TENNIS. If you just do the honest thing and cover the most compelling tennis (nationality and personality of the players be damned), it's best in the long run. You might sacrifice ratings in the short term -- why are you giving me Gonzalez and Coria when Agassi is playing? -- but it is imperative to impress upon Americans fans that players who happen to hail from other countries are worth watching.

As I watched Venus play at the French, I was struck anew by what I see as the fundamental difference between Venus' and Serena's games: Namely, Serena's strokes -- from her serve to her groundstrokes to her volleys -- seem so much smoother and her technique so much sounder. At the French, it appeared that Venus' forehand developed a "hitch," much the same as the one that Mary Carillo has complained about in Venus' serve for many years. Was this a result of Venus' injury, or am I just that slow in recognizing what may be the "real" reason behind Serena's dominance over her sister (and all others)? Is Serena simply a technically superior player?
—Jamie Prenkert, Indianapolis

Serena indeed is a superior technical player. (Quite apart from her serve, Venus really needs to retool her down-the-line forehand that Zvonareva just picked apart in the third set of their fourth-round match.) But I think the real cause of Serena's dominance is her attitude. Richard Williams nailed it (again) when he said Serena was "meaner." Venus is pensive and emotional and, even when it resulted in a title, was palpably ambivalent about having to beat her little sister. Serena is much more Machiavellian. Sure, she'd rather beat Capriati or Hingis or Henin-Hardenne than beat Venus. But if Big Sis stands between her and the trophy, well, let's get ready to rumble.

What's your opinion regarding the split between Andy Roddick and Tarik Benhabiles? Roddick's showing at the French was disappointing, especially coming off a win in Austria, but will a coaching change hinder or improve his mental game?
—Victoria, Whistler, B.C.

Lots of you asked about Roddick's decision to part ways with Benhabiles and hire Brad Gilbert. As we've said in the past, the coaching relationship is as much about comfort (personal and professional) as it is about results. (Otherwise, Darren Cahill doesn't part with Hewitt weeks after taking him to No. 1.) But Roddick is in the throes of a somewhat disappointing year and it's clear that while the physical gifts are there, he needs to make tactical and mental improvements. It remains to be seen whether Gilbert is a good match re: personalities, but surely he can help with the mental/strategic side of things.

One of you asked, "Why not wait until after Wimbledon?" to make the change. Fact is, Roddick needs to salvage his year now. And if he and Benhabiles were wearying of each other's company (professionally, personally, or both), there's no sense in continuing the relationship. Besides, abrupt midseason coaching changes are all the rage these days. (Stay tuned for another big announcement in the next few days.)

Speaking of coaching changes, ever notice how closely these announcements resemble the text of high school breakups? "I need some space and have decided to see other people, but I hope we can remain friends." Hmmm, where have I heard that before?

Have you had a chance to see any boys' matches? I see that Brian Baker beat No. 1 seed Marko Baghdatis to reach the semis. Until recently, Baker's clay-court play has been undistinguished. Has he improved that much? With Andy Roddick reaching a plateau, do you think Baker could be the next great American men's hope?
—Colette Lewis, Kalamazoo, Mich.

I popped in on Baker a few times last week and watched about a set of the boys' final. I was generally impressed, especially since he wasn't playing on his choice surface, but his play seemed to be awfully uneven. Some games he looked terrific, clubbing his serve, belting the ball off both wings and playing smart points. Other games he looked out of his depth, missing wildly or playing a ridiculous dropshot. (In other words, he is a junior.) You hate to saddle the kid -- and, by all accounts, he's a hell of a nice kid -- with "next great American hope" expectations. But no question there's some serious pro potential. Again, look for him to formally announce his pro intentions in the next few weeks.

Long Lost Siblings

Jan-Michael Gambill and actor Paul Walker of 2 Fast 2 Furious.
—J.T. Tabing, Makati, Philippines

LONG LOST SIBLINGS? Gambill Walker

Carlos Moya and baseball's Omar Vizquel.
—Brian Poirier, Johnston, Mass.

LONG LOST SIBLINGS? Moya Vizquel

Have a good week, everyone!

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim covers tennis for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com. Click here to send him a question or comment.

 

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