Month of June , 2010

Q. You beat Bellucci two years ago in three sets, and today again in three sets. Was it more difficult today, and in what way?
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't remember exactly, no? But that match was a tougher one in the tournament for me in 2008. That's the true, no?
I don't know. But, you know, my feeling was I was closer to lose a set or something like this in 2008 than today.
But the score was closer this time.

Q. Are we going to have a Nadal/Federer final, or don't you let yourself think that far in advance?

Ginepri’s Push-Up Performance: Robby Ginepri masked the embarrassment of a face-first fall in his match against Novak Djokovic by doing a set of push-ups before getting up to towel himself off on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“I felt a little stupid slipping and falling on my face, so tried to get the crowd back to my side,” said the 27-year-old American.

In what her coach said would need to be "the match of her life" for her to win, Sam Stosur snapped one of the longest French Open winning streaks of all time, beating Justine Henin in a thriller, 26 61 64.

It has been a long time since Maria Sharapova arrived on court with the cold, calculating demeanour that suggests there will be only one winner. She may have been beaten yesterday by Justine Henin in the third round at Roland Garros, but her sense was that of a certainty that she is back.

At 2-0, 40-0 on the Belgian’s serve at the final-set resumption to a match that had been stopped the previous evening in shocking light, Sharapova had the four-times former champion at her mercy. A championship-tight Russian would never have wasted such an opportunity.

Court Philippe Chatrier 14:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Quarterfinals
Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[17] v. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)[3]
2. Men's Singles - Quarterfinals
Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Robin Soderling (SWE)[5]
3. Men's Doubles - Fourth Round
Marc Lopez (ESP) v. Wesley Moodie (RSA)[4]
Pere Riba (ESP) Dick Norman (BEL)[4]

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have not put a foot wrong so far at this year's French Open and all signs point to the world's two outstanding men's players duelling for the title on Sunday.

There are still some pitfalls lurking on the Parisian clay, however, and Tuesday and Wednesday's quarter-finals will be a better yardstick of their form after they both arrived at the business end of the tournament with a 12-0 sets record.

Q. Your first defeat here for six years. How big a disappointment is it for you for that run to end today?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, of course it is disappointing. I mean, never easy to lose, and especially in this kind of situation.
I just wanted so much that the adventure could keep going. I haven't been of course, yeah, at my best today. Samantha was the best player on the court. She took her chances, the opportunities.

Q. You seemed to be incredibly calm, even at two double faults, one after the other at the last set at 3 2. How do you do this? Does that make the difference for you, your calmness? Or at 3 4 you had Love 30 on your serve, and you stay as if you're just training, you know. That's the first question.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Well, yeah, I guess that's the goal, is try to stay calm and not get frustrated or too emotional at any point in time in the match. But it's not always easy to do.

Q. Pretty clinical out there today.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Really? I felt good. I wouldn't say clinical, but good.

Q. What would you say? Talk about the match a little bit.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I felt really consistent today. I felt like I was hitting the right shots and the balls were going right. It's always good to feel that way. I actually felt like I could play and move better.

The first two singles quarterfinals are played at Roland Garros on Tuesday, in the bottom half of the draw. The only thing certain is that a Russian will advance to the semis here for the eighth successive year.

Chatrier

Teenager Caroline Wozniacki and veteran Francesca Schiavone contest a French Open quarter-final on Tuesday, with both players motivated to reach the final for very different reasons.

At 19, Danish third seed Wozniacki is the rising star of the women's game and already has a runners-up finish at the US Open under her belt after losing to Kim Clijsters in the decider at Flushing Meadows last summer.

Schiavone, by contrast, is 10 years Wozniacki's senior and has never made it past the last eight in the singles draw at a Grand Slam tournament.

After Francesca Schiavone became the first Italian woman to reach the French Open semifinals since 1954, she collapsed face-down on center court and kissed the clay.

Schiavone upset No. 3-seeded Caroline Wozniacki in Tuesday's quarterfinals, 6-2, 6-3. Seeded 17th, Schiavone is the first Italian woman to reach the semifinals at any Grand Slam tournament in the Open era, which began in 1968.

"It's an honor for me to play here," she said. "I played really well. I'm enjoying it so much."

Defending champion Roger Federer has lost to French Open upset specialist Robin Soderling (So’-der-leen) in a rainy quarterfinal, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

Tuesday’s loss ended Federer’s record streak of reaching the semifinals in 23 consecutive major events.

The shocker was the second pulled off by Soderling in as many years at Roland Garros. He ended the reign of four-time champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round a year ago, clearing the path for Federer to win his first French Open title and complete a career Grand Slam.

Defending champion Roger Federer suffered a stunning quarter-final exit at the French Open on Tuesday when he lost 3-6 6-3 7-5 6-4 to Sweden's Robin Soderling in a rain-interrupted match on Chatrier court.

The world number one crumbled in the face of a ferocious onslaught as Soderling, beaten by Federer in last year's final, claimed a first career win against the 16-times grand slam champion at the 13th attempt.

Q. How would you rate your performance today? Were you surprised to hit quite a few aces despite the slow conditions?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, yeah. I mean, the performance of my game was pretty good today. On the other side, it was really tough conditions today again in Paris.

Q. Two years in a row you beat the title holder. How it feels to be a giant killer?
ROBIN SODERLING: Hey, of course it's nice to beat the world No. 1 two years in a row on the center court. I think both times I play really good tennis. I think it's a great feeling.

Q. What about the statistics and now finally winning Federer?

Elena Dementieva won the “battle to the death” between the Russians, now the question is whether she can beat back her own personal demons and win her first major.

On Tuesday, Elena Dementieva recovered from a rough start and powered past compatriot Nadia Petrova to reach the semis here for the first time since 2004, when she reached the final and was a shadow of herself in falling to Anastasia Myskina.

Lycklig 13. It is Lucky 13 in Swedish and, as rain fell like summer tears, Robin Söderling pounded Roger Federer into submission at Roland Garros in a manner that ripped the magic wand from the great man’s right hand.

Two hours after his reign as French Open champion was brutally cut short by Swedish powerhouse Robin Soderling on Tuesday, Roger Federer still managed to find some humour to brighten the mood.
   
As the Swiss sat down to face the world's media after his 3-6 6-3 7-5 6-4 defeat by Soderling, a result that ended a sequence of reaching 23 consecutive grand slam semi-finals, Federer produced an instant riposte with a wry smile.

Q. Two hours after the match, tell me something about the emotions. You must be very disappointed.
ROGER FEDERER: Well, disappointed to a certain degree. You know, I don't think I played a bad match, so it's easier to go out this way, I think.
Conditions obviously were on the rougher side for both of us, and I thought he came up with some great tennis.
You know, it's a touch easier to digest this way.