Vardan

Roger Jaunin>, Le Matin, author of the book "Roger Federer" (Switzerland): FedererIn a way, it's a shame this match isn't the final, but I'm not even sure that its winner will lift the tournament. I'm going for Roger because I feel he's more capable of controlling this type of big game. It may well turn out to be a long match and if it does, Roger has the added advantage of control for the fifth set and is physically fresher. He's a more complete athlete than Nadal.

Christian Despont>, Le Temps (Switzerland): Federer I don't think it will be a close match. One of the two will seize the initiative and win easily. If Roger plays like he did against Kuerten last year, he won't be able to withstand a clay court specialist on his surface. But if he raises his game the way he can, he is untouchable. Roger has the pride of a champion, no fear of pressure and I know he's going to be well prepared for this match.

The journalists go for Federer Thursday, June 2, 2005 As the much-awaited semi-final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal attracts the full glare of the media spotlight, we sought the opinions of eight knowledgeable journalists who follow the circuit all year round. The majority were tipping Roger.

Courier's Verdict on Federer, Nadal Showdown As the box office opened for The Champions Masters at the Royal Albert Hall in London (29th November – 4th December), defending champion and two-time French Open winner Jim Courier began looking forward to the match that everyone wants to see – Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal - in the Roland Garros semifinals . With Federer and Nadal set to meet in the final four on Friday in Paris , Courier, promoting the season-ending finale to the Delta Tour of Champions, told BBC Radio Five Live that the match could turn into one of the all-time classics. “As soon as the draw came out everybody took a sharp intake of breath,” said Courier. “It's a little bit of a pity that they can't meet in the final, but when you look at the other side of the draw, with Nikolay Davydenko and Mariano Puerta, this really is the de-facto final. The last time they played in the finals in Miami, they had a five setter, and Nadal had a match point and gave him everything he'd got. He certainly doesn't fear Federer – he knows he can match up with him. But Federer has a little more experience and he wants this title very badly. Both Nadal and Federer have come through the draw physically unscathed, so they're both going to be fine. This is as good as it's going to get - there's been two days of hype to build it up - it's fantastic.” The American, who won back-to-back French Opens in 1991 and 1992, and also lifted the Champions Masters trophy in his debut on the Delta Tour of Champions last year, had nothing but praise for the two players. “Federer's game is as good as anyone that's ever played,” said Courier. “What he is playing against right now is history – and whether he can become the greatest player of all time. To have a career Grand-Slam at his age would be phenomenal, particularly considering how specialised the game has become. There are very few guys that win Roland Garros and go on to win others on different surfaces – it's the most specialised of the four surfaces. Shot for shot and with his ability to play under big-match pressure, I'd put him up against anybody, but he has to stand the test of time if he wants to be up there with Rod Laver and Pete Sampras.” And although Courier predicted a Federer victory, he paid tribute to the refreshing attitude that Nadal has brought to tennis. “You have to love the way that he comes onto the court,” said Courier. “He does the coin toss like a boxer, and sprints back to the baseline – I've never seen anyone do the pre-match the way he does, but it's a good way to get the nerves out. He handled the hype in his third round match against Richard Gasquet , so he's got a bit of experience of it, and he's had some funky things happen, like with the crowd getting on him in the Grosjean match. I think he'll settle in, but I think he'll start pretty nervous.”

Прикольный каламбур! :lol:

02 июня 2005, 14:51 Тарпищев: Давыденко может конкурировать с Федерером Капитан сборной России и президент Федерации тенниса России Шамиль Тарпищев считает, что первой ракетке мира швейцарцу Роже Федереру следует опасаться россиянина Николая Давыденко, сообщает «РИА «Новости» По словам Тарпищева, главный козырь Давыденко - быстрое передвижение по корту и сильные прицельные удары. «Если он сможет улучшить подачу, то сможет конкурировать с Федерером», - отметил Тарпищев. В пятницу Николай будет встречаться в 1/2 финала с аргентинцем Мариано Пуэртой, с которым ранее играл всего однажды – три недели назад во втором круге на турнире серии «Мастерс» в Гамбурге, где Николай победил 7:5, 6:3 и дошел до полуфинала (где будущий победитель турнира Роже Федерер не оставил россиянину никаких шансов – 3:6, 4:6). По мнению Тарпищева, Давыденко сможет выиграть у Пуэрты, если сумеет физически восстановиться после пятисетовой битвы с Робредо в 1/4 финала. Федерер во второй полуфинальной паре будет играть с испанцем Рафаэлем Надалем и этот матч уже называют досрочным финалом.

02 июня 2005, 18:53 В финале «Ролан Гаррос» российских теннисисток не будет Последняя россиянка на открытом чемпионате Франции завершила свое выступление. В полуфинальном матче против хозяйки кортов Мари Пьерс шестнадцатая сеяная Елена Лиховцева без особой борьбы уступила путевку в финал, где 30-летняя француженка померяется силами с бельгийкой Жюстин Энен-Арденн. Открытый чемпионат Франции. Париж (Франция) Женщины Одиночный разряд Полуфинал Мари Пьерс (Франция, 21) – Елена Лиховцева (Россия, 16) – 6:1, 6:1

Женщина почти беспомощна, пока у неё не высохли накрашенные ногти...

02 июня 2005, 21:02 Смешанная пара Мыскиной остановилась в шаге от финала Анастасия Мыскина не смогла пройти в финал открытого чемпионата Франции в составе смешанной пары. В четверг ее дуэт со шведом Йонасом Бьоркманом был остановлен на стадии полуфинала словацко-французской парой Даниэла Гантухова/Фабрис Санторо. В финале победителям предстоит сразиться с опытной парой, состоящей из 48-летней американки Мартины Навратиловой и 32-летнего индийца Леандера Пайеса. Открытый чемпионат Франции. Париж (Франция) Женщины Микст (Смешанные пары) Полуфинал Даниэла Гантухова /Фабрис Санторо (Словакия / Франция) – Анастасия Мыскина/Йонас Бьоркман (Россия/Швеция, 4) – 7:6 (7:5), 6:0 Мартина Навратилова/Леандер Пайес (США/Индия, 6) - Саманта Стосур/Пол Хэнли (Австралия) - 6:2, 6:3

02 июня 2005, 22:49 Максим Мирный сыграет в финале мужских пар на «Ролан Гаррос» В четверг определились финалисты «Ролан Гаррос» в парном разряде у мужчин. В первом четвертьфинале братья Боб и Майк Брайаны добились победы над парой Ноулес/Нестор из за отказа при счете 3:2. Другой четвертьфинальный матч вывел в финал шведо-белорусский тандем Йонас Бьоркман/Максим Мирный. Открытый чемпионат Франции. Париж (Франция) Мужчины Парный разряд Полуфиналы Боб Брайан/Майк Брайан (США, 3) – Марк Ноулес/Дэниэл Нестор (Багамские о-ва/Канада, 1) – 6:3, 3:2 отказ Йонас Бьоркман/Максим Мирный (Швеция/Беларусь, 2) – Фернандо Гонсалес/Николас Массу (Чили) – 6:3, 4:6, 6:4

Я уже эти анекдоты рассказывал!

Roland Garros Roused for Rafa, Federer Showdown The semifinals are set in Roland Garros with World No.1 Roger Federer meeting Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal on Friday while unseeded Argentine Mariano Puerta will take on No. 12 seed Nikolay Davydenko who jumped to No. 3 in the INDESIT ATP Race by clinching his first Grand Slam semifinal berth. On Thursday, the No. 2 seeded duo of Bjorkman/Mirnyi defeated Olympic gold medalists Gonzalez/Massu and in the final will face 2003 Roland Garros doubles champions and ATP Doubles Race leaders Bryan/Bryan, winners over Knowles/Nestor.

June 2, 2005 Henin-Hardenne, Pierce to Meet in Roland Garros Final PARIS - After 11 days of action, two former champions will be playing on Saturday for the title at Roland Garros. 2003 champion Justine Henin-Hardenne and 2000 winner Mary Pierce both enjoyed comfortable semifinal victories on Thursday to advance into the championship match in Paris. Henin-Hardenne needed a little over an hour to defeat No.7 seed Nadia Petrova, while Pierce dropped just two games in a 61 61 route of No.16 seed Elena Likhovtseva that took just 58 minutes. Their meeting in the final will mark the fourth time Henin-Hardenne and Pierce have been on opposite sides of the net and first since the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where the Belgian player defeated the Frenchwoman en route to the Olympic Gold. Henin-Hardenne also defeated Pierce in their only other career meetings - a quarterfinal victory in 2003 at Charleston and also fourth round win in their only other Grand Slam encounter at Wimbledon that same year. On Thursday, Henin-Hardenne took 34 minutes in each set in order to take the match against Petrova, demonstrating a similar pattern in both the first and second sets on her way to victory. The two players opened the match by exchanging breaks before Henin-Hardenne got into a groove and quickly marched through the first set in eight games. The second set was also kicked off with the exchanging of service breaks, with Henin-Hardenne grabbed the 1-0 lead before Petrova broke back and then held serve for 2-1. From there, the Belgian former No.1 took five of the next six games to return to the championship match in Paris. "It's pretty amazing," Henin-Hardenne said. "I was telling my coach and my husband before coming here, if I would have only one more Grand Slam final, I wish it would be here. I hope I will have many other Grand Slam finals, but this one is very special. It's a lot of memories, so I hope I'll be in my top form in two days." Henin-Hardenne, who celebrated her 23rd birthday on Wednesday, improves to 26-1 on the season and has yet to lose in 2005 on clay, extending her winning streak to an impressive 23 matches. She will enter Saturday's final with three clay court titles under her belt - Charleston, Warsaw and Berlin - and will be seeking her fourth career Grand Slam title. The number 23 will have very special meaning for Henin-Hardenne entering Saturday's final. Along with just turning 23 and currently holding as 23-match winning streak, Henin-Hardenne will be seeking her 23rd career Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in the final. Henin-Hardenne will now be seeking her fourth Grand Slam title. Her victory over Kim Clijsters in the 2003 Roland Garros final was Henin-Hardenne's very first Grand Slam title. She also added a title at the US Open that same year and then started 2004 by capturing the Australian Open. Despite the loss, Petrova leaves Paris with a second career Grand Slam semifinal appearance now on her resume and has also solidified her spot in the Top 10 for the moment, moving up as high as No.8 when the new rankings come on on Monday. "You could look up at the score and say how tough it was," said Petrova on her loss to Henin-Hardenne. "She really played well today. She started very aggressive. She was really going for her shots, and she was keeping me in the trouble all the time. She'd been hitting balls very deep and close to the lines. It's just one of those days when everything works in your favor, and she had one of those days today." Petrova's run in Paris included straight sets victories versus Mashona Washington, Severine Beltrame and Shahar Peer before scrambling to defeat No.12 seed Elena Bovina in three sets. She then went on to defeat No.29 seed Ana Ivanovic in order to make the final four. The Russian player was able to capture a victory against Henin-Hardenne in their last Grand Slam meeting, a fourth round win last year at the US Open, but said that defeating a confident Henin-Hardenne is going to be a difficult task for anyone at the moment. "She's won already three tournaments on clay after her injury," Petrova said. "She came out of her injury very strong, very mentally strong as well, playing very good tennis." Pierce wasted very little time accepting the berth time the finals, converting on 9-of-10 break point opportunites and winning 83 percent of points on her first serve against Likhovtseva. The Frenchwoman's dominant performance only yielded just two break point opportunities to Likhovtseva, both of which were quickly squashed as she improved to 5-0 in Grand Slam semifinal appearances. "I almost really couldn't ask for anything better, to be playing against Justine in the finals," Pierce said. "It's going to be fantastic. Great test for me. She's one of the best players in the game right now. "I've had nothing to lose, like I've had nothing to lose in the last few matches. I'm really just going to enjoy it, enjoy being on the court, enjoy every moment - the crowd cheering for me, my family supporting me. It's the last match and I'm going to give everything that I have." Pierce makes her way into Saturday's after following an impressive route to the finals. She has recorded victories against Vera Douchevina, Jelena Kostanic, No.9 seed Vera Zvonareva, No.8 Patty Schnyder, world No.1 Lindsay Davenport and Likhovtseva during her two-week run in Paris. Meanwhile, Pierce will be playing in a Grand Slam final for the fifth time in her career and first since taking the title in Paris five years ago. Pierce also won the title at the Australian Open 10 years ago, while losing in the Roland Garros final in 1994 and also in the championship match at the Aussie Open in 1997. "Five years ago, I was probably at the top of my game," Pierce said. "I was playing good tennis. I wasn't at my best yet, though. Still had some good experience already behind me. And then my first final here in '94 was my first final, so nervous. Couldn't sleep the night before. I'm like, 'Oh, my gosh, my French isn't that great and I have to do a French in speech. What am I going to say?' I kept thinking that more than my match." Despite injuries and other setbacks to her professional career, Pierce has continued fighting and feels her efforts are finally paying off. "I had something inside of me when I had my injuries that was telling me, 'You know, you're not done. There's something for you to do in tennis, still some things for you to accomplish, still some things for you to accomplish in tennis.'" Pierce said. "I don't know what that meant. I don't still know what that means today. It could be the results on the court, it could be something else. I just listened to that." Though she was unable to reach the finals, Likhovtseva's efforts over the last two weeks finally pushed the Russian player into a Grand Slam semifinal in her 46th Slam appearance. She was able to defeat No.18 seed Silvia Farina Elia, last year's runner-up and No.4 seed Elena Likhovtseva, along with rally to defeat upstart Bulgarian teen Sesil Karatanthceva in order to reach the last four in Paris. "I couldn't put myself into the game," Likhovtseva said of facing Pierce. "I didn't dictate it. So I think I didn't put her in defense, and that was the key moment."

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Henin-Hardenne, Pierce to Play for Top Prize in Paris Two former champions will duke it out on Saturday in order to claim a second women's singles title at Roland Garros. 2003 winner Justine Henin-Hardenne and 2000 champion Mary Pierce have survived the field of 128 in order to play for the title in Paris. Henin-Hardenne moved into the championship match with a 62 63 victory against No.7 seed Nadia Petrova, while Pierce quickly sailed into Saturday's finale with a 61 61 route of No.16 seed Elena Likhovtseva.

CONFERENCE FINALS PHOENIX (1) vs. SAN ANTONIO (2) Gm 1: SAS 121, PHO 114 | 300k | Post. Gm 2: SAS 111, PHO 108 | 300k | Post. Gm 3: SAS 102, PHO 92 | 300k | Post. Gm 4: PHO 111, SAS 106 | 300k | Post. Gm 5: SAS 101, PHO 95 | 300k | Post. MIAMI (1) vs. DETROIT (2) Gm 1: DET 90, MIA 81 | 300k | Postgame Gm 2: MIA 92, DET 86 | 300k | Postgame Gm 3: MIA 113, DET 104 | 300k | Post. Gm 4: DET 106, MIA 96 | 300k | Post. Gm 5: at MIA, Thu., June 2, 8:00, TNT Gm 6: at DET, Sat., June 4, 8:00, TNT *Gm 7: at MIA, Mon., June 6, 8:00, TNT

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Поздравляем, Асмик Джан! С новой должностью !!! Удачи на новом посту!!!

:lol: