Теннис

[Vardan]

In search of Mariano Puerta

Friday, June 3, 2005

French Open semi-finalist and clay court specialist Mariano Puerta has enjoyed a checkered career to date. We profile the 27 year old southpaw who remains relatively unknown outside his native Argentina.

Born in San Francisco in the state of Cordoba, Mariano's love for tennis came from his father, a coach, and from watching the exploits of Guillermo Vilas on television. By 18 he was among the top twenty players in the world and a regular Davis Cup player before a wrist injury sent his career into tailspin. "Mariano was very popular in Argentina before that injury. But then he just disappeared off the radar for a while", says Alfredo Bernardi from Argentina's "La Nacion" newspaper.

2003 isn't a year Mariano will forget in a hurry. Firstly, in January, he stepped out of an elevator on the 20th floor after hearing strange noises just seconds before the lift went crashing to earth. Had he stayed in the elevator he would have certainly died that day.

Then, in February, he tested positive for clenbuterol at the Viña del Mar tournament in Chile and picked up a nine month suspension. The ban was reduced from 2 years when he convinced the ATP authorities the substance was used to treat asthma, brought on by stress. "My only error in this whole affair was not to inform the ATP about my asthma" says Puerta. The ban took Puerta hard, sending him into depression as he slipped outside the top 400 and put on 15 kilos..

He returned to action at the Challenger tournament in San Benedetto Del Tronto in Italy on 5 July 2004 and reached the 3rd round. Since then he has played 34 tournaments, 32 of which have been on his beloved clay. Until this week his best performance came in Casablanca where he took the laurels and in Buenos Aires when he lost out in the final to compatriot Gaston Gaudio. His previous best showing at Roland Garros was a third round finish in 2000....

Translation: David Spratt (Sportstranslations)

[Vardan]

Here comes the new Mary !

Friday, June 3, 2005

When she was just a girl, Mary Pierce was sent from American to Roland Garros to train. She didn't speak a lick of French and often cried herself to sleep.Now Roland Garros has become the Frenchwoman's sanctuary, the place where she trains prays and has had her most success. On Saturday, she will play her third final here against 2003 champion Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Eleven years ago as a spry 21-year-old, Pierce shocked Steffi Graf in the semis before being run out of the building by Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the final. But she kept churning and in 2000, put on her most rousing Slam performance ever, beating down Monica Seles in the quarterfinals, No. 1 Martina Hingis in the semifinals and Conchita Martinez in the final for the title.

But just after that, she suffered a series of devastating injuries and lost her elite form. That she's even made it back to the final at age in 30 in or world of fleet hard hitters in amazing. Thinking about a third Slam title had the tall blonde smiling ear to ear.

"That would be unbelievable. I'd probably just sit here and not know what to say," she said. "I believe in myself, and the few people that believe in me that I have in my life have really helped me a lot to get where I am. That's why I'm here today, is because I had something inside of me when I had my injuries that was telling me, 'You're not done.' There's still something for you to do in tennis."

It's been Pierce's decision to return to Paris to train that arguably has keyed her run here. A few years back, she rejoined the French Fed Cup team and grew much closer with other French players, as well as the then captain, Yannick Noah. She said that being part of a team rejuvenated her personally, as it took away the sting from the years of lonely travel that she had to endure.

It was during her time on the Fed Cup team where she met her current trainer, Xavier Moreau, who has helped sculpt her body back into shape and has aided her with her footwork. She's also now working occasionally with current Fed Cup captain Georges Goven.

"I think she's in great shape right now," Henin-Hardenne said. "And mentally she's very strong because she loves to play here at the French Open. She won it a few years ago, so she has a great motivation to go to the final and then try to win this tournament. So it's going to be a tough mission."

During the month before the tournament, Pierce spent all of her time at Roland Garros when she wasn't off playing events. Before the tournament began, the heavily religious Pierce asked officials to reserve a special room for her in the locker room, where she could have some peaceful time and maybe to pray with her coach, and brother, David.

"It's easy to be her coach, we're brother and sister and we get along," David told tennisreporters.net. "I'm here for her only. I think she became tired of just travelling with a stranger. And she knows I'm not interested in getting paid. It's good to know the person that is with you is there for pure love."

Pierce has come along way since she first started on tour, when she a super shy and confused girl who was under the dominating thumb of her abusive father and coach, Jim, who was once banned from the tour. She eventually broke away from him and took control of her life, involving herself in a long engagement with baseball player Roberto Alomar, that ended in a trying break-up. Before moving back to Paris (she also spends a fair amount of time at her home in Brandeton, Florida), she also spent a lonely year living at a hotel in Amsterdam.

She and her brother have made up with their father and when they are in Florida, Mary will let him watch her practice and has lunch at his house almost every day.

"He's changed drastically," David said. "He's repentant. He's a kinder, gentler person, and he's in his twilight years."

Mary has been avoiding the twilight of her career all tournament long.

She scored solid wins over a talented group that includes Vera Zvonareva, Patty Schnyder, top seed Lindsay Davenport and Elena Likhovtseva.

"Five years ago, you could say, [i was] at the top of my game," Pierce said. "Physically, at 25, you're not too young where you don't have any experience and you're not too old where physically you recover pretty well. "[in] My first final, [i was] 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 speech in French. What am I going to say?' I was just kind of out there and just going for every ball. "[Today], I'm just like everybody else. I just play tennis. I work hard and I do the best that I can every day on the court and also off the court. I have a lot of experience behind me on the court and off the court as well."

Pierce will need all the experience she can get in the final, as she's 0-3 against Henin-Hardenne, who's on a 23-match winning streak on clay. Pierce can't afford to get in a lot of long rallies with the quick and lethal Belgian, but if she serves well and can cut losses on her returns, she has a decent shot at winning.

"Nobody is unbeatable. Nothing is impossible," Pierce said.

With all she's been through, it's incredible that Pierce has returned to the center stage of the tournament where she broke through in 1994. But she's kept her chin up and is sure to play the final with a tremendous amount of spirit.

"It's been difficult, but we're never really faced with things we can't handle," she said. "We're not going to be handed more than we can handle. I feel like I've been stretched to my limits, but that's where you have the greatest growth."

[Vardan]

Mary - Justine: dreaming of a second title

Friday, June 3, 2005

Mary Pierce (n°21) and Justine Henin-Hardenne (n°10) will both be playing in their 5th Grand Slam Final this Saturday. Both have already won in Paris and both are dreaming of a second title. The Belgian starts as favourite but the 30 year-old French girl has hit a rich vein of form this week.

Many women have already retired from the circuit by age 30. But Mary Pierce has played some of the best tennis of her career over the past fortnight: witness her performances against Vera Zvonareva (11th), Patty Schnyder (10th), Lindsay Davenport (1st) and Elena Likhovtseva (19th). The French woman is currently hitting at least as well as when she won here in 2000, obviously reaping the rewards of her intense physical preparation with French Fed Cup coach Xavier Moreau. She is hitting the ball sweetly and her left ankle which gave her problems against Patty Schnyder has healed. But brother and coach David still fears a resurgence of a recent adductor injury: "It's a mixed blessing" he says. "Without this injury she would move easier on the court. But at the same time she is concentrating on her movement and hitting the ball freely".

After a 2004 and early 2005 peppered with injuries, Justine Henin-Hardenne is relishing her return to the tour. The former world No.1 is unbeaten in four clay court tournaments: Charleston, Warsaw, Berlin and now Paris ; going 23 games without defeat. Her confidence couldn't be better having saved 2 match points against Svetlana Kuznetsova (7th) in her last sixteen game and breezing past Maria Sharapova (2nd) and Nadia Petrova (9th) in the quarters and semis. But she has spent more time on court than Mary (11 hours 42 minutes versus 8 hours 54 minutes).

Every bit as strong as Serena or Lindsay Davenport from the baseline, Mary has a deft volley and a biting serve. If she can take the game to Justine by killing the rallys early she can get the upper hand. But Justine is without doubt the most talented performer on the women's circuit. Sublime technique, a geourgous one-handed backhand and heavy groundstrokes despite her lightweight frame make her a formidable opponent. She can hit winners all over the court and pick up points with killer dropshots. Mary will have to go after her second serve and take every chance that comes her way.

Justine and Mary have met three times and Justine has won each time, though each encounter dates back to the period when the latter was in a state of grace. In 2003 she took the laurels in the quarters in Charleston (6-2, 6-3), then in the last sixteen at Wimbledon (6-3, 6-3). Last year they met at the Olympics and Justine won (6-4, 6-4) in the quaters. The difference this week is that Mary's form has never been better.

[Vardan]

Pierce – Henin-Hardenne spark buzz

Friday, June 3, 2005

French woman Mary Pierce and neighbouring Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne will enter the court on Saturday aiming for the women's singles trophy as both nation's adoring fans battle for bragging rights supremacy.

"We like Belgium and we love Justine but don't push it," laughed Frenchman Jean-Aimé Venault. I'm for Mary all the way. I have Belgian friends. I'm going to call them to begin the mind game."

Odylle, a young French supporter, echoed the same sentiment. "At 30 years of age, Mary deserves to win a third Grand Slam. Had Mary not been in the final, I would have supported Justine. But how can you not throw your support behind the Frenchwoman?"

History serves as a reminder that Belgians have always been looked upon with disdain and often arrogance by the neighbouring French.

Most of the time, Belgians have to endure silly jokes about Brussels sprouts, Belgian chocolate or Belgian beer.

How to make a Belgian become crazy? Put him in a round room and tell him the French fries are hidden in a corner. Why are Belgians smaller than French babies? Because they are the only ones who were born in Brussels sprouts. How to recognize a Belgian gangster? He's the one who robbed a Casino and ran away with the chips.

Just a sample of the overwhelming jokes the French pull on their neighbours all year long.

"This time around, we will be doing all the jokes when Justin wins it", said Bernard Feytmans, an avid Belgian tennis fan. "Usually, the French tease us around.They always brag about everything. When they won the World cup and European championships, my French friends went nuts. But I'll be doing the teasing this time. I can't wait," he added.

Despite their conflicting relationship, there has never been bad blood between the two founding nations of the 25-member European Union. Belgians often invade France's many charming retreats in the summer and always cherish Parisian nightlife.

Once again, come Saturday, a multitude of adoring fans will make the trip to Paris to cheer on as their star Justine Henin-Hardenne battles on for a second Roland Garros trophy.

And the vast majority is adamantly convinced that their "protégé" will accomplish that feat.

"Justine is sensational," said Philippe Loumaye, the President of a tennis club back in Belgium. She is going to win Roland Garros. Only an accident can stop her from doing so. I don't see Pierce go all the way. Things really don't look good for the French," he concluded.

[Vardan]

Santoro – Hantuchova capture mixed doubles crown

Friday, June 3, 2005

Whatever the outcome of the women's singles clash between Mary Pierce and Justine Henin-Hardenne on Saturday, there will be a French champion at Roland Garros 2005. Fabrice Santoro made sure of that on Friday as he paired with Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova to lift the mixed doubles trophy for the first time.

Santoro and Hantuchova came back from a set down to defeat American Martina Navratilova and Indian Leander Paes, the No.6 seed, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on a deserted Suzanne Lenglen Court.

The Slovakian/French pair capped an amazing two-weeks here, eliminating four seeded teams en route to their victory including the No.1 seeds Australian Renae Stubbs and Canadian Daniel Nestor in the second round.

The 32-year-old Santoro and his 22-year-old partner broke in the opening game to go up 3-1 but Navratilova and Paes restored parity to even the match at 3-3.

The Indian and the US player went ahead as they took their opponent's delivery in the eighth game to go up 5-3 and sealed the opening set in the following game.

Up 4-3 in the second, Santoro and Hantuchova made a decisive break to even things out at one set apiece.

Paes and Navratilova upped the tempo, breaking in the second game of the decider after a spectacular rally to go up 2-0. But they literally disintegrated as Santoro and Hantuchova reeled off the last six games of the match to notch the victory.

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[M.Vahe]

Полуфиналы смотрел Вардан?

Думаю Надаль выграет.

[Shadow]

Полуфиналы смотрел Вардан?

Думаю Надаль выграет.

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Так и произошло

игра была супер красивой.

жаль, в другой полуфинальной встрече Давиденко проиграл

[Vardan]

Я думаю Что Надаль Возглавит ATP Indesit Race 2005

[Vardan]

Полуфиналы смотрел Вардан?

Думаю Надаль выграет.

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Да он вышел в финал!!!

[Vardan]

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Edited June 4, 2005 by Vardan

[Vardan]

[Vardan]