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ROLAND GARROS: Clijsters, Williams headline Monday action

/noticias.info/ By Andrew Bogusch
Sunday, May 28, 2006

Roland Garros 2006 hits its full stride Monday with action across the grounds. Two former women's finalists and two trendy picks on the men's side are among those in action…

(2) Kim Clijsters (BEL) v Virginie Razzano (FRA)
Two-time runner-up Clijsters begins her tournament against Razzano, a 23-year-old Frenchwoman to whom she has not dropped a set in three previous encounters. After battling an ankle injury earlier this year, the former world No1 seemed to find her form by claiming the Warsaw title earlier this month. She beat three seeds along the way, including Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. But Clijsters faltered recently in Rome, losing in the third round in straight sets to Dinara Safina.

This will be Razzano's eighth consecutive appearance in the main draw. She reached the third round here for the third time last year, losing in three sets to Lindsay Davenport. The world No66 will need her best form and help from the Parisian crowd to challenge Clijsters.

(11) Venus Williams (USA) v Sybille Bammer (AUT)
Roland Garros is just Williams' fourth event of the year, but she arrives in Paris off two solid outings on clay. In Warsaw, she defeated Martina Hingis en route to the quarter finals. And in Rome, Williams reached the final four with victories over Patty Schnyder and Jelena Jankovic. She bageled Hingis to begin their semi final, but lost 6-3 in the third.

The 26-year-old Bammer is making her Roland Garros main draw debut after failing to qualify the previous three years. Bammer played in Berlin two weeks ago and made the round of 16, where she fell to Kuznetsova. Williams seems to have clear sailing into the third round.

(6) Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) v Vincent Spadea (USA)
Davydenko hopes to take the first step towards matching his semi final appearance here last year when he takes on the veteran American. Just yesterday, Davydenko completed a solid run through Poertschach with a 6-0 6-3 defeat of Andrei Pavel in the final. The soon-to-be 25-year-old did not drop a set in the tournament. Davydenko's exploits in Austria were preceded by a runner-up in Estoril and a quarter final finish in Hamburg. His solid spring on clay has cemented Davydenko's place among the main competitors here.

Whereas his higher profile compatriots have struggled on clay, Spadea has been fairly consistent in Paris. He has won at least one match in each of his last four visits and, along with Andre Agassi in 2003, was the last American man to reach the third round here. However, after making the quarter finals in Houston last month, Spadea dropped his opening round matches in Barcelona, Estoril and Poertschach.

These two have split two previous meetings on clay with the Russian winning the latest, earlier this year in Estoril. Davydenko should dispatch the 31-year-old, but how easily he does so may determine his Roland Garros success. He needs to conserve as much energy as possible with Carlos Moya, Gaston Gaudio and David Nalbandian looming down the road.

Nicolas Almagro (ESP) v Wayne Arthurs (AUS)
This is Almagro's third Roland Garros, but the first as a feared opponent for the 20-year-old Spaniard. Before losing in the second round last week in Poertschach, Almagro won in Valencia, reached the Barcelona semi finals and made the quarter finals in Rome. Those last two losses were to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, respectively. Almagro hopes to meet James Blake in the next round.

Arthurs hopes to end some bad luck in Paris in what could be his final year on Tour, having lost three straight years in the opening round. The 35-year-old Australian had to go through qualifying after losing the nation's wild card playoff to Nathan Healey. It would be a major surprise if Arthurs is able to end his string of early exits. notas_de_prensa_archivo