Paris In The Spring - RG Days 14, 15

by Savannah

Rafael Nadal comes back from an injury plagued 2009 - something often mentioned only in passing by the talking heads - to win Monte Carlo, Roma, Madrid, and as one fan put it the Red Slam, Roland Garros. After his victory Rafael sobbed uncontrollably on the sideline in what I imagine was both relief and glee. Congratulations to Rafael and his team.

Some were saying that the women's final didn't have to be played, that the trophy should just be handed to a bigger, stronger, and harder hitting Samantha Stosur since diminutive Francesca Schiavone had a snowballs chance in hell of beating the Australian woman. It amazes me how the experts forget important things about players. One of the important things they overlooked was that Stosur has a bad habit of getting brain freeze during important matches and that while it hadn't been in evidence so far in the tournament it could show up at any time. Samantha had beaten Justine Henin and Serena Williams on her way to the final and I understand the mindset. I mean when you beat the reigning number one you should go on to win the tournament. I guess no one told Franny she was supposed to lose. Reports are she was emotional before taking the court but once there she played the match of her life. One tweeter commented that Fed Cup Franny had shown up and indeed she had. Stosur seemed unable to adjust her tactics, the one's that had gotten her there, and it was Franny who, after giving homage to the terre battue, hoisted the trophy to the cheers of family and friends in the stands. Congratulations to her and her team.

They Are the Champions

In the Junior Boys final Argentina's Agustin Velotti defeated Andrea Collarini of the United States. In the ultimate irony Collarini, born in the United States, was raised in Argentina and only recently began to play for the U.S.

Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine defeated Ons Jabeur of Tunisia to win the Junior Girls championship.


Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic show off their trophies and the reasons they do what they do after winning the men's doubles title at the French Open.

Venus Williams and Serena Williams won the women's doubles crown putting them at the top of the women's tour in both singles and doubles.

Timea Babos of Hungary and Sloane Stephens of the United States won the junior girl's title.

Duilio Beretta of Peru and Roberto Quiroz of Ecuador won the junior boy's championship



Esther Vergeer won the womens wheelchair trophy. Shingo Kuniega of Japan won the men's title.

Daniela di Toro of Australia, and Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands defeated Esther Vergeer and Sharon Walraven for the women's wheelchair doubles crown.