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Roland Garros 2008
RFI is courtside to bring us all the action during the 2008 clay court championship. Paul Meyers and Judith Prescott give their personal takes on each day's events, from 25 May to 8 June.
Roland Garros
Nadal v Federer - less a slugfest than a dissection
Increasingly it has been becoming clear that those who love tennis are extremely fortunate to be alive at a time when we have an artist among players in Federer and a supreme technician of the clay court game in Nadal ... Paul Myers witnesses the triumphant end of the French Open.
2008-06-08 17:01 TU
Roland Garros
Nadal 'vamos-es' Djokovic in straight sets
Rafael Nadal spices up the men's semi-finals Friday with appropriate cries of 'vamos' to jump to the finals. RFI's Paul Meyers uses his legendary Vamosometer to measure up Nadal's success today.
2008-06-08 16:52 TU
Roland Garros
Clenched fists, raised knees and cries in all sorts of languages
On Friday I’m going to set up a Vamosometer. Marks out of ten will be given for tennistic interpretation and intimidation ... Paul Myers on the exclamations and gestures that define today's tennis.
2008-06-05 16:26 TU
Roland Garros
Touchy-feely tennis in the middle of Paris
Pols and pros came out to the centre of Paris on Wednesday to 'make tennis accessible' for the regular people. Paul Myers gets all warm and fuzzy on a brisk June day as the Hotel de Ville is kitted out with a temporary tennis court and free Roland Garros courtside action via a giant screen.
2008-06-04 16:56 TU
Roland Garros 2008
Safina outshines Sharapova, Paris loves it
Paul Myer's reflects on Tuesday's surprise match, when Russian 13th seed Dinara Safina beat Maria Sharapova, with the support of the Parisian crowd behind her.
2008-06-03 19:22 TU
Roland Garros
Will Federer be singing the blues?
Roger Federer has been called the greatest tennis player ever, but a Roland Garros crown continues to elude him. Could this year make the difference, or will Federer again sing the blues? Paul Meyers muses on day 9 of the French Open.
2008-06-04 16:46 TU
Roland Garros
Tennis legends who are still courtside
Paul Myers mixes with tennis legends: "I looked around and it was Martina Navratilova, winner of 40 billion singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles. Pressed as I was to get my piece ready for the impending broadcast, I thought I should devote a few seconds to a woman I used to watch on TV at Wimbledon when I was a kid in London."
2008-05-31 16:00 TU
Roland Garros
Fighting spirit of girls on top
That’s the kind of combative spirit you need to do well at the top. It probably separates the women from the girls - so to speak. Well, on Friday one of the girls thrashed one of the women ... Paul Myers reports on stiff competition and tennis's human side
2008-05-30 15:46 TU
Roland Garros
Play gets underway but a gusty day puts players off their stroke
Wind threatened players on the court at Roland Garros while Paul Meyers reflected on women's tennis, predicting the future, and Orwellian policing of spectators who don't sit in their seats for most of the match.
2008-05-28 15:36 TU
Roland Garros
The French Tennis Open, open for business
For the third day of play on Tuesday, rain interrupted play at the Roland Garros stadium in Boulogne, a well-to-do suburb to the west of Paris. Looking through the water drops, our reporter there was inspired by sport's commercial side to reflect on top players' past and future glory.
2008-05-27 16:03 TU
Roland Garros
Rain and play
They love an underdog at Roland Garros. And so the crowd cheered every winning combination that Roger Federer drew from his bag of tricks. The Swiss world number is been decidedly second best on both occasions to the Spanish clay court maestro, Rafael Nadal.
2008-05-26 17:43 TU
Roland Garros
Emotions run high on the opening day of the French Open
And on the second day, Monday, rain stopped play. Not before the American eighth seed Venus Williams managed to qualify for the second round at the Roland Garros stadium beating Israeli Tzipora Obziler in three sets 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. In the men's French player Michaël Llodra beat compatriot Olivier Patience in four sets 3-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 7-5.
2008-05-26 14:34 TU
Roland Garros
It ain't easy playing against the cream of the crop
Paul Myers meets the young hopefuls of the clay court. Cue Takanyi Garanganga, playing in the junior boys’ event: "You’ve got to remember that the lads playing at Roland Garrros are the cream of the crop from their respective lands."
2008-06-01 15:58 TU
