Courtside Notebook
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
FAST OR SLOW? Two-time defending champion Roger Federer and 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt had a debate of sorts yesterday after their first-round victories.
The world no. 1 said a heavy rain yesterday morning had quickened the courts since the sunny, hot weekend, when Federer noticed during practice that the bounces were high and true. “I had the feeling this was playing like years before,” he said after beating Paul-Henri Mathieu, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
Not so, said Hewitt. “It was pretty slow, very slow,” he said after making short work of Christophe Rochus, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. “It’s going to quicken up over the next two weeks, you know, the more play it gets on it.”
Their differences between Hewitt and Federer could continue until the semifinals, where the Swiss would be the overwhelming favorite.
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HEARD ON COURT 13 A frustrated James Blake, who was given a wildcard after recovering from numerous injuries, lost his cool during the fourth set of his 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(6), 7-6(4) first-round loss to Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic.
“You’re more sure about that one than the other eight you missed?” he said to chair umpire Emmanuel Messina after Hernych hit a forehand that Blake believed was wide. Blake said his opponent had suffered poor calls, too. “You’ve missed both ways. At least you are bad both ways.”
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RACKET PROTECTION PLAN How difficult is it to break a racket on grass? “You break the court faster than you break the racket, that’s for sure,” Marat Safin said. Safin had little reason to smash things yesterday, as he scored a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan. Next up for the Russian is former finalist Mark Philippoussis in what could be a thrilling second-round match tomorrow.
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AT LAST, MYSKINA WINS Anastasia Myskina was up to her old tricks yesterday, struggling to survive a first-round match against Katerina Bohmova, a qualifier from the Czech Republic. At Roland Garros last month, Myskina made history by becoming the first defending French Open champion to lose in the first round. This time, though, she pulled herself together in time for a 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4 victory. It’s been a horrible year for the Russian, but at least her personal life is beginning to look up. Her mother, who has been suffering from cancer, now has a good prognosis.
