Success on clay has remained a bit beyond Caroline Wozniacki’s reach so far.

One Premier tournament and one International tournament complete the Road to Roland Garros within striking distance of Paris.  None of the women involved are in serious contention for the clay season’s ultimate prize, but the absence of those elite names could lead to some tightly contested matches in playing fields without clear favorites.  I forwent predictions this time because your guess is as good as mine.  (Feel free to opine in the comments, as always.)

Brussels:

Top half:  Seven of the Brussels seeds will receive seeds in Paris next week, a strong statement considering the tournament’s placement on the eve of Roland Garros.  In need of a strong statement herself is top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who took a wildcard into the tournament following opening-round losses in Madrid and Rome.  Wozniacki has struggled on clay for most of her career but should aim to halt her skid before dropping outside the top ten.  Unfortunately for her, recurrent nemesis Julia Goerges lurks in the quarterfinals.  This German notably defeated Wozniacki to win the Stuttgart clay title two years ago, and she has added two more victories over the Dane since then.  Since she has impressed hardly more than Wozniacki has recently, though, one can’t entirely discount Swiss clay specialist Romina Oprandi or the qualifiers who litter this section.

None of the women in the second quarter has distinguished herself consistently on clay, although Arantxa Rus does own a Roland Garros victory over Kim Clijsters.  Having reached the second week of Roland Garros last year, the fourth-seeded Sloane Stephens looks to build upon her modestly encouraging effort in Rome.  There, Stephens won consecutive matches for the first time since defeating Serena Williams at the Australian Open.  Her depleted confidence resurfaced in a lopsided loss to Maria Sharapova, but a small tournament like Brussels offers a useful venue to rebuild that strength.  With fast-court specialists like Tsvetana Pironkova and Magdalena Rybarikova around her, Stephens might face her stiffest resistance from Peng Shuai.  The Chinese double-fister won their only previous meeting, also on clay, but Stephens has improved markedly in the two years since then.

Bottom half:  By far the most intriguing first-round match of the draw pits third-seeded Dominika Cibulkova against Kaia Kanepi.  This battle of 2012 Roland Garros quarterfinalists will feature a contrast of styles between the compact, agile Slovak and the robust, heavy-hitting Estonian.  Never have they met on clay, while Kanepi has won two of three matches overall.  Of some lesser note is a potential second-round clash between Varvara Lepchenko and Stefanie Voegele.  The American upset Schiavone at Roland Garros last year and has continued the clay success atypical among her compatriots this year with two victories over Roberta Vinci.  For her part, Voegele reached the semifinals of Charleston on green clay, although she has won only one match on red clay.   Kanepi defeated Lepchenko last fall before the injuries that sidelined her for several months, so an upset of Cibulkova could open her draw.

Probably disappointing many Belgian fans, their two leading women would meet as early as the second round in their home tournament.  Both have achieved more success on grass and hard courts than on clay, and both open against rising American stars.  Having upset Li Na in Madrid as a lucky loser, Madison Keys will aim to snuff out home hope Kirsten Flipkens in a match of baseline first strikes against all-court craft.  Belgian No. 2 Yanina Wickmayer faces a somewhat easier assignment in the form of Jamie Hampton, who has not won a match in a clay main draw this year.  Awaiting one of the Belgians in the quarterfinals is second-seeded Roberta Vinci, an artisan of traditional clay-court tennis.  Vinci has not found her best form for much of the spring but did win a small event in Katowice, Poland.

Strasbourg:

Top half:  Atop the draw is French No. 1 Marion Bartoli, who has emitted the occasional burst of inspiration on home soil.  The eccentric double-fister reached the Roland Garros semifinals two years ago, although clay usually hampers her style of staccato points and quick strikes.  Two rising stars could challenge her in this section, compatriot Caroline Garcia and Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard.  The former just won a clay challenger at Cagnes-sur-Mer, while the latter notched a significant victory over Laura Robson on the green clay of Charleston.  First-time champions in 2013, Memphis titlist Marina Erakovic and Florianopolis titlist Monica Niculescu will seek to end spring losing streaks when they meet in the first round.  Neither can match Bartoli’s talent, but either could befuddle one of the youngsters.

Another Frenchwoman holds the highest seed in the second quarter, and world No. 30 Alize Cornet’s game suits clay more effectively than Bartoli’s style.  The mixture of qualifiers and fellow Frenchwomen surrounding her will turn few heads, while Chanelle Scheepers will not overpower Cornet.  The latter two women bring similar patterns of results to Strasbourg.  Before she fell to Melanie Oudin in Rome qualifying, though, Scheepers did reach a clay semifinal in Marrakech and upset Jelena Jankovic on the surface in Madrid.  Last year’s runner-up here, Cornet reached a somewhat more significant clay semifinal in Acapulco this February but suffered a loss to an Italian wildcard in Rome.

Bottom half:  Following a mid-career surge, Hsieh Su-Wei has embedded herself within the top 50 and holds the fourth seed here.  An opening match against promising German talent Annika Beck intrigues, as does a possible quarterfinal meeting with the elegant Daniela Hantuchova.  Handed a wildcard into Madrid, Hantuchova made the most of the opportunity by upsetting Petra Kvitova en route to the final 16.  Also in this section is Karolina Pliskova, a heavy server who nearly won her first title this year at Kuala Lumpur and defeated Kanepi on the clay of Portugal.

Perhaps worth more attention than the seeds in the lowest quarter, some of the unseeded entrants could score an upset or two.  For the rest of her career, Virginie Razzano will struggle to trump the achievement of defeating Serena Williams at Roland Garros, which probably resulted in her wildcard here.  Aligned against Czech doubles specialist Lucie Hradecka in a first-round match to watch, Garbine Muguruza aims to notch her first clay main-draw win in a season when she has reached the fourth round at both Indian Wells and Miami.  In the shadow of compatriots like Stephens and Keys, sixth-seeded Christina McHale continues to seek traction in her comeback from mononucleosis.  Second-seeded Tamira Paszek has lost 11 of her last 12 matches and seems unlikely to increase that total suddenly here.

***

Capsules on the Roland Garros contenders will follow this week before the draws appear on Friday.

Oh, what a shame that all good things must come to an end. I have a feeling I’ve said that before — even though I don’t exactly agree with it. I mean, not ALL good things come to an end, do they? Well, let’s not get super deep and philosophical with that comment … I’m just going to stick to my good old blogging guns.

More of the beautiful city of Prague

It’s been a good week for me here in Prague: finals of doubles and semifinals of singles. My opponent Alexandra Cadantu played a great match — so good, that I hope she wins in the finals so I can say that I lost to the tournament winner. That would feel pretty good.

As all of my days have been in Prague, yesterday continued the trend of being another interesting one.

I woke up already knowing that I had a bit of a different schedule than the previous days. Instead of my usual mid-morning routine where I would wake up and head to the courts, I actually had time to CHILL. Now, ya’ll may think that I chill all the time, but my match wasn’t till 3:30pm. What to do to until then?

Well, I’ll tell you exactly what I did:

1. Homework: I am finishing my degree! Indiana East University is hooking me up with an awesome online degree program that goes through the WTA that I just couldn’t resist. Pretty cool, huh?

2. Receipts: Us tennis players get to write off almost all of our expenses. It’s great, but it also means we have to literally keep every receipt, and write every single little thing down.

3. Oui, oui: A friend of mine lent me Rosetta Stone in French which means I get to touch up on some of my French before I head over to Paris

Alright, so that was actually just my morning. Want to hear about what I continued with after my match?

1. Stretching: No matter what, I always stretch for a long time after a match. It prevents me from getting stiff, and also releases the lactic acid buildup.

2. Flights: I had to book a flight to France — and with less than 24 hours before take off! No sweat …

3. Hotel: Confirm that (a) My current hotel in Prague is not charging me like crazy, and (b) Make sure that I have my France hotel taken care of.

4. Collection: I had to pick up my prize money (which is always nice), then get my string from the stringer, and also make sure I didn’t leave absolutely anything in the locker room.

5. Food: I always try and make sure that I have some food no later than 30 minutes after a match. They had some fabulous food for the players here. But this time, they decided to treat me with a little something special for having a good week.

Irina Falconi’s surprise from the tournament

And last but not least.

6. The Goodbye: I had to make my rounds around the club thanking every single person with a handshake, a hug, or a wave. I leave with fond memories and Prague will definitely be missed.

Well friends, I’m off to Paris! I tell you the same I told my sister yesterday: “I’ll see you in Paris, tomorrow.” You know, as one does when they travel. I will write you guys from Roland Garros!

Au revoir!

-IF

The flamboyant Fabio Fognini leaps back into action on the French Riviera.

Only the intrepid and the desperate play the week between a Masters 1000 tournament and a major, where the 250 events in Nice and Dusseldorf fall.  Rarely does a player who forges deep into one of these tournaments carry that success onto a stage with a brighter spotlight.  Thus, these draws feature struggling players searching for momentum or clay specialists seeking to squeeze every opportunity to gain rankings points out of their favorite season.  Now that the dust has settled on Madrid and Rome, Nice and Dusseldorf conclude the crushed-brick Road to Roland Garros in gentler fashion.

Nice:

Top half:  Decapitated with the withdrawal of top seed Tomas Berdych, the draw at this Mediterranean tournament now lacks any man in the top 15.  The only seed in the top quarter, Marcel Granollers, may feel some of the fatigue that forced Berdych out of Nice, for he reached the quarterfinals in Rome last week.  His success there impresses more from a distance than on closer inspection, built upon a Murray retirement and ending with a demolition by Benoit Paire.  Granollers could face Carlos Berlocq, an Argentine who won a set from Nadal on South American clay but has done little on the European terre battue.  Gifted a bye into the second round with Berdych’s withdrawal, Albert Montanes has accomplished little in 2013 after a tepid 2012 at the ATP level.  Another Spaniard, Barcelona quarterfinalist Albert Ramos, won a set from Wawrinka in Portugal and has developed more consistency this year than many of the men around him.

The third-seeded Sam Querrey rarely has enjoyed his trips to Europe despite winning the occasional small event such as Belgrade and Queens Club.  Less formidable away from home, he submitted perfunctory efforts while losing in the opening rounds of Madrid and Rome.  But Querrey has landed in a mild section of the draw, only a qualifier standing between him and the quarterfinals.  There, he could face Lithuanian phenom Ricardas Berankis, whom he dismantled in the Los Angeles final last year.  Perhaps a more likely opponent, Denis Istomin has troubled Querrey on faster surfaces while winning two of their five career meetings.  Their first clay match might not happen if Alejandro Falla deploys his superior clay skills effectively.  The best clay player in this quarter, Falla has lost twice to Querrey on indoor hard courts this year and has enjoyed scant recent success even on his favorite surface.

Semifinal:  Granollers vs. Querrey

Bottom half:  Another American who can grow weary in his travels, John Isner has flickered into form only sporadically this year.  He did win a title on red clay in Houston, defeating creditable clay specialists in the process, and he remains the only man to play a fifth set against Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.  Frequently contesting tiebreaks, Isner will feel confident that he can extend the record-breaking tiebreak losing streak of Robin Haase in the second round (currently 17 and counting).  As did Roland Garros, Nice has handed home hope Gael Monfils a wildcard to ease his ongoing comeback from a host of injuries.  Unable to gain any sustained traction this year, Monfils received no favors from a draw that pits him against Fabio Fognini in the second round.  The Italian reached the semifinals of Monte Carlo with victories over two top-ten opponents, establishing himself as one of the surprise threats to watch at Roland Garros.  Last fall, Fognini took Isner deep into a final set on an indoor hard court, so he will expect to reverse that result on clay.

Defeated twice by Fognini at clay Masters 1000 tournaments this spring, his countryman Andreas Seppi looks to mitigate the damage from losing his Rome quarterfinal points.  Seppi faces an intriguing early test against Madrid semifinalist Pablo Andujar, who had won just five matches since the US Open before recording the best result of his career two weeks ago.  These men should engage in a classic battle of clay-court grinders, but others skilled in the art of attrition populate this quarter as well.  While Lleyton Hewitt essentially has passed his expiration date, the second-seeded Gilles Simon has become the title favorite in the wake of Berdych’s withdrawal.  Almost overcoming Murray in Madrid, Simon quietly has reached the quarterfinals or better at six of eleven tournaments this year, including every 250.  Generally unremarkable in form, he has benefited from soft draws such as these, where consistency alone often proves sufficient.

Semifinal:  Fognini vs. Simon

Final:  Granollers vs. Fognini

Champion:  Fabio Fognini

Dusseldorf:

Top half:  Janko Tipsarevic has spent much of the clay season atop the draws of small tournaments, and he holds the top seed again despite his exit from the top ten.  An all-Serbian quarterfinal could await against Viktor Troicki, who has struggled even more than his countryman this year.  Troicki’s 2013 woes climaxed in Rome last week with a five-minute outburst after an errant line call, bringing him attention from a non-tennis audience for surely the first time.  Soon to defend fourth-round points at Roland Garros, David Goffin hopes to win consecutive matches for just the first time this year.  Most of the draw consists of Europeans, leaving Michael Russell as the only man from the Western Hemisphere.

If an all-Serbian bout could highlight the top quarter, an all-Russian contest will open play in the second quarter with Nikolay Davydenko facing a recently relevant Dmitry Tursunov.  Both Russians have left their best tennis several years behind them, a period in which Davydenko throttled his compatriot for the loss of one total set.  Into their first meeting since 2008, though, Tursunov may bring slightly better form with a shocking upset of David Ferrer in Barcelona a month ago.  But he retired from Rome qualifying last week, while Davydenko’s second-round opponent Tobias Kamke retired from his most recent match in Madrid.  Like Tursunov, Kamke has scored a top-eight upset this spring by toppling Juan Martin Del Potro in Miami.  The most consistent player in this section, and the best on clay, third-seeded Juan Monaco won just one match combined at Madrid and Rome.  He has struggled in third sets this spring but may not need to play any in the early rounds here.

Semifinal:  Tipsarevic vs. Monaco

Bottom half:  Shortly after winning his first career title in Bucharest, Lukas Rosol shows up as the fifth seed at an event of similar (in)significance.  Heavy servers populate his quarter, such as home hope Daniel Brands.  This German’s career highlight came from reaching the second week of Wimbledon in 2010, although he already has compiled four quarterfinals this year (two on clay).  The last of those runs came in Munich, suggesting that Brands shines on home soil, and it ended at the hands of a compatriot whom he could face in the quarterfinals here.  Munich runner-up Philipp Kohlschreiber should ease past the clay-averse Igor Sijsling en route to a meeting with Rosol or Brands, both of whom he has solved on clay before.  Adding some intrigue to the section is rising Russian star Evgeny Donskoy, who reached the third round of the Australian Open and won a set from Murray at Indian Wells.  Donskoy has not won an ATP match since then, however, including appearances at four clay tournaments.

Surprisingly solid on clay this year, the 35-year-old Tommy Haas anchors the draw as the second seed.  The Munich title thrilled this proud German in a touching moment for him, so a clay double on home soil would taste especially sweet.  Haas handled second-round opponent Ivan Dodig with ease in a Munich semifinal, but his Australian Open first-round contest against potential quarterfinal opponent Jarkko Nieminen ended in disaster.  After five grueling sets and a match point, Haas imploded against the persistent Scandinavian lefty, a quarterfinalist in Monte Carlo.  Nieminen played and lost consecutive matches to Ernests Gulbis at his last two clay tournaments, a more difficult matchup for him than his less powerful opponents here.  Of minor note is Chennai semifinalist Roberto Bautista-Agut, who upset Gilles Simon in Monte Carlo.  A wrist injury has sidelined Bautista-Agut since then and limited him to three clay matches this year.

Semifinal:  Kohlschreiber vs. Haas

Final:  Monaco vs. Haas

Champion:  Juan Monaco

Check back before Monday’s action starts for a preview of the women’s draws in Brussels and Strasbourg as their Road to Roland Garros concludes.

Madrid runner-up Stanislas Wawrinka might make his presence felt in Paris

While attention focuses annually on a small group of contenders, Roland Garros would be much less intriguing without the upset threats that populate each year’s draw.  A look at the contenders lies ahead next week, but the spotlight this weekend shines on the dark horses.  None of these men or women can win the title in Paris, almost certainly, so their triumphs will consist of stopping those who could.

ATP:

Stanislas Wawrinka:  Almost ranked too high to fit in this category, he cracked the top ten after reaching the final in Madrid.  There, Wawrinka recorded consecutive victories over top-eight opponents Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomas Berdych, rallying from multiple deficits in the latter match.  Well before then, the Swiss No. 2 had established himself as a formidable underdog by taking Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to final sets at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, respectively.  When the battlefield shifted to clay, he routed Andy Murray in Monte Carlo and David Ferrer to win the Portugal Open title.  Wawrinka’s resilient fitness and physical baseline style prepare him well for best-of-five on clay, although he never has reached the quarterfinals in Paris.  Nor has he ever won a set from Rafael Nadal.

Nicolas Almagro:  The third-ranked Spanish man struggled at the Masters 1000 clay tournaments, continuing a trend of futility at that level.  Almagro deserves inclusion here because of his three Roland Garros quarterfinal runs, all ended by losses to Nadal, and his finals appearance at the Barcelona 500 tournament.  During the overlooked clay season in North and South America, moreover, he reached the semifinals or better at three of four tournaments, holding set points against Nadal in Acapulco.  Almagro often has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, for he let a substantial early lead escape him when he faced Rafa in Barcelona.  That flaw emerged in equal proportion to his potential at the Australian Open, where he raced to within two points of the semifinal before surrendering an even larger lead.

Tommy Haas:  Thirty-five years young, the evergreen German soared to another title on home soil in Munich, losing only one set all week.  Haas brought that momentum to Madrid the next week, where he recorded impressively convincing victories over clay specialists Tommy Robredo and Andreas Seppi.  Able to win a set from Ferrer, whom he never has defeated, he arrived in Rome a bit weary and promptly exited to Mikhail Youzhny.  His decision to play another home tournament in Dusseldorf next week makes sense for the top-ranked German but will permit him no respite before Roland Garros.  Haas has won his most recent meetings against both Novak Djokovic and Federer, however, while he came closer than anyone to stopping the Swiss short of the career Grand Slam.

Jerzy Janowicz:  His game would seem more suited to fast courts like those at the Paris indoors, where he achieved his breakthrough last fall.  But Janowicz fitted his explosive weapons to the slow clay of Rome with impressive results, scoring top-ten upsets over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet.  Against Federer, far more proficient on clay, he imposed his mixture of bullet forehands and delicate drop shots well enough to nearly steal a set.  Janowicz sometimes reminds of Ernests Gulbis, who reached a Roland Garros quarterfinal before with a similar combination of power and finesse.  Until Rome, however, he had accomplished little on the surface with first-round losses in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.  And the restless Paris crowd may fray his raw emotions.

Fabio Fognini:  Like Almagro, this Italian opened his clay season in South America and soon struck a rich vein of form by reaching the Acapulco semifinals.  Taking a set from Ferrer there, Fognini also defeated Wawrinka in a result that presaged his Monte Carlo surge.  At the first of the clay Masters 1000 tournaments, this man who never had reached a quarterfinal at this level reached his first semifinal there.  Fognini did it the hard way, upsetting Berdych and Richard Gasquet in stunningly routine fashion.  Since then, the bloom of those successes has faded a bit with early exits over the next three weeks.  Fognini came close to reaching the Roland Garros quarterfinals two years ago, and he has played a series of memorable five-setters in Paris.

Grigor Dimitrov:  Sharapova’s leading man usually spurs parallels to Federer, particularly his serve and backhand.  Not yet worthy of the comparison, Dimitrov achieved the greatest feat of his career so far when he upset Djokovic in an epic, contentious three-setter of exceptional quality.  That Madrid breakthrough concluded a series of matches against top-five opponents that he gradually grew closer to winning.  Winning a set from Nadal in Monte Carlo, Dimitrov handled Rafa’s topspin much more effectively than the man on whom he modeled his game.  Outside nerve-induced cramps, his fitness and movement have improved dramatically over the last year.  Dimitrov has struggled to follow one impressive result with another, so an early Rome loss may bode well for Paris.  Never has he passed the second round of a major.

WTA:

Roberta Vinci:  Italians have built a recent tradition of exceeding expectations at Roland Garros, so this veteran aims to follow in the footsteps of Francesca Schiavone and Sara Errani.  A doubles titlist there with Errani, Vinci won the first edition of the Katowice clay event over Petra Kvitova and repeated that result while spearheading Italy’s Fed Cup victory a week later.  Benefited by a comfortable Rome draw, she reached the quarterfinals there despite a shaky start.  Even before the clay season, she had accumulated impressive results by reaching a Dubai semifinal and Miami quarterfinal.  Vinci’s veering backhand slice becomes especially lethal on clay, although she has suffered a series of first-round losses at Roland Garros and will want to stay away from Varvara Lepchenko, who has defeated her twice on clay recently.

Ana Ivanovic:  The 2008 Roland Garros champion already has accumulated more clay victories this year than in any other season since she won Paris and ascended to No. 1.  Ivanovic followed two Fed Cup victories and a quarterfinal in Stuttgart with a semifinal in Madrid, her best result at an event of that magnitude in over four years.  Defeating Angelique Kerber twice this clay season, she also won a set from Sharapova.  These achievements surprised in view of her meager results through February and March, but Ivanovic always has produced the unexpected.  In the wake of her Madrid run, she suffered an inexplicable opening loss in Rome to Urszula Radwanska, and that Madrid run itself might not have happened if not for the woeful serving of Laura Robson, whom she edged past in a third-set tiebreak.

Jelena Jankovic:  Echoing the exploits of her countrywoman, the elder Serb reached the quarterfinals in Rome with an upset over 2011 Roland Garros champion Li Na.  Jankovic also won her first 10 matches this year on clay as she swept past overmatched competition in Bogota and Charleston.  At the latter tournament, on green clay rather than the conventional terre battue, she even won a set from Serena Williams.  JJ fans will remind you that she often delivers the least when most is expected, while she lost early at the other two key WTA clay events in Stuttgart and Madrid.  Roland Garros has witnessed her most consistent results of any major, however, including three semifinals between 2007 and 2010.  Well past her peak now, can she turn back the clock?

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova:  Either very good or very bad this year, the Russian is the only woman outside the top four to win multiple titles.  The second of those came on the clay of Portugal, where she weathered two three-setters and early adversity in the final.  Pavlyuchenkova largely has kept in check a serve that can veer out of control, and she held three set points in each set of her loss to Azarenka in Madrid.  The guidance of new coach Martina Hingis could offer this former Roland Garros quarterfinalist the boost that she needs to score that type of upset, although this major notoriously eluded Hingis during her playing days.  If she gets past her first opponent in Paris, Pavlyuchenkova should keep building momentum from there.

Carla Suarez Navarro:   Armed with a backhand that recalls Justine Henin’s flamboyant stroke, she has risen to a career-high ranking this year with finals in Acapulco and Portugal.  Suarez Navarro also upset Samantha Stosur on European clay before advancing to the quarterfinals in Rome.  An underrated competitor, she excels in long matches and rallied to defeat Petrova there after saving two match points.  Suarez Navarro’s serve leaves her vulnerable to the massive returners at the top of the women’s game, but a similar flaw did not prevent Sara Errani from reaching the Roland Garros final last year.  Gone in the first week of her last three trips to Paris, she reached the quarterfinals as a qualifier in her first appearance there, winning as many matches as the eventual champion.

Kaia Kanepi:  Sidelined until April with injury, this two-time Roland Garros quarterfinalist found her form surprisingly soon .  Kanepi has not played on any surface but clay this year, which leaves her both well-adjusted and relatively fresh.  Three straight-sets victories carried her to the Portugal semifinals, while her most impressive achievement may have consisted of reaching the Madrid quarterfinals.  Among her victims there was Suarez Navarro, against whom she avenged a Portugal loss.  Kanepi did not play Rome but will return to action in Brussels next week.  Her playing style succeeds there for the same reasons that Sharapova won the title last year:  heavy ball-striking that penetrates even the slowest surfaces, combined with extra time to line up her targets.

And, to make it a baker’s dozen, let’s add…

Simona Halep:  Strong on clay in 2012, she reached the quarterfinals or better at three tournaments and finished runner-up in Brussels.  Halep had sunk to the status of an aspiring qualifier for key tournaments by the time that she arrived in Rome, where she enjoyed the strongest week of a WTA quaifier in recent memory.  Notching six straight victories to reach the quarterfinals, Halep demolished former Roland Garros champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, rallied past world No. 4 Radwanska, dominated Vinci, and mounted another comeback to edge past Jankovic after saving a match point.  That string of victories over players with far superior credentials popped plenty of eyes and will cause her ranking to soar, although probably not high enough for a Roland Garros seed.

It’s Friday right? Wow, when I tell you that I lose track of time whilst on the road, I’m not exaggerating one bit. I’m to the point where I need to have a calendar as the background on my phone — not joking!

I’ve been in Prague for what seems like two months already, but alas, it’s only been a wonderful … umm … ten days? I think? Maybe …

But hey, I don’t mind, because I’m pretty much loving Prague!

Irina Falconi around the grounds prior to her match

Today was another good day at the office. I got a victory in singles over Maria Sanchez, booking my spot in the semifinals against Alexandra Cadantu. It was definitely a war today as we battled for three hours, went 7-5 in the third, and in the middle of the day with the crazy wind.  Then there was shade and plenty of clouds. Then a little drizzling. Pretty much, it was relentless European weather.

But if you’re a tennis player — or an aspiring one — you will hear this from your coach pretty much 100 percent of the time when you start complaining about conditions outside: “Your opponent is facing them as well. Are you tougher than they are?”

And it’s so true. I mean, today all those different and unique weather variables affected both my opponent and I. So, it’s a matter of being able to handle adversity. At the end of the day, that’s pretty much life, isn’t it?

Already back on court a couple of hours after my singles, my girl Eva Hrdinova and I played in the doubles finals. We didn’t get the title, but hey, we got an awesome piece of hardware, a super-sized bottle of champagne, and a bouquet of flowers. (Which, coincidentally, is pretty much the recipe for a man trying to please a girl in his life. You would just need to add the chocolates as well FYI.)

Irina Falconi and doubles partner Eva Hrdinova

Anyway, tomorrow is semifinals day. I had originally planned my Europe trip to include another tournament before the French Open qualifying, a WTA Tour Event in Brussels, but hey, I’m going to have to miss it. Prague just doesn’t want me to leave it seems!

The funny thing about this situation is that I had told my sister to book a flight to Brussels so we would meet up before Paris. So … I’m in Prague … while my sister is in Brussels without me … OH HOW AWESOME TENNIS IS SOMETIMES!

Ciao friends. Ya’ll have been way too kind.

-IF

Wow, well, what a day it’s been!

Let me start you up with my wake up. Oh yes, if we’re going to get specific, we’re going to get darn specific.

Instead of my nice and soothing alarm that wakes me up so peacefully in the morning, Prague had something else is mind for me to wake up to. Prague had Jackhammers. Many, many Jackhammers.

What better way to start your day than with Jackhammers competing with each other to see which one can drill the longest and loudest at seven in the morning?

Upon my arrival in Prague, I have also noticed how much more sleep I have gotten. The first week I was here, I was getting an unheard of ten hours a day. Jill Craybas tried to tell me it was the jetlag, but I was convinced that I was finally becoming someone that could “sleep in!” (Whatever that means.)

So after the Jackhammer orchestra finished their bit, I went downstairs to have the same breakfast I have had every single day I have been here. Five egg whites, a piece of pumpernickel bread, and a sip of coffee. Nothing crazy.

I headed to the courts and decided to roam for a little bit. I put my bag in the locker room, and since I didn’t have to warm up for another hour, I decided to go check out my court, look at the surroundings, get used to that environment. Granted, I had practiced on that court before, but playing and practicing are two very different things as any player will attest to. So far, it’s still been a pretty typical match day.

Irina Falconi training on court

After that, I had my warm up, and got ready to wait. Oh how I love the waiting game! I personally don’t mind following a match that is 7-6 in the third actually. It makes me happy. But alas, it wasn’t a “7-6 in the third”, but it was definitely three sets. Which means I had some time to chill, eat, chill some more, and prepare for my match.

One of Falconi’s all-star nutritional meals in Prague.

Now it gets interesting and hectic.

I played well and got a win, which this week only means one thing! I had to re-focus and get ready for the doubles semifinals with my Czech doubles partner. Oh, the hurried and glamorous life.

But instead of a straight-forward match, we decided that we really wanted to contribute to the day’s excitement, and amid an ensuing storm no less. At the end of the second set, it first started drizzling. But by the time the 10-point tiebreaker came around, it was straight up RAINING — Rocky style! Well, I felt like Rocky. Rocky’s right leg anyway.

We won 6-7, 7-6, 10-7. Talk about a nail biter, but glad we are through!

Fast forward to today, and it is the finals in doubles and quarters in singles, so cheer for us in Czech. Please! I need to get my word knowledge base to 20 in Czech, and right now, I’m at a solid 8.

Ciao!

-IF

Fitness Race

It seems that all of the chatter about Nadal’s seeding for Roland Garros may have been for nothing, as the Spaniard may be guaranteed the No. 4 seed even if he fails to win the title in Rome. Unfortunately, his potential guarantee of a top four seed may come at the expense of Andy Murray. The Scot, currently ranked No. 2, was forced to retire in his opening clash with Granollers at the Foro Italico and afterwards announced he would be surprised if he’s able to compete in Paris. The culprit behind Murray’s misfortune is a bad back that has plagued him since the end of 2011 and reacts particularly bad during the clay court season. Though players ultimately don’t want to have to miss any event, especially a slam, skipping Paris may be one of the best things Murray can do for himself right now. It’s his worst major, and he has a lot to defend over the course of the summer. There’s little sense in risking it all for Paris.

Bad to Worse

Not surprisingly, the Tomic Family saga is far from over, and sadly, it’s continuing to have a major impact Bernard Tomic’s season. John Tomic’s trial in Madrid for allegedly head-butting his son’s hitting partner has been postponed until October, but that doesn’t mean he’s free to travel the circuit in the interim with both the ITF and the ATP suspending his credentials. Unfortunately, it seems Tomic Sr. has also taken this to mean that his son can’t compete in any ATP-sanctioned events either. Tomic withdrew from Rome earlier this week citing personal reasons, and there are conflicting reports about his participation in Paris, with his father saying he won’t play and Woodbridge insisting his participation in the year’s second major is likely to go on as scheduled. It’s a sorry situation no matter how you slice it. Given Bernard Tomic’s young age, it will likely be that much harder to break away from his father’s grip, especially if he can’t get access to people like Woodbridge, Rafter and others who want to help support him. It also doesn’t help that when John Tomic was asked by the media if his son’s potential withdrawal from the French Open would be due to lack of a mental fitness, John Tomic replied that if that were indeed the case, it would be on the media’s head for creating this nasty situation. His failure to own up to what he’s done and the detrimental effect it’s had on his son is appalling and creates yet another barrier to getting Bernard Tomic out from under his father’s thumb and allowing him to realize his full potential.

New Direction

Like Laura Robson, another promising up-and-comer has opted for a coaching change as Milos Raonic made a mutual decision with his previous coach, Gala Blanco, to part ways after his loss in Madrid. Raonic was very complimentary of Blanco, thanking him for bringing him so far and wished him all the best. The Canadian will now embark on a search for a new coach who can hopefully take him to that next level. One of the candidates now confirmed on the short list for that job is Ivan Ljubicic, who was spotted in Raonic’s box in Rome. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a happy first outing with Raonic suffering a loss in his opening match, but that’s hardly a deal breaker. Known as a “poor man’s Federer,” Ljubicic was a man who knew how to maximize his talent and was a real student of the game. He could certainly impart come pearls of wisdom to Raonic, so, with any luck, perhaps we’re on the verge of seeing a new and exciting pairing that will spell great things for Raonic in the future.

Juan Martin del Potro pays a visit to the Pope in Rome

When In Rome

When in the Italian capital, why not pay the pope a visit? That’s what Juan Martin del Potro did when he was in town for the Rome Masters. It was a memorable moment for the Argentine, who was undoubtedly surprised and delighted when Pope Francis I recognized him in the crowd and gave him the thumbs up. Del Potro also relished the opportunity to meet the new pope, a fellow Argentine and the first pope from South America, and present him with one of the racquets from his 2009 US Open title run. It’s too bad for Delpo, however, that despite the visit to the Vatican, there was no divine intervention on his behalf – he was upset by Paire in straight sets on Thursday. Maybe his fortunes will improve in Paris.

New Partnership

Like Wimbledon in 2011, the USTA has worked out an extended contract with ESPN to assume sole broadcasting rights in the United States to air the US Open from 2015-2025. CBS, which currently airs the women’s and men’s singles finals, has enjoyed significant broadcasting rights of the season’s last major since the Open Era began in 1968. But in spite of CBS’s years of service, opting to go exclusively with ESPN was a wise move from the USTA. The network has a number of additional platforms for providing coverage and hopes to soon be able to provide live feed from all 17 courts at Flushing Meadows. Equally important, ESPN, which bills itself as the “worldwide leader in sports,” is certainly at the center of American sports culture. That means airing the US Open on the various ESPN platforms should result in greater exposure for the game. In short, this change should translate into better ratings and potential growth in the sport. It’s a win-win for everyone (with the possible exception of CBS).

Women’s Baseline Collection worn by Jankovic, Goerges and Petrova

Baseline is a youthful runway-inspired collection which has been reinterpreted for tennis. The fresh color palette combines pink shock with navy and white, and the collection is highlighted by laser cut performance mesh details. The fabrication features laser cut holes in an abstract diagonal pattern and gradation of sizes. This detailing gives each style added movement and a subtle 3D effect.

The baseline dress worn by Jankovic features an athletic cut racer-back silhouette, with a slim fit though the torso and drop waist peplum-inspired skirt. A contrast under the mesh on the circle skirt adds a feminine twist.

Baseline dress worn by Jelena Jankovic ($75)

The same added pop of color under the mesh continues through the collection with the baseline fashion skort which includes Fila’s new Forza ball short with excellent compression. The skort itself sports diagonal contrast taping from the hips to the back bottom hem for a flattering fit, and will be worn by both Petrova and Goerges.

Baseline racerback tank ($54) and fashion skort ($60) in Pink, worn by Julia Goerges

Baseline racerback tank and fashion skort in Navy, worn by Nadia Petrova

The collection includes a complementary navy hooded jacket and pant combination in stretch jersey performance fabric which will be worn by Jankovic and Petrova. These pieces are reminiscent of tennis styles from Fila’s rich history and include contrast stripes in white and pink. The navy hooded jacket incorporates the laser cut mesh on the hood with an inside lining in pink.

Baseline jacket ($76) and pant ($60) worn by Jankovic and Petrova

The collection is also comfortably priced and retails from $54 – $76, available on www.fila.com.

Men’s Tour Collection worn by Tipsarevic and Seppi

Tour is a youthful, body conscious collection which features ebony, white and lemon color patterns. The design of the collection, specifically the contrast piping and taping, was inspired by the movement of the body during a tennis match.

The Tour piped polo worn by Seppi features piping on the back and side of the shirt to highlight the shoulder blades and torso.

Tour piped polo ($55) worn by Andreas Seppi

The short sleeve crew in ebony/lemon worn by Tipsarevic has curved piping from the arm to the bottom back hem which also highlights the placement of the jacquard mesh panels. Contrast taping on the shoulder emphasizes the serving motion.

Tour short sleeve crew ($50) worn by Janko Tipsarevic

The Tour piped short worn by both players is a peached poly twill performance fabric with jacquard mesh panels down the side of the short. The contrast piping leads down the front side of the short and curves back to the side seam just above the bottom hem.

Tour piped short ($45) worn by Tipsarevic and Seppi

The Tour collection retails for $45 – $55 and is available on www.fila.com.

Photos courtesy of Fila. Follow Fila Tennis on Twitter for more brand and player updates!

GRIGOR DIMITROV: “Called ‘little Federer’ for his fluid strokes, he’s a perpetual threat, particularly on hard court, with a dangerous topspin forehand and a creative, some say restless, style of play.”

Grigor Dimitrov (Click to enlarge)

RYAN HARRISON: ”When he was 11, Harrison met his tennis-pro dad in the finals of the Shreveport City Tournament which his father won, and they knew Ryan needed more competition.”

Ryan Harrison (Click to enlarge)

MILOS RAONIC: ”The son of engineers, the 6-foot-5 Raonic was college-bound until he persuaded his parents to let him go pro. They gave him a year to crack the top 100, and he did, rising from 150 to 37 in just six weeks.”

Milos Raonic (Click to enlarge)

DAVID GOFFIN and RICARDAS BERANKIS: Berankis says of what opponents fear about him, “I never give up. I fight till the end.”

David Goffin (L) and Ricardas Berankis (Click to enlarge)

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: ”When big brother Ryan was battling Dad in the Shreveport City Tournament, nine-year-old Christian was in the stands pouring Coke on his little sister. He’s since learned to pay the game some respect.”

Christian Harrison (Click to enlarge)

BERNARD TOMIC: On his indulgence, “Cars. A lot of people say I’m being the bad boy, but who doesn’t love a nice car? I just did things that a normal teenager dreams of doing.”

Bernard Tomic (Click to enlarge)

DAVID GOFFIN: On the best compliment he’s received, “I saw John McEnroe in the locker room of the US Open after a match, and he said, ‘Hey, I love your game. Just work on your legs’ — because my legs were too thin.”

David Goffin (Click to enlarge)

(Quotes and photos via ATP World Tour and Men’s Journal)

Li Na’s inconsistency is one of the WTA’s greatest mysteries.

Li Na? Or Na Li?

The western world’s difficulty with the naming order of the former Roland Garros winner is sometimes the least of her problems. She (basically) carries the burden of an entire nation, becoming the first Asian woman to win a major title in singles. She graced the cover of TIME Magazine, and was named by the publication as one of the 100 most influential people in the world this year. Recently called “the most important player of the decade” by WTA CEO Stacey Allaster, Li’s success has been instrumental in the rise of tennis in the Asia/Pacific region, as well as spearheading the concerted marketing efforts of the WTA in the area.

Nothing in Li’s career had marked her as a particularly strong clay court prior to her run to the Roland Garros title in 2011. She had previous contested just four French Opens, reaching three third rounds and one fourth round. Clay so often rewards patience, and this is a virtue that Li does not always possess. When Li is having a good day, she puts on a show. she’s capable of blowing anyone on the WTA off the court and going toe-to-toe with the game’s biggest hitters. The surface is irrelevant, as she can hit through any conditions. When she’s off, however, the match becomes more of a struggle against herself than any opponent.

After reaching the final in Stuttgart and losing a decent match to Maria Sharapova, Li struggled to adapt to the conditions in Madrid when facing lucky loser Madison Keys in the opening round; while no excuse, Li was no doubt befuddled by the last-minute withdrawal of Tamira Paszek, and received little to no advanced warning that she’d be playing Keys. In a 6-3, 6-2 defeat, Li amassed a total of 34 unforced errors, while balancing that out with just eight winners.

After playing one of the most dramatic matches of the 2012 season with Maria Sharapova in the finals at the Foro Italico last year, Li no doubt returned to Rome in 2013 looking to avenge some of the bad memories from a season ago. Li brushed aside countrywoman Zheng Jie in her opening match, delivering a clinical performance against a player she had previously struggled against; prior to their second round match, Zheng had won four of five previous meetings.

On the other side of the net in Rome on Thursday was Jelena Jankovic, a woman who has won six titles on clay in her career; this haul includes back-to-back titles in Rome at the height of her career in 2007 and 2008. The match was perhaps a microcosm of Li’s career; she was strikingly brilliant for a point or two, but largely flat, wild and unimpressive. Jankovic triumphed by a 7-6(2), 7-5 scoreline but it was perhaps Li’s stat line that was the most shocking of all: 31 winners and 62 unforced errors.

Statistics so rarely tell the real story regarding the dynamics of a tennis match, but tend to be incredibly accurate when Li steps on court. What was Keys’ tally in Madrid? Seven winners, 11 unforced errors. Jankovic’s was no better in Rome, as the Serbian needed just 16 winners (while making 29 errors of her own) to come out the victor. When Li is playing well, she forces her opposition to outplay her; when she’s not, however, they are only required to be just shy of ordinary.

While she has shown that she is able to shine on the biggest stages multiple times, there have been just as many or more when she has failed to rise to the occasion. At the age of 31, Li isn’t getting any younger. Erratic performances have categorized her less-than-traditional road to the top, and she can no longer afford consistently disappointing letdowns like in Madrid and Rome. A Jekyll-and-Hyde performer on court, it’s almost as if she still doesn’t know what kind of player she can be.

(For the record, it’s Li Na. We can at least be sure of that.)