Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 14 - june 05 , 2005
THE CHANTERS FOR PUERTA WERE ENCHANTED BY NADAL

A champion wept at his good fortune. And the man he beat said, “I think we are talking about someone who is going to write a page in the history of tennis.   I think he is going to do beautiful things like Chang did in his time, or Agassi.   He's going to become a legend of tennis.” >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 13 - june 04 , 2005
NOTHING MERRY FOR MARY AS JUSTINE DOESN'T TARRY

It was a bad final. What else can I say? Painful for the loser, Mary Pierce. Painful to watch - unless you were Pierre Yves Hardenne, roommate of the deserving victor, Justine Henin-Hardenne, or Carlos Rodriguez, her coach. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 12 - june 03 , 2005
FEDERER MUST GET BETTERER NADAL'S ON THE WAY

Is Roger Federer afflicted with Parisian Sampras Syndrome? You know what I mean. Paris is a great place to visit - but you wouldn't want to play tennis there. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 11 - june 02 , 2005
HARD TIMES GALS PIERCE, HENIN- HARDENNE WILL BE HAPPY FOES

Hard times are nothing new to the young women who made their way into the final swiftly, ruthlessly, leaving the crowd little more than 2 hours of tennis. Both Justine Henin-Hardenne and Mary Pierce had rocky childhoods with very difficult fathers. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 10 - June 01, 2005
MYSTERY MEN PUERTA, DAVYDENKO -- ONE WILL PLAY FOR MAJOR TITLE

Who are these guys? And what are they doing in the semifinals.

We knew Roger Federer, the master, and the meteoric apprentice Rafael Nadal would get there for their long-awaited showdown Friday. But Mariano Puerta, an Argentine second- stringer, and Nikolay Davydenko, the wrong Russian? >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 9 - May 31, 2005
SOAP OPERA OR TENNIS, MARY'S THE HEROINE

A wide ranging chorus line was on display in the women's quarter-finals: three teen-agers, three golden oldies (in tennis terms anyway), and a couple of in-betweens. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 8 - May 30, 2005
NADAL HAPPY AT HIS WORK, JUSTINE HAPPY TO ESCAPE

They didn't like what he did, but the French still had to like this big joyful kid - Rafael Nadal - just the same.   His enthusiasm would make even John Bolton smile agreeably at a foreigner.   Nadal, who will be 19 Friday, and might be opposing No. 1 Roger Federer that day, prances onto court like a little boy visiting Disneyworld - all smiles and anticipation of the fun that lies ahead.   He can't wait to throw himself into the battle, oozing esprit and confidence. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 7 - May 29, 2005
NOBODY BEATS DAVENPORT 7 STRAIGHT, NOT EVEN CLIJSTERS

First intrusion of rain shortened the day and left Rafael Nadal being tortured by that zippy little Franchman, Sebastien Grosjean. They had split sets, departing with Nadal ahead, 3-0 in the third. Emilie Loit couldn't make it as her third rounder with Emmanuele Gagliardi became a best-of-one set affair, and Gagliardi won, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 6 - May 28, 2005
IS PARIS BURNING? JUST FOR THE HOMEGIRLS - BUT SAFIN DOESN'T

This was Bastille Day backwards.Instead of storming the ramparts jubilantly, the French heroines were thrown in a dungeon to be forgotten until Roland Garros re-opens next year. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 5 - May 27, 2005
A CLASH OF TEEN PHEENOMS, AND A BASH OF VENUS BY ANOTHER KIDDIE

It wasn't quite like waiting for Godot, the mysterious wayfarer. Still, they had been waiting nine years for Richard Gasquet to arrive on the big court in a big match.   But, unlike Godot, Gasquet showed up. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 4 - May 26, 2005
HAVE AMERICAN GUYS BEEN STRUCK BY THE CURSE OF ROLAND GARROS?

All gone.

From a U.S. standpoint the day was a disaster, a total wipe-out for the men. It was May Day on a clay day as the last three guys of an 8-man contingent swooned. For the second straight year no Yank attained the third round - tieing the U.S. record for futility at Roland Garros. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 3 - May 25, 2005
INSTANT REPLAY TO AID UMPS? NO THANKS, SAYS NO. 1 FEDERER

Look out for the kid from Bulgaria, 15-year-old Sesil Karatancheva. That's the advice to Venus Williams, who was a prodigy at that age herself. Karatancheva, ranking No. 98, has won two starts, and will face an in-and-out Venus in a third rounder. Seeded 11th Venus is waving the Williams family flag all alone. Serena, the champ in 2003, is a no-show, begging off with an ankle problem after an opening round loss at the Italian where her conditioning was questionable. She has seldom played since winning the Australian Open in January. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 2 - May 24, 2005
IT'S A WAKE FOR THREE KINGS, MOST NOTABLY ELDER AGASSI

More rolling of titled heads on what must have been an unprecedented massacre. Three former champs going down in the first round: Guga Kuerten, ruler of 1997, 2000-01; Albert Costa, 2002; Andre Agassi, 1999. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - Day 1 - May 23, 2005
OPENING DAY'S A CLOSING FOR THE EMPRESS MYSKINA

Sometimes the crown is too heavy. Anastasia Myskina, the Russian gamine, was the first champion to find that out as the 80th anniversary French Championships began. Her head rolled historically. >>>MORE

Bud's 2005 French Open Diary - May 2005

Many are the romantic songs about Paris, but weather for the French Open seldom measures up to the tunes. Chilly and damp is the usual, but it's not often disruptive because the “terre battue” as the surface is called (crushed brick and earth) can handle a lot of water before becoming unplayable. >>>MORE