Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 15 - June 10, 2007
PARIS JUST AIN'T THE PLACE FOR ROGER AS RAFA WINS 3RD STRAIGHT

The dark-haired man in a sweat-drenched blue polo shirt and black shorts is crouched at the baseline awaiting the last serve of a hot, maddening afternoon.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 14 - June 9, 2007
HUNGRY HENIN DEMORALIZES KID IVANOVIC TO SEIZE FOURTH TITLE

Can a woman have a Napoleonic Complex? I'm not familiar with Dr. Freud's thoughts on the subject.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 13 - June 8, 2007
RETURNING TO THE BIG DANCE, IT'S RAFA AND ROGER FOR THE BIG PRIZE

Back together again to waltz at the senior prom, or at least the French Open version.

Who else but Rafa and Roger?

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 12 - June 7, 2007
IVANOVIC AND THE ITCH KIDS ARE MAKING TINY SERBIA THE BIG STORY

Would you say she was in the tank?

Well, yes, but that was a long time ago when times were very hard in her hometown, Belgrade. Bombs were falling, everything was in short supply, and "We didn't know when it would end. Very tough."

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 11 - June 6, 2007
DO YOU PRESENT AN AMIGO WITH A BAGEL - YES, IF YOU'RE RAFA NADAL

So much for friendship. Charlie Moya gets 7 games from the kid he mentored, and bites the bagel - a plain ugly bagel without cream cheese or anything else appealing.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 10 - June 5, 2007
HENIN'S IN HEAVEN AS FLOWERS BLOOM AND SHE WILTS SERENA

She waved her wand and flowers bloomed.

So it seemed in the venerable concrete ampitheatre at Roland Garros, where the petite powerhouse named Justine Henin acted as though she owned the joint. And maybe she does.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 9 - June 4, 2007
A FLAME THROWER ATTACHED TO A RIGHT ARM - ANDREEV'S FOREHAND

I love to watch Igor Andreev at play. His flamethrower forehand is a killer as Marcos Baghdatis found out, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-4.

You'll hear more about this 24-year-old Russian, who missed a year because of knee surgery, thus came in with a totally unrealistic ranking of No. 125.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 8 - June 3, 2007
MARIA'S NOT MOTHER TERESA, NOR WAS SERENA THE GOOSE GIRL OF YORE

It was a rare day when the Siberian Siren, Maria Sharapova got booed, and also brought Mother Teresa into a tennis conversation.

Almost gone was No. 2 Maria, facing two match points against the serve of clever Swiss lefty Patti Schnyder.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 7 - June 2, 2007
ANOTHER MAURESMO FAILURE, ALAS, AND PATIENCE WAS NOT REWARDED

When Mauresmo sighs, all France cries.

Once again it was a Momo melodramas. Poor, gallant 5th seeded Amelie - the Joan of Arc of French tennis.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 6 - June 1, 2007
KEEP SMILING: THAT'S JELLY'S HAPPY STRATEGY AS SHE REMOVES VENUS

And now there is one.

Nineteen Americans came to Paris to play tennis; 18 quickly proved to be no menace. As in Agatha Christie's murder mystery, "Ten Little Indians," they kept disappearing day after day, gone on to their rewards - mostly first round loser's money.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 5 - May 31, 2007
LATE THUNDERSTORM LEAVES SOME DANGLING, BUT MOMO SURVIVES

More drip-drip-splash. But at least the day-closing downpour held off until early evening, leaving several important folks dangling like participles but finally finishing their appointed tasks and getting to sleep in relief - or tears.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 4 - May 30, 2007
DRIP, DRIP, DRIP - STILL FIGHTING RAINDROPS, OPEN REFUSES TO DROP

Singin' in the rain is OK if you're an American in Paris named Gene Kelley. (Or do I have Mr Kelley's movies mixed up?) But swingin' in the rain ain't so great if you're a tourist with a tennis racket trying to make a living slogging through the moist loam at Roland Garros.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 3 - May 29, 2007
CRASH! DOWN WENT THE AMERICAN GUYS PRESENCE, RODDICK AND ALL

As the sun was setting, so was Andy Roddick. He may also have been seeing stars, which is not unusual for the young man known as the best American tennis player.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 2 - May 28, 2007
RAIN, RAIN WON'T GO AWAY BUT VENUS HAS HER WAY MOVING ON

Weathered in again, the tourney struggles on with only 7 matches completed, many stranded like Roger Federer. Up against a stubborn American, Michael Russell, No. 1 Federer leads 6-4, 4-1, when showers arrive.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Day 1 - May 27, 2007
SOGGY SUNDAY, A BATTLING BULGAR TEST SERENA, FAIL TO SUBMERGE HER

Rain, rain, rain - and only 7 matches were played. But there was an unforeseen drama - a Serena snooze for a long while, provoked by a Bulgarian teen-ager, Tsvetana Pironkova.

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Bud's 2007 French Open Diary - Intro - May 26, 2007
FRENCH OPEN 2007 ABOUT TO START

For the second straight year the French opened on a Sunday, making it the longest of the majors at 15 days. More income is the reason, of course. It's amusing to see that upcoming Wimbledon gets through a similar program in 13 days, giving the players a day off, the middle Sunday.

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