U.S. men again a dud on clay
Posted: Thursday, May 28, 2009 12:11 PM
Is anyone surprised that in the men’s draw, only one American, Andy Roddick, was left standing just four days into the French Open?
Intriguing is how differently the U.S. men approach this major. Roddick chose the early clay court season as a perfect time to get married. Mardy Fish spent five weeks in Europe, only to fall in the first round at Roland Garros. Bobby Reynolds, a scrapper who has cracked the top 100, played four challengers to prepare for Roland Garros -- all on hard courts. It’s absurd, but Reynolds is practicing self-preservation, playing in the arenas that give him the best chance for success, and thus ranking points. The French Open is simply an obligation for Reynolds.
And so it goes for most of the U.S. men. I give credit to Wayne Odesnik, a finalist at the U.S. Clay Courts in Houston who played three clay challengers. His effort was displayed in a fierce, first-round, five-setter in Paris with Gilles Simon.
Most of the U.S. men are staying to play doubles. Fish is an exception. He was on the first flight out of Paris, a consequence of that five-week stay in Europe, and the desire to grab some time at home before the grass court season.
Point is simply that none of the current U.S. men appear willing to make the commitment demanded by clay. Perhaps they feel it is too late in their careers, an understandable stance for most. But we should not be surprised by the lack of results.
Two different French Opens have been played thus far. The first two days were insanely hot and dry. Proof of that were the eight 20-plus ace performances in the first round, including a record 55 aces by Ivo Karlovic. The next two days were damp, cool and windy. Fitness and cramping have been eliminated, but controlling the ball through gusting winds and tricky clay bounces has challenged the world’s best. Each year in Paris reinforces this major as the most grueling to win. The difficult surface coupled with the wildly varying weather, and the physical demands of seven matches in two weeks is simply insane.
John McEnroe asked a great question: the 1996 singles-doubles French Open sweep by Yevgeny Kafelnikov was the first since when? Answer is 1968, the first year of Open tennis when Ken Rosewall accomplished the double. So just two men in 40 years have combined singles and doubles titles in the same French Open. Another confirmation of the demands on red clay.
Josselin Ouanna’s classic five-set win over Marat Safin hammered home a point to remember at the U.S. Open. When the host country provides its young hopes wild cards, there is a dream that someone takes advantage. Ouanna is the perfect example, a pair of wins pushing him closer to the top 100. Wimbledon and the Lawn Tennis Association are fighting this concept in awarding wild cards to players like Alex Bogdanovic, who is 0-7 with his gifts. At the U.S. Open, watch to see if a young American man can pull an Ouanna, post some significant wins, and lift himself out of the Challengers.
