Robin Soderling speaks in a soft voice that belies the brutality of a game, which on Sunday booked him the easiest of routes into the French Open second round.
Two years after Justine Henin stunned the sport by announcing her retirement at the age of 25 on the eve of her French Open defence, the Belgian is back and eager to show Roland Garros what it has been missing.
Justine Henin won her first title since her comeback when she beat Australia's Samantha Stosur in the final at the Stuttgart indoor tournament on Sunday.
'I am very proud to pack for Tokyo and join our national team'
The Russian revolution that has swept women's tennis has not gone according to plan for Elena Dementieva. Dementieva was once touted as the woman most likely to lead the charge after she made the French and US Open finals in 2004, but her achievements have largely been undermined by her own compatriots.
'With all the foot issues, just turned 36, he adds his 22nd Major'
'I think war made me stronger and also made me mentally stronger'
Two years ago, Ana Ivanovic's squeaky shoes carried her all the way to a women's final against Maria Sharapova at the Australia Open.
'Your results or your job or how much money you make doesn't define you as a person. As long as you love yourself, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.'
IMAGES from Day 9 of the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Monday.
Indian ace Leander Paes and his partner Lukas Dlouhy suffered a straight-set defeat against American Byran brothers Bob and Mike to be out of contention for a semi-final spot in the ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Swiss third seed Roger Federer, looking to become only the second player after Andre Agassi to win titles at Roland Garros and Bercy, dropped just 10 points on serve against Czech Tomas Berdych as he set up a meeting with Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who saw off American John Isner 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 in the other semi-final after saving three match points.
Reader Ajay Kulkarni sent us this picture from Paris.
Ana Ivanovic will become the first player representing Serbia to be ranked world number one when the new WTA rankings are released on Monday. The 20-year-old Serb dislodged Russia's Maria Sharapova from the top when she defeated compatriot Jelena Jankovic to reach the final of the French Open on Thursday.
Roland Garros runner-up Robin Soderling became the first man to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open on Monday when his eighth-seeded opponent Nikolay Davydenko retired with a leg injury.
Three-times champion Rafael Nadal pummelled fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco into a 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 submission to reach the quarter-finals of the French Open on Sunday.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 2022 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Monday.
The second seed is in the same half of the draw as Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Argentine sixth seed David Nalbandian. World number one Roger Federer faces a first round test against American Sam Querrey and a possible fourth-round encounter with Argentine Juan Monaco, the world number 14.
Five things to watch out for at the French Open on Tuesday.
The US Open champion, who last played at the Miami Open at the end of March, was beaten 6-2, 7-6 (5) by Gasquet at the ATP 250 claycourt event in Geneva.
Spaniard Garbine Muguruza withdraw from the Italian Open semi-finals with a neck injury on Saturday, eight days before she is due to start the defence of her French Open title at Roland Garros.
With the monkey well and truly off his back after a career-defining victory at the French Open, Roger Federer will begin his pursuit of a record 15th grand slam title at Wimbledon on Monday.
On the eve of trying to reclaim the Wimbledon crown he lost in a dramatic final to Rafael Nadal 50 weeks ago, a relaxed Roger Federer sat down to have a chat with Reuters about how the Spaniard's withdrawal due to a knee injury will affect him, about the pressure he faces as he tries to break records and about fatherhood.
Lucie Safarova made sure she left Roland Garros with at least one winner's trophy after the Czech left-hander and Bethanie Mattek-Sands won the women's doubles title on Sunday.
Roger Federer ended his French Open jinx when he swept past Swede Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 in the final to clinch his first Roland Garros title on Sunday.
Roger Federer clinched his first French Open title when he swept past Swede Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 in the final on Sunday. The Swiss equalled Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles and became the sixth man to win all four major tournaments, sealing victory in just under two hours in cloudy conditions.
Russian seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova struggled past Australian 30th seed Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 to book her place in the French Open final on Thursday. Kuznetsova will take on compatriot Dinara Safina, the world number one, in an all Russian final on Saturday.
World number one Dinara Safina downed Slovakian 20th seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-3 6-3 to reach the French Open final on Thursday. Safina clinched victory on her second match point after one hour 41 minutes to keep alive her dreams of winning a maiden Grand Slam title.
An elusive French Open crown loomed closer for Roger Federer after the Swiss put on a vintage display to reach the semi-finals with a 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Gael Monfils on Wednesday.
Russian seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova held off a bold challenge by Serena Willams to beat the American world number two 7-6, 5-7, 7-5 and reach the French Open semi-finals on Wednesday. The 2006 Roland Garros runner-up will face Australian Samantha Stosur, seeded 30th, for a place in Saturday's final.
Swede Robin Soderling built on the momentum that allowed him to beat Rafael Nadal and reached the French Open semi-finals on Tuesday with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 drubbing of Russian 10th seed Nikolay Davydenko.
Cecchinato in 'dreamland' after stunning David Goffin on Sunday
Serbian fifth seed Jelena Jankovic was outfoxed by Romanian teen-ager Sorana Cirstea's devastating net play Monday and lost 3-6, 6-0, 9-7 in the French Open fourth round. The Romanian reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final against Australian 30th seed Samantha Stosur, who beat France's Virginie Razzano 6-1, 6-2.
Serena Williams reached the quarter-finals of the French Open on Monday after a clinical display saw he beat Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak 6-1, 6-2. The 2002 champion, at 27 the oldest woman left in the draw, will face seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova for a place in the last four. The Russian beat Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.
Andy Roddick produced a sizzling display to reach the fourth round of the French Open for the first time but Elena Dementieva's hopes of winning a maiden grand slam title fizzled out on Saturday.
Third seed Venus Williams was eliminated in the third round of the French Open, beaten 6-0, 6-4 by Hungary's Agnes Szavay on Friday.
A devil-may-care style of swashbuckling tennis failed to deliver John McEnroe from the most painful defeat of his career but the former world number one is convinced Roger Federer must adopt those same tactics to succeed in the Paris arena where he failed 25 years ago. The Swiss Federer, chasing a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam singles title, simply must do something different to alter the course of recent history, most pundits say.
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