'Guga's' gala at Roland Garros

GUSTAVO KUERTEN'S love affair with Paris blossomed during a magical fortnight at Roland Garros, while Jennifer Capriati earned herself a place in the affections of the French public.

The Brazilian, whose third French Open title sent him back to top of the champions' race, once again melted the hearts of the sentimental Parisian crowd.

He drew love-hearts in the centre court clay, kneeling inside to blow kisses to the crowd and donning a T-shirt declaring his love for the tennis venue and its fans.

And come the 14th day of action on the `Terre Battue' there could have been no more popular champion than Kuerten, known as `Guga' to his legion of fans. None, perhaps, except a Frenchman.

By the middle of the second week Sebastien Grosjean looked as though he could be the man for the job.

The 10th seed was looking to become the first home player to win since Yannick Noah's swashbuckling serve-and-volley game brought him the title in 1983.

There have been lean times for the French at their home tournament since then but when the Marseille baseliner claimed the scalp of Andre Agassi, with a little help from former U.S. President, Bill Clinton, hopes were high.

The appearance of Clinton at courtside signalled the end for Agassi. He had just won the first set 6-1 but as soon as Clinton appeared Agassi, a democrat and Clinton supporter during his years in the White House, slumped out.

``I didn't even know he was there,'' offered a terse Agassi. ``It sounds to me like you have it all figured out.''

Grosjean was given a hero's send-off after that victory. He fell in the semis, though, to Alex Corretja, the last man to evict a Frenchman in the last four when he beat Cedric Pioline in 1998. The passionate Parisians could have been forgiven a little `Schadenfreude' when Corretja was finally put to sword by Kuerten in the final.

In the women's draw, Capriati wrote another chapter of her tennis fairytale in Roland Garros clay when she won an epic third set to beat Belgian Kim Clijsters and clinch the crown.

The see-saw centre court victory came at the end of what was the longest final set in the history of French Open women's finals, and continues what the American calls her ``reincarnation'' after serious personal problems.

``Really I am just waiting to wake up from this dream ... It doesn't seem like a reality,'' she grinned.

The title keeps alive her hopes of winning all four Grand Slam titles in one year following her victory in the Australian Open.

Clijsters can't be too disappointed, though. She appeared in the final just one day after her 18th birthday and will have many more chances to win the Grand Slams; her ability suggests she should amass.

And her endeavours have already seen her enter the record books as the first Belgian, man or woman, to reach a Grand Slam final.

But while the $9.6 Million tournament was a dream come true for both finalists, it was a nightmare both Venus Williams and Amelie Mauresmo will want to forget.

Venus, the lithe, powerful Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion, was sent packing in the opening round by Austrian Barbara Schett while Mauresmo, France's biggest hope in the women's draw, crashed to Germany's Jana Kandarr.

Martina Hingis also has some thinking to do after again failing in Paris.

Few top players have been written off at the age of 20, but Hingis faces that prospect.

The world number one's painful defeat at the hands of Capriati in the semifinal again exposed her weaknesses.

While at tour level, Hingis continues to dominate the women's game - last year's nine titles were more than any other player - she has failed to win her last nine Grand Slam tournaments.

Since securing the 1999 Australian Open title, stronger, faster and fitter opponents, namely Venus and Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Mary Pierce and Capriati, have shared the major silverware, leaving Hingis knocking in frustration on a slammed door.

Hingis has vowed to return.

So has Pete Sampras, but the American holder of a record 13 Grand Slam titles seems to be going through the motions these days.

It was not the fact that he lost in the second round here that was so disappointing, but rather the manner of the defeat.

He put up little resistance against Spain's Galo Blanco and it was left to new American faces to provide the excitement.

Fortunately in Andy Roddick and Michael Russell, there were two who brightened up Roland Garros.

Roddick showed he is a star in the making with some spectacular tennis before having to retire from his match with Lleyton Hewitt with the score balanced at one set all.

Russell so nearly provided the shock of the tournament when he held a two-set lead and a match point against Kuerten.

But the Brazilian came back to thrill his adoring French crowd. After that, Russell will never underestimate the power of love.

- Reuters

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