By Thomson Michael
My flight from Tel Aviv lands at 10:45 am in Paris on Thursday, May 26. I have a ticket to Suzanne Lenglen, and the first match begins in fifteen minutes. I have no idea who is playing. But first things first! I have to pick up my luggage from baggage claim, then drop it off at luggage storage at Charles de Gaulle Airport, and hail a taxi. When the driver asks me where I want to go, I say the answer I dream of saying for years, “Roland Garros.â€
I arrive there at 12:45 p.m. and place my backpack in storage after security decides that my water canteen can be a dangerous weapon. I need to make a statement of this service. At the US Open, they throw one’s possessions away, but at the French Open, they offer to place items in storage for 2 Euros if I remember correctly. I need to make a statement of ticketing at Roland Garros versus the US Open. The US Open day passes cover general seating at Louis Armstrong, the Grandstand, and all outside courts, while the French Open day passes cover only the outside courts. I believe the French Federation limits the number of day passes to prevent overcrowding. Philippe Chatrier, Suzanne Lenglen, and Court 1 require individual tickets with assigned seats, just like at Arthur Ashe and select seats at Louis Armstrong. Food and souvenirs are very expensive at the French Open. The selection of food is limited to hot dogs, ham and cheese sandwiches (4.5 Euros), salmon and lettuce on a bagel (6 Euros), crepes, and ice cream (3 to 5 Euros), all small portions; while at the US Open, there is a greater selection of so many international varieties: Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Indian, and good old American, still expensive but with much larger portions. About souvenirs, a baseball cap is 25 Euros (i.e. 42 US dollars). There is nothing more to say. I limit my shopping to a nice fridge magnet of the Roland Garros symbol, 8 Euros (13.5 US dollars). This is expensive, but will last for decades. Even though the facilities at Roland Garros are smaller than at the US Open, they generate income with their baggage storage, ticketing all show courts, food and merchandising.
I enter the grounds in a hurry because I know I am missing much of the first match at Lenglen. However, I still appreciate the beauty of the grounds at Roland Garros. The stadiums are white, and well-kept. There is enough shrubbery to add green to the scenery. The walkways are cobblestone in some areas and basic pavement in others. The general courtyard is not overwhelmed with too many vendors. There is plenty of space to move. There is however not much sitting space. It seems like the attendees are encouraged to move constantly, and if they want to eat, then eat inside the stadium, or while walking between courts. The staff is very patient, kind, and helpful. Many do not speak English fluently, but still overcome this with the few words and phrases they know. And they direct me to Court Suzanne Lenglen.
I decide to get a program schedule for 1 Euro, since I have no idea who is playing, on what court, or what the draw looks like. It is written in French, but still useful because it denotes the court, and the corresponding matches. I try to enter Court Suzanne Lenglen by the wrong entry point. Because I have an assigned seat, I have an assigned entry point. And the helpful staff lead me appropriately. I have to wait for the end of the next changeover, like most tennis tournaments to enter the stadium. By the time I enter, it is basically the last service game for Robin Soderling. He serves at 6/3 6/4 5/4, and he closes at love against Albert Ramos of Spain.
Next up is Li Na of China versus Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain. I never heard of Li’s opponent but figure she plays well on red clay because she is from Spain. And it is a very good match. Espinosa mixes things up with different spins, and change of directions. She hustles for every ball, though she may not get there sometimes. Basically, she is a poor woman’s Francesca Schiavone. Li meanwhile serves at a high first serve percentage, with greater variety of placement than her opponent. She hits her strokes with less variety than Espinosa but she has enough to hit a recovery shot with slice, and if drawn into the net, to hit a decent approach shot, and put a volley away. Li is the bigger, stronger, and faster athlete. She has underrated mental toughness. After Li wins the first set 6/4, she is down in the second 5/4 with Espinosa serving to tie. I decide to get something to eat. Once I re-enter the stadium, the match is over. Ultimately Li wins the last three games of the match and outlasts Espinosa 6/4 7/5. Li looks very solid all-around, and a strong contender for the title, along with defending champion Francesca Schiavone, Maria Sharapova, Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Sam Stosur, Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She is not a clear favorite, but if she continues to play solid, believes in herself, and wins the big points against the aforementioned contenders, she can win it all.
Next up is Rafael Nadal versus Pablo Andujar of Spain. Andujar is a dangerous opponent because he won his first title this year, and is full of confidence. And Nadal I hear went five sets with Isner in the first round, so I figure he is less confident than he likes. Nadal wins the first two sets 7/5 6/3. So far, Nadal has been getting by in this match with percentage serving mostly to the righty’s backhand, cross-court and inside-in forehands, and all right defense from 5-10 feet behind the baseline. But Andujar is a fighter, and one skillful clay-courter. He is like a poor man’s Novak Djokovic, with less reach, and slightly less variety on the backhand side. He takes advantage of Nadal running too early to his right by hitting backhand returns down the middle hard to Nadal’s forehand or even wider to the forehand. When he gets control of a rally, he attacks with his forehand, and puts away the point with drop shot and volley winners. Andujar sticks to the strategy of hitting wide to Nadal’s forehand, and it starts to pay dividends. He is up 5/1 in the third set, serving to go to a fourth. Nadal has a battle on his hands. He steps it up, refuses to miss, especially on his backhand. He mixes in a few wide serves on the deuce side, and hits some down the line and inside-out forehands, few for winners. His defense becomes more impenetrable. He manages to come back in the third set, despite 8 set points against him, and takes the match in a tie-break 7-4. Andujar gets a deserving standing ovation at the end of the match, with Nadal, expectedly clapping for him. Nadal stays on the court longer to talk to the press, and sign autographs. Despite Nadal’s struggles in closing this match, he is a top contender for the title along with Novak Djokovic.
It is about 8 pm, when Nadal finishes his match. There is one more match with Victoria Azarenka of Belarus playing Pauline Parmentier of France. There is an hour and a half left of daylight. I have no idea if or when the match finishes. So I decide to leave. I pick up my backpack from storage. I have a reservation to stay at the Regent Hostel. I call for directions. A kind lady named Leah instructs me to use the Paris Metro to reach them. I check in, and sleep. I have one more whole day to hang out in Paris. Leah maps out a site-seeing itinerary. I visit Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame. I walk through the courtyards of The Louvre. I walk the Champs Elysees, and see the Arc De Triomphe at its end. I turn back, and go to the Eiffel Tower, and check out the most awesome sunset from the top. I return to my hostel.
My flight is the following morning. Paolo, also a Regent staff member, directs me to Gare du Nord (the Grand Central Station of Paris), to obtain a train ride to the airport. I get to Charles de Gaulle Airport with enough time to pick up luggage from storage, and chill out before take-off. On the voyage home, I reflect on the sunset from the previous night, and the matches at Roland Garros, feeling blessed to have seen Rafael Nadal and Li Na play live, and hoping that both win it all.
Thomson Michael is a long-time friend of Tennis-prose.com since the nostalgic days of Tennisweek.com. He plays singles for a 4.0 USTA Team in Westchester County. This is his debut feature for Tennis-prose.com.
The author's first visit to Roland Garros
Scoop Malinowski · June 13, 2011 at 6:55 pm
Terrific read Tom, I love pieces like this. First time experiences at any tournament is always a thrill, even the smaller tournaments, can’t imagine what a charge it must be to walk into Roland Garros the first time during the first week. And to see the two eventual champions survive two pretty tough challengers. Can’t get much better than that. You really captured the essence and made this an excellent read.
Michael · June 13, 2011 at 10:06 pm
Sounds like a good time.
“At the US Open, they throw one’s possessions away, but at the French Open, they offer to place items in storage for 2 Euros if I remember correctly.”
They have had storage at the USO for years now. They had to. They don’t want backpacks but people keep bringing them. I think the storage is $5 but it’s been a while since I used it. It’s located on the boardwalk just at the top of the incline to the East Gate. There are signs as well as frustrated carnival barkers with megaphones that direct people to it every minute or so.
“I believe the French Federation limits the number of day passes to prevent overcrowding.”
The USO when they first started selling Grounds Passes they sold about 500 as I recall and on the day of the event only. It was enough to take the wind out of an extremely active and strong sellers scalpers market back in the early-mid 80s (3x face for a ground pass). The scalpers market was actually a fun part of the overall experience for kids like me that went often and sometimes without tickets or with extra people without tickets. The same guys that would work The Garden (that’s Madison Square Garden) or Shea (the Mets stadium that goes by some other silly name now) would show up at the tennis. Stuck out like a sore thumb. In later years they the USTA began to sell 1000. Then more. Someone told me (and I can not verify it) that they are at or above 2000 now. And they sell Ground Passes in advance just like any other ticket. Which defeats the purpose of allowing those willing to line up the chance to go the day of. Like Wimbledon does. And in the past 5+ years it has gotten very crowded on the field courts the first week as a result of the quantity of grounds passes. And the price of the grounds passes has over time almost reached parity with the price of the Ashe ticket. Incidentally, despite the efforts of the USTA and Richard Brown,
there is still a scalpers market it’s just different then it was. And a bit riskier for the buyer since they introduced the print your own PDF ticket. Of course the real scalping goes on off site with the secondary market for the pricey tickets.
“”Even though the facilities at Roland Garros are smaller than at the US Open, they generate income with their baggage storage, ticketing all show courts, food and merchandising. ”
The USTA also generates income from baggage storage and food and merchandising. One hopes they don’t get piggy when “upgrading” the existing courts to provide for some weather covered court(s) where Armstrong and the Grandstand sit and go the way of The French selling separate tickets.
“The staff is very patient, kind, and helpful. Many do not speak English fluently, but still overcome this with the few words and phrases they know.”
My experience is also that they are very friendly and helpful but I found English widely spoken by the people working the food areas and selling programs etc. And the people working the gate spoke English as well.
The USTA has provided “greeters” around the grounds for a few years now. But on overall friendliness The French wins for the simple reason that their security is professional and unobtrusive. Whereas the USTA employees CSC, if I recall. They are in your face and abrasive.
Both world class events !
Dan Markowitz · June 14, 2011 at 8:00 am
Nice piece, Tommyboy. Ah, to get to go to the matches at Roland Garros! Sounds like a treat. What were your impressions of Tel Aviv? You are quite the world traveler. I’ve only been to Wimbledon beside the USO and I debate whether I’d rather go to the French or Aussie if I had my choice. I enjoy hard court tennis more, the way it opens itself up to see more players on their games since there aren’t too many clay-court specialists anymore, Andjuar might be one of them.
I’m curious, you don’t mention anything about roaming the outside courts. I’d say at the Open, even when I’m in on a press pass and have decent access to seats in the Stadium, I spend 80-20 per cent of my time watching matches on the outside courts. I still like seeing the action at ground level and I like looking at crowds when I’m at a tennis event–Newport’s are interesting, people almost seem to be at a party when watching matches in the comfy stadium there.
Also, you don’t mention the fashion. Do the French crowds dress up for the event or do they dress like tennis players the way so many Americans do?