This Clay Is All Work and No Play : French Open: Agassi, Courier cruise, but the slow courts are an extra obstacle at Roland Garros.

At times it’s as if the slow red clay is the biggest star at the French Open, eclipsing the icons of tennis who tread with care upon the groomed courts of Roland Garros Stadium.

On most days during the two weeks of this Grand Slam event, the courts are more discussed, evaluated and tended to than most players. Not to mention pampered.

The groundsmen have a proprietary and tender relationship with the venue’s 23 courts. A second-round match between two of the heaviest players on the women’s tour prompted much huddling and gesturing with cigarettes among the court-keepers. There was a concern about nid de poule , small divots dug by thundering feet.

Tournament officials consult each day’s weather forecast before making any significant scheduling decision. There are all the elements to consider.

Last year, the early summer heat baked the courts and transformed then into quick and slick monsters.

This year, the weather has been more fickle. It has rained a little, leaving the thin top layer of crushed brick a slushy, slow mess. At times it has rained a lot, halting play and prompting court maintenance workers to spring into action at the first sign that a water droplet might mar the court. Poised in their blue overalls, they barely wait for the players to retreat to the locker room before they pull green tarps to cover the precious court.

Despite all precautions, the next time the court is used, invariably, the players complain of slowness and the heavy balls.

The French shrug in that Gallic way that seems to say, “Get over it.”

Neither rain nor shine has affected Andre Agassi, who can just as easily belt a heavy, damp tennis ball or a light, dry one. The top-seeded player advanced to the fourth round after another straight-set victory Friday. His 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 pasting of Francisco Clavet of Spain kept him on the court only 1 1/2 hours.

His performance here shows that Agassi has increased his comfort level on clay since his French Open debut in 1987. But, unlike the clay specialists here, Agassi gingerly approaches every match. Still, he has not dropped a set through three rounds.

“I’m not going to get through this tournament without a tough match, and I want to have all my cylinders firing when that time comes,” Agassi said. “On clay, the most important [factor] is the physical. To be quite honest, late in the tournament you want to make sure you have your legs. I’d take physical toughness in this tournament over mental toughness.”

The sliding and the long baseline rallies, the men’s five-set format, the two-week tournament--all conspire to tax even the fittest athlete.

Jim Courier, who also advanced with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Christian Ruud of Norway, is one of the best conditioned players on the tour and enjoys clay, but he, too, is respectful of what clay courts can do to body and mind.

“I think this tournament is more difficult for the body than it is for the mind,” Courier said. “That is the difference between the French Open and other Grand Slam tournaments.

“This year the difference is, it is not as hot as usual here and the courts are heavier and slower, so you must work a lot on the courts. If it gets hotter in the second week, then the court will be faster and it will be easier for us.”

Second-seeded Steffi Graf came here with some trepidation--her tender back does not enjoy the braking that comes with the sliding finish of each shot. She, too, advanced to the fourth round Friday, with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Nathalie Baudone of Italy.

Graf has been slowly working her way into the tournament but said Friday that, finally, she is getting comfortable.

“It’s clay,” Graf said. “It takes a while.”

To some players, clay is all that is evil on a tennis court, but Courier came up with something new to blame on the surface. He was asked why he seemed to be changing rackets so often.

Clay, he said.

“Well, on clay the earth is more gritty and the strings break faster than on other surfaces,” Courier said. “It has nothing to do with power. It is only because of the clay.”

Of course.