Injuries Add Insult to French

PARIS — Meticulous planning on the part of tournament organizers and well-intended preparation by tennis players is never a match for the single-most dreaded event-buster in sports: injury.

Injuries can deplete an otherwise deep field and rob fans of the joy of watching their favorite players. At a Grand Slam tournament, the absence of marquee players is of heightened concern.

The French Open begins today, and, while it doesn’t lack for star power, those stars who are here are in a precarious position to make it past the first week on the red clay courts at Roland Garros.

Three of top four seeded men are injured or have recently been injured: Pete Sampras, defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Goran Ivanisevic. Four others, Thomas Enqvist, Boris Becker, Andre Agassi and last year’s finalist Michael Stich, pulled out of the tournament because of injuries.

The top two women in the world have been away from the sport for more than a month: No. 1 Martina Hingis, for six weeks because of a knee injury; and No. 2 Steffi Graf, the defending women’s champion, since Feb. 2, also because of a knee injury. Jennifer Capriati withdrew because of an ankle injury.

Tenth-ranked Mary Pierce of France, whom many consider to be one of the favorites here, missed a month this spring because of a leg injury.

It’s hard not to have sympathy for Sampras, whose luck never seems to hold when he pursues the only Grand Slam title he has not won. Two years ago Sampras loaded his schedule with clay-court tournaments and was too frazzled after two months of traveling between his home in Florida and the tournaments in Europe.

Last year he curtailed much of his clay-court season after the death of his coach, Tim Gullikson. Added to that was a difficult draw. Still, Sampras reached the semifinal, his best result

This year he has continued to struggle on clay. Sampras lost in the first round at Monte Carlo, lost to Jim Courier in the first round of the Italian Open and the next week pulled out of an event in Germany because of a strained groin muscle.

That injury is difficult to assess: he was able to practice for one hour Friday and looked slow on the court. Beyond his injury lies a treacherous draw again. His first opponent is Fabrice Santoro of France, who has twice beaten Sampras on clay.

Kafelnikov was off the tour for three months after breaking a bone in his right hand. He’s back, but his 6-8 record this season indicates he’s not yet played enough to help him here.

Thomas Muster has been puzzling. The Austrian, who was No. 1 in the world at this time last year, has lost more matches on clay this season than he has in the last two years. The 1995 French Open champion may have over-committed to playing hard courts, where he has done well. He started the year 21-3 on hard courts but has managed only a 6-6 record on clay.

This, from a player so dominant on the surface that his clay-court record over the past three years has been 111-5.

Second-seeded Michael Chang has been playing extremely well, but lost in the first round of his last two clay-court tournaments.

Two Spaniards have an excellent chance. Alex Corretja has won three tournaments on clay in the past two months and has a 22-4 record on the surface, the best on the men’s tour.

Most recently, he defeated Marcelo Rios of Chile to win the Italian Open; Rios defeated Corretja to win the title at Monte Carlo. Corretja is seeded No. 8 and Rios No. 7.

It is the first time Corretja has been seeded in a Grand Slam event, but he claims not to feel pressure.

“I prefer to be in the favorite side [rather] than the loser side,” he said. “Everybody is telling me, ‘Maybe now you are under pressure.’ I think it’s the other side. I play better because I’ve never played like this before.”

No. 13 Albert Costa is 23-11 and an expert clay-courter. He may be the most talented of the six Spanish players in the top 20, including Australian Open finalist Carlos Moya and two-time French Open champion Sergi Bruguera.

The women have not been immune to injury. Even with an injury-riddled career, Graf has never been away from tennis for three months, as she has been because of this knee injury.

“After such a break, it is difficult to start over and to find the physical strength again and to build it up,” she said. “I am very eager. I have to say, the first time I was back on the court [practicing], it was a big joy for me. But, obviously, it is going to take some time to feel comfortable around the court and get into a playing mood and concentration on the court.”

That point was brought home in Graf’s first tournament back, in a match against Amanda Coetzer at the German Open. Coetzer handed Graf the worst loss of her career, 6-0, 6-1. Coetzer also beat Graf at the Australian Open in January.

They played again Friday at Strasbourg, and Coetzer took Graf to five match points before losing. Graf won the title on Saturday.

Coetzer looms as a possible opponent for Graf in the French quarterfinals.

In Graf’s absence Hingis has gained the No. 1 ranking. The 16-year-old has not been beaten this year, winning the Australian Open and five other tournaments. Hingis fell from a horse April 21 and has been able to play only one clay-court tournament, which she won.

Her draw pits her against a dangerous but scarcely known opponent, Henrieta Nagyova. The Slovakian is ranked No. 37 and is an expert clay-court player. She has played six tournaments on clay in two months. Her chances don’t seem as bad when placed in context: Meeting the No. 1-seeded player in the first round of a Grand Slam event is always dangerous, especially when that player has been off the tour for a month and a half.

Pierce lost to Hingis in the finals of the Australian Open and has been in three finals on clay, winning one. She opens against Tatiana Panova of Russia.

Venus Williams, who has played only nine matches this year, makes her Grand Slam tournament debut. The 16-year-old is seeded No. 89. She opens against the steady Naoko Sawamatsu of Japan, who is seeded No. 41.

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French Open at a Glance

* When: Today through June 8.

* Where: Roland Garros Stadium, Paris.

* Top-Seeded Players: Pete Sampras, Martina Hingis.

* Defending champions: Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Steffi Graf.

* TV: Today, 10 a.m. (delayed) USA network.