American Men Are French Toast

For those wondering what U.S. men’s tennis will look like after Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi leave the arena, the next nine days will be something of a trial run.

Only one male player from the United States, Michael Chang, reached the third round, and by the time the sun set at the French Open on Friday, he was gone too.

The usual Chang effort was in place, but fifth-seeded Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil won, 6-3, 6-7 (9), 6-1, 6-4, in three hours in a matchup of former champions.

“It was tough,” said Kuerten, who needed treatment from the trainer for a tight back. “We both had won here once on central court. This kind of atmosphere, you try your best. He really gave more than he had. He’s a great fighter.”

Said Chang, the 1989 champion at age 17, on the lack of American success: “The French is the one the Americans tend to struggle with the most. But you have had four Americans win here in the past 10, 11 years. It’s just unfortunate this year.”

*

Martina Navratilova played her first Grand Slam event since 1996, in doubles, and the return with Mariaan de Swardt of South Africa was a success. In the first round, they beat Sabine Appelmans of Belgium and Rita Grande of Italy, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3.

There was a scary moment when Appelmans was hit in the right eye by a ball in the second set. There was a shot down the middle of the court with Appelmans and Grande at the net. They went for it and the ball went off Grande’s racket and hit Appelmans.

Navratilova joked about Appelmans’ crowd appeal when they started the match.

“Mariaan said she [Sabine] was voted the most desirable woman in Belgium,” Navratilova said. “There were a lot of Belgians out there. There was this one old man going, ‘Martina.’ So I blew him a kiss.”

She was not the only player coming out of retirement at the French Open. French star Guy Forget, who quit two years ago, won his first match with countryman Guillaume Raoux, defeating Leander Paes and Jan Siemerink, 7-6 (5), 6-3.

*

As expected, Agassi was fined $10,000 for skipping his mandatory news conference after his loss to Karol Kucera of Slovakia in the second round Thursday.

Austrian Stefan Koubek, who was disqualified from his second-round match for hitting a ballboy with a racket, was fined $6,500.