From Up Down Under to Up and Down Now

This year’s Australian Open runners-up took different paths on the fifth day of the French Open, one leaving the tournament carrying increasing doubts and the other celebrating a birthday and reaching the third round.

Fifth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne is heading up, and Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus was heading out. This is as close as it gets to a home Grand Slam for them. Baghdatis trains in Paris, and Henin-Hardenne grew up in nearby Belgium.

Despite the rainy day Thursday, there were plenty of Belgian fans in the crowd to cheer Henin-Hardenne, not surprising given that the trip to Paris is probably shorter than some Southern California commutes.

Their strong presence also meant bad feelings would not surface from the hometown fans, some of whom might feel Henin-Hardenne robbed France’s Amelie Mauresmo of a championship moment when she withdrew in the second set of the Australian Open final in January because of stomach pains.

Of course, feelings could change should she play Mauresmo in the final here.

On Thursday, Henin-Hardenne saved three set points in the second set against Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus, winning, 6-2, 7-5, then was serenaded with “Happy Birthday” from her entourage in the friends’ box, with some fans joining in.

“I don’t remember a day like this when I played under the rain,” said Henin-Hardenne, who turned 24. “It’s been raining during the whole match, and it was freezing. At the end, I was very, very cold. We feel like in November now in Belgium. I don’t have the memory of spending my birthday in a day like this, in the weather like this.”

A long rain delay muddled the schedule, though American Shenay Perry won before the day turned lousy, defeating Akiko Morigami of Japan, 6-3, 6-0, in the second round.

On the men’s side, eighth-seeded James Blake lost a first-set tiebreaker to Nicolas Almagro of Spain, then they stopped because of darkness.

Play continued on some courts, including the second-round match between American Jamea Jackson and Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany. They split sets and the match was halted at 8:45 p.m.

“We wanted to stop at 3-2 [in the second set], but the supervisor said no,” Jackson said after leaving Court 17.

Baghdatis’ was the first match of the day on Court 1 and he would get no reprieve from the weather, losing a five-setter for the first time in his career. Julien Benneteau of France defeated him in the second round, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-4, in 3 hours 46 minutes.

The joy of Melbourne seemed long ago for him.

“I’m not really in the match,” he said. “I’m not looking at the ball. I’m thinking about what people think, what people will say. I don’t feel at ease. Of course, I have doubts.”

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Andy Roddick’s agent, Ken Meyerson, said his injured client traveled to London instead of going home to rest his left ankle and would probably resume training in a few days.

Roddick retired in the third set of his first-round match against Alberto Martin of Spain, marking the third time he has lost in the first round here. In his last three Slams, he has gone out in the first round twice and the fourth round once.

“He’s won five tournaments on clay,” said Meyerson, who added he would like to see a little more swagger from his client. “I’d like him to come in with a mind frame that he can win this tournament.”

Two British newspapers raised the possibility of Hall of Famer Jimmy Connors working with Roddick, but Meyerson said he had not heard of such a scenario until asked by a reporter on Thursday. Roddick is coached by his brother, John, who took over from Dean Goldfine after the Australian Open.