Monday, June 6, 2011
French Open Champions
Congratulations to China's Li Na and Spain's Rafael Nadal for bringing home this year's French Open singles titles. Na became the first Chinese athlete, man or woman, to bring home one of tennis's Grand Slam singles titles when she defeated the reigning French Open champ, Italy's Francesca Schiavone in straight sets 6-4, 7-6. Na, who is expected to make the jump to 4th in the World in today's new release of the WTA rankings played in her first Grand Slam final earlier this year when she lost at the Australian Open to Kim Clijsters. On the men's side, Rafael Nadal won the French Open for the 6th time by defeating rival Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1. The win was his 10th career Grand Slam title and he tied Bjorn Borg for the record of most French Open wins. In his career Nadal is now 45-1 at the French Open, losing only in 2009 to Robin Soderling. Against Federer, who himself has 16 Grand Slams to his name, he improved to 17-8 and 5-0 at the French Open.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
NBA Finals - Game 2
Ok, so if you haven't heard by now, the Miami Heat had a total meltdown at the end of Game 2. Already up 1-0 in the series, Dwyane Wade hit a corner 3-pointer with 7:13 to play in the 4th quarter to put Miami up by 15 points. Admittedly at this point I changed the channel in disgust opting to watch the two worst teams in the National League (Houston and San Diego) play one another. I did however flip back a few minutes later and see that it was now 88-77 and then 88-81. Then 90-84. And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Dallas tied the game and then took the lead. HOW??? Let's look at what Miami did in the last 7 minutes of the game on offense.
Possession 1: Up by 15 - Dwyane Wade - missed 3-pointer
Possession 2: Up by 13 - Mario Chalmers - missed 3-pointer
Possession 3: Up by 11 - LeBron James - missed driving layup
Possession 4: Up by 9 - Chris Bosh - missed 21 footer
Possession 5: Up by 7 - LeBron James - fouled by Tyson Chandler on a drive, hits two free throws.
Possession 6: Up by 6 - LeBron James - missed 16 footer
Possession 7: Up by 4 - Chris Bosh - turnover
Possession 8: Up by 2 - Udonis Haslem - missed 15 footer
Possession 9: Up by 2 - LeBron James - missed 3-pointer
Offensive Rebound - LeBron James - missed 3-pointer
Offensive Rebound - Udonis Haslem - turnover
Possession 10: Tie Game - Dwyane Wade - missed 3-pointer
Possession 11: Down by 3 - Mario Chalmers - made 3-pointer (blown coverage on inbounds play)
Possession 12: Down by 2 - Dwyane Wade - missed 3-pointer
12 possessions, 5 points. And their only basket came when Jason Terry blew a coverage on an inbounds play after going DOWN by three points allowing LeBron James to find a wide open Mario Chalmers for the uncontested 3-pointer. Other than that? Miami took 10 shots and missed all of them, including 6 3-point attempts. Over the final 7:13, Dallas was outscored 22-5 by the Mavericks, one of the biggest meltdowns in finals history. Instead of running plays, Miami instead opted for isolations and settled for contested long jump-shots. Dwyane Wade had 36 points, but he did not attempt a 2-point shot (he hit 11 of 13 of those in the game) or a free throw (12 attempts prior to the meltdown) in the final 7:13 instead shooting 3s and missing them. Wade and James combined to hit just 4 of 14 3-point attempts, which isn't BAD, but it isn't good either. Perhaps more telling is that Miami attempted 30 3-pointers in Game 2. Dallas, a team known for their 3-point shooting, only attempted 17.
Dallas meanwhile was able to get out in transition a little bit and make some shots and for the third time this postseason, erased a 15 point deficit.In Game 1 against the Lakers, they trailed 60-44 with 10:38 to play in the 3rd quarter before stealing the game 96-94 in L.A. In Game 4 against the Thunder, the Mavs led the series 2-1, but they trailed Oklahoma City, again on the road, 99-84 with 5:05 to play before going on a 17-2 run to close out regulation and a 28-6 run to finish their 112-105 overtime win. And now this. Three road games against three GOOD teams. Unbelievable.
In Game 1, Miami had a considerable rebounding edge grabbing 16 offensive rebounds and outrebounding the Mavs 46-36. In Game 2 Dallas made the adjustment and outrebounded Miami 41-30 limiting the Heat to just 6 offensive rebounds. Still, Game 2 featured 20 Mavericks turnovers that led to 31 Miami points. And they STILL found a way to win. To make matters worse for the Heat, they not only wasted a big game for Dwyane Wade with his aforementioned 36 points, but they also wasted Mike Bibby's best game of the postseason. Bibby scored 14 points draining 4 3-pointers (the same amount he'd hit in each of the first three 5-game series), but it was for nothing. It was the first time this postseason Bibby'd been in double figures. Equally concerning for the Heat, Chris Bosh hit 4 of 16 shots in Game 2 after hitting 5 of 18 in Game 1. AND he got torched by Dirk on the game's final play. Where's his head going to be at headed to Dallas (where he's from) for Game 3?
Speaking of Dirk, let's not downplay the fact that he led the Mavericks with 24 points, including their final 9, despite playing with a torn tendon in his left middle finger. This included lefty layups to tie the game at 90 and to win it. Any questions about his toughness and his ability to perform under pressure have to have been answered by what he's done this season. Dirk didn't do it alone though. Shawn Marion kept the Mavs in the game with 20 points, Tyson Chandler had 13, Jason Terry scored 8 of his 16 in the 4th quarter and Jason Kidd hit another big 3-pointer during the stretch run. Consider that Dallas won this game despite the turnovers, despite losing backup center Brendan Haywood to an injury, despite getting 0 points from Peja Stojakovic (again), and the fact that they needed to play "The Custodian" Brian Cardinal in the second half.
So what does this mean for the series? While I don't expect Miami to melt down and get swept in Dallas, the bigger factor is that Dallas now has some of their swagger back. Instead of limping home down 2-0, they're tied a 1 game apiece, and they now should have no doubts that they can hang with this Miami team. And we still haven't seen the best from Dallas's bench yet as Stojakovic and Barea still haven't gotten hot. Don't be surprised to see Dallas take a 2-1 lead tomorrow night on their home floor and really make this series exciting.
Possession 1: Up by 15 - Dwyane Wade - missed 3-pointer
Possession 2: Up by 13 - Mario Chalmers - missed 3-pointer
Possession 3: Up by 11 - LeBron James - missed driving layup
Possession 4: Up by 9 - Chris Bosh - missed 21 footer
Possession 5: Up by 7 - LeBron James - fouled by Tyson Chandler on a drive, hits two free throws.
Possession 6: Up by 6 - LeBron James - missed 16 footer
Possession 7: Up by 4 - Chris Bosh - turnover
Possession 8: Up by 2 - Udonis Haslem - missed 15 footer
Possession 9: Up by 2 - LeBron James - missed 3-pointer
Offensive Rebound - LeBron James - missed 3-pointer
Offensive Rebound - Udonis Haslem - turnover
Possession 10: Tie Game - Dwyane Wade - missed 3-pointer
Possession 11: Down by 3 - Mario Chalmers - made 3-pointer (blown coverage on inbounds play)
Possession 12: Down by 2 - Dwyane Wade - missed 3-pointer
12 possessions, 5 points. And their only basket came when Jason Terry blew a coverage on an inbounds play after going DOWN by three points allowing LeBron James to find a wide open Mario Chalmers for the uncontested 3-pointer. Other than that? Miami took 10 shots and missed all of them, including 6 3-point attempts. Over the final 7:13, Dallas was outscored 22-5 by the Mavericks, one of the biggest meltdowns in finals history. Instead of running plays, Miami instead opted for isolations and settled for contested long jump-shots. Dwyane Wade had 36 points, but he did not attempt a 2-point shot (he hit 11 of 13 of those in the game) or a free throw (12 attempts prior to the meltdown) in the final 7:13 instead shooting 3s and missing them. Wade and James combined to hit just 4 of 14 3-point attempts, which isn't BAD, but it isn't good either. Perhaps more telling is that Miami attempted 30 3-pointers in Game 2. Dallas, a team known for their 3-point shooting, only attempted 17.
Dallas meanwhile was able to get out in transition a little bit and make some shots and for the third time this postseason, erased a 15 point deficit.In Game 1 against the Lakers, they trailed 60-44 with 10:38 to play in the 3rd quarter before stealing the game 96-94 in L.A. In Game 4 against the Thunder, the Mavs led the series 2-1, but they trailed Oklahoma City, again on the road, 99-84 with 5:05 to play before going on a 17-2 run to close out regulation and a 28-6 run to finish their 112-105 overtime win. And now this. Three road games against three GOOD teams. Unbelievable.
In Game 1, Miami had a considerable rebounding edge grabbing 16 offensive rebounds and outrebounding the Mavs 46-36. In Game 2 Dallas made the adjustment and outrebounded Miami 41-30 limiting the Heat to just 6 offensive rebounds. Still, Game 2 featured 20 Mavericks turnovers that led to 31 Miami points. And they STILL found a way to win. To make matters worse for the Heat, they not only wasted a big game for Dwyane Wade with his aforementioned 36 points, but they also wasted Mike Bibby's best game of the postseason. Bibby scored 14 points draining 4 3-pointers (the same amount he'd hit in each of the first three 5-game series), but it was for nothing. It was the first time this postseason Bibby'd been in double figures. Equally concerning for the Heat, Chris Bosh hit 4 of 16 shots in Game 2 after hitting 5 of 18 in Game 1. AND he got torched by Dirk on the game's final play. Where's his head going to be at headed to Dallas (where he's from) for Game 3?
Speaking of Dirk, let's not downplay the fact that he led the Mavericks with 24 points, including their final 9, despite playing with a torn tendon in his left middle finger. This included lefty layups to tie the game at 90 and to win it. Any questions about his toughness and his ability to perform under pressure have to have been answered by what he's done this season. Dirk didn't do it alone though. Shawn Marion kept the Mavs in the game with 20 points, Tyson Chandler had 13, Jason Terry scored 8 of his 16 in the 4th quarter and Jason Kidd hit another big 3-pointer during the stretch run. Consider that Dallas won this game despite the turnovers, despite losing backup center Brendan Haywood to an injury, despite getting 0 points from Peja Stojakovic (again), and the fact that they needed to play "The Custodian" Brian Cardinal in the second half.
So what does this mean for the series? While I don't expect Miami to melt down and get swept in Dallas, the bigger factor is that Dallas now has some of their swagger back. Instead of limping home down 2-0, they're tied a 1 game apiece, and they now should have no doubts that they can hang with this Miami team. And we still haven't seen the best from Dallas's bench yet as Stojakovic and Barea still haven't gotten hot. Don't be surprised to see Dallas take a 2-1 lead tomorrow night on their home floor and really make this series exciting.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
French Open - Men's Semifinal Matchups
(1) Rafael Nadal vs (4) Andy Murray
Nadal and Murray have met 14 times since 2007 with Nadal winning 10 of those matches including their only match this year. All four of Murray's wins have come on the hard court and Nadal has won all 3 of their matches on Clay including this year at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo. While the two have never met at the French Open, this isn't the first showdown at a major. The two have faced off at the Australian Open twice (each winning one), Wimbledon twice (Nadal winning both) and the U.S. Open (won by Murray).
2011- Nadal 1 Murray 0
2010 - Nadal 2 Murray 2
2009 - Nadal 2 Murray 1
2008 - Nadal 3 Murray 1
2007 - Nadal 2 Murray 0
(2) Novak Djokovic vs (3) Roger Federer
Djokovic and Federer have played each other 22 times since 2006 with Federer winning 13. Djokovic has been hot lately though winning all 3 matchups this year including in the Australian Open semifinals. The two players have never met in the French Open, but they've faced off 7 times in Grand Slam events with Federer winning four including the finals of the 2007 U.S. Open, won by Federer. The two have played three times on clay, most recently in 2009 at ATP World Tour Masters Rome won by Djokovic. Federer won the other two.
2011 - Djokovic 3 Federer 0
2010 - Federer 4 Djokovic 1
2009 - Djokovic 3 Federer 2
2008 - Federer 2 Djokovic 1
2007 - Federer 3 Djokovic 1
2006 - Federer 2 Djokovic 0
Nadal and Murray have met 14 times since 2007 with Nadal winning 10 of those matches including their only match this year. All four of Murray's wins have come on the hard court and Nadal has won all 3 of their matches on Clay including this year at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo. While the two have never met at the French Open, this isn't the first showdown at a major. The two have faced off at the Australian Open twice (each winning one), Wimbledon twice (Nadal winning both) and the U.S. Open (won by Murray).
2011- Nadal 1 Murray 0
2010 - Nadal 2 Murray 2
2009 - Nadal 2 Murray 1
2008 - Nadal 3 Murray 1
2007 - Nadal 2 Murray 0
(2) Novak Djokovic vs (3) Roger Federer
Djokovic and Federer have played each other 22 times since 2006 with Federer winning 13. Djokovic has been hot lately though winning all 3 matchups this year including in the Australian Open semifinals. The two players have never met in the French Open, but they've faced off 7 times in Grand Slam events with Federer winning four including the finals of the 2007 U.S. Open, won by Federer. The two have played three times on clay, most recently in 2009 at ATP World Tour Masters Rome won by Djokovic. Federer won the other two.
2011 - Djokovic 3 Federer 0
2010 - Federer 4 Djokovic 1
2009 - Djokovic 3 Federer 2
2008 - Federer 2 Djokovic 1
2007 - Federer 3 Djokovic 1
2006 - Federer 2 Djokovic 0
Stanley Cup Finals - Game 1
VANCOUVER 1 BOSTON 0 - Vancouver leads 1-0
Goals:
VAN- Raffi Torres (3)
BOS - none
Notes:
Torres scored with 19 seconds to play in the third period making it the latest regulation goal in a 1-0 game in Stanley Cup finals history. The previous mark was with 5:44 remaining set in 2007 by the Ducks' Samuel Pahlsson... Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo combined to make 69 saves in Game 1 with Luongo saving 36 for the shutout. It was Luongo's 3rd shutout this postseason. All three have come in Game 1s... Both teams combined to go 0 for 6 on powerplay opportunities including a 5 on 3 advantage for Boston for 1:32 in the second period... Vancouver defenseman Dan Hamhuis left the game with an injury in the second period and did not return following a check on Milan Lucic. Hamhuis has a goal and 5 assists this postseason... Vancouver has won the first game of every series they've been in this year. Boston meanwhile has now lost 3 of its 4 Game 1s... The Bruins were shutout for just the second time this postseason and for the first time since Game 1 against Montreal in the opening round... Game 2 of the series will be Saturday night in Vancouver. As with Game 1, the game will be broadcast on NBC.
Goals:
VAN- Raffi Torres (3)
BOS - none
Notes:
Torres scored with 19 seconds to play in the third period making it the latest regulation goal in a 1-0 game in Stanley Cup finals history. The previous mark was with 5:44 remaining set in 2007 by the Ducks' Samuel Pahlsson... Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo combined to make 69 saves in Game 1 with Luongo saving 36 for the shutout. It was Luongo's 3rd shutout this postseason. All three have come in Game 1s... Both teams combined to go 0 for 6 on powerplay opportunities including a 5 on 3 advantage for Boston for 1:32 in the second period... Vancouver defenseman Dan Hamhuis left the game with an injury in the second period and did not return following a check on Milan Lucic. Hamhuis has a goal and 5 assists this postseason... Vancouver has won the first game of every series they've been in this year. Boston meanwhile has now lost 3 of its 4 Game 1s... The Bruins were shutout for just the second time this postseason and for the first time since Game 1 against Montreal in the opening round... Game 2 of the series will be Saturday night in Vancouver. As with Game 1, the game will be broadcast on NBC.
NBA Finals
So I've been hesitant to write about the NBA lately just because my dislike for the Heat has really made it difficult to enjoy the postseason. I thought the Celtics would give them a run, but they showed their age and were limited by injuries. Then after Game 1 of the Bulls series I thought Chicago looked primed for the upset, only a scary thing happened. The Heat started playing with confidence. Now, up a game to none in the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, the Heat look to be in great shape to bring home another championship. How did we get here? The return of Udonis Haslem and the reemergence of Mike Miller have been huge, but more than that it's been the play of the 'Big Three', LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The trio that at one time struggled to get it done in clutch situations is now clicking on all cylinders. Bosh is playing aggressively and no longer looks like the guy who hit 1 out of 18 or 19 shots against the Bulls earlier in the year. Wade and James suddenly appear to be able to coexist on the basketball court and suddenly everyone is hitting big shots when they're needed most. Despite having Mike Bibby playing brutally at the point and getting virtually no offense from their centers, the Heat are winning games. Five in a row to be exact, and they've yet to lose at home in the playoffs. And now, you've got Dirk Nowitzki tearing tendons in his finger or something crazy like that. As if Miami needed more help to win the title. So is all lost? Am I doomed to live in a world where LeBron James gets rewarded for leaving Cleveland and join forces with superstars by winning a title in his first season in Miami? It doesn't look good. But all might not be lost. Lost in the shuffle of everything else that transpired in Game 1, the Mavericks showed they could hold their own with Miami. The zone scheme they used help Miami's high powered offense at bay, and if not for some surprisingly good long range shooting from James and Wade, maybe things go differently. Not to mention the fact that Dallas didn't shoot the ball particularly well with a number of misses not due to any amazing Miami defense. And Dallas's bench that had been so good was outscored 27-17 by Miami's bench which has not been good at all. It seems unlikely that that trend continues. So maybe Dallas can make it a series. A lot of that really depends on what happens tonight. If the Mavs somehow steal a game and can go back to Dallas tied vice down 2-0, that's huge. Plus, the Heat are becoming an unstoppable juggernaut and if they aren't taken down a peg soon, they're just going to roll right on through this series in my opinion. Dallas's best chance is to put pressure on Miami creating a sense of doubt amongst the Heat players forcing them to play nervous. That's what caused them problems all year long and without that, I fear the worst. We'll see what happens tonight. Hopefully this time tomorrow we'll be looking at a tied up series.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Stanley Cup Finals - Vancouver vs Boston
Tonight kicks off the Stanley Cup Finals featuring the Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins and the Western Conference Champion Vancouver Canucks. The Bruins are appearing in the finals for the 18th time, but have only won 5 Cups and none since 1972. They've lost in the Finals their last 5 trips (1974, 1977, 1978, 1988, 1990). The Canucks meanwhile have never won a Stanley Cup and are appearing in the finals for just the third time. They were there most recently in 1994 when they lost to Mark Messier's New York Rangers in 7 games.
FINALS BREAKDOWN
(W1) Vancouver (54-19-9) vs (E3) Boston (46-25-11)
Regular Season Meetings
2/26/11 - Boston 3 Vancouver 1
3 Stars of the Game
1- Milan Lucic (BOS) 1 goal 2 assists
2- Tim Thomas (BOS) 27 saves (96.4%)
3- Manny Malhotra (VAN) 1 goal
Boston Road to the Finals
First Round - Def. (6) Montreal 4 games to 3
Conf Semis - Def. (2) Philadelphia 4 games to 0
Conf Finals - Def. (5) Tampa Bay 4 games to 3
Vancouver Road to the Finals
First Round - Def. (8) Chicago 4 games to 3
Conf Semis - Def. (5) Nashville 4 games to 2
Conf Finals - Def. (2) San Jose 4 games to 1
Boston Postseason Leaders
Goals- David Krejci 10, Nathan Horton 8, Brad Marchand 6
Assists- Patrice Bergeron 11, Nathan Horton 9, Tomas Kaberle 8
Points - Nathan Horton 17, David Krejci 17, Patrice Bergeron 15
Goaltending - Tim Thomas 12-6, 2.29 GAA, 92.9% Saves, 2 Shutouts
Boston Regular Season Leaders
Goals- Milan Lucic 30, Nathan Horton 26, Patrice Bergeron 22
Assists- David Krejci 49, Patrice Bergeron 35, Mark Recchi 34
Points - David Krejci 62, Milan Lucic 62, Patrice Bergeron 57
Goaltending - Tim Thomas 35-11-9, 2.00 GAA, 93.8% Saves, 9 Shutouts
Vancouver Postseason Leaders
Goals- Daniel Sedin 8, Ryan Kesler 7, Alex Burrows 7
Assists - Henrik Sedin 19, Ryan Kesler 11, Christian Ehrhoff 9
Points- Henrik Sedin 21, Ryan Kesler 18, Daniel Sedin 16
Goaltending - Roberto Luongo 12-6, 2.29 GAA, 92.2% Saves, 2 Shutouts
Vancouver Regular Season Leaders
Goals- Daniel Sedin 41, Ryan Kesler 41, Alex Burrows 26
Assists- Henrik Sedin 75, Daniel Sedin 63, Christian Ehrhoff 36
Points - Daniel Sedin 104, Henrik Sedin 94, Ryan Kesler 73
Goaltending - Roberto Luongo 38-15-7, 2.11 GAA, 92.8% Saves, 4 Shutouts
FINALS BREAKDOWN
(W1) Vancouver (54-19-9) vs (E3) Boston (46-25-11)
Regular Season Meetings
2/26/11 - Boston 3 Vancouver 1
3 Stars of the Game
1- Milan Lucic (BOS) 1 goal 2 assists
2- Tim Thomas (BOS) 27 saves (96.4%)
3- Manny Malhotra (VAN) 1 goal
Boston Road to the Finals
First Round - Def. (6) Montreal 4 games to 3
Conf Semis - Def. (2) Philadelphia 4 games to 0
Conf Finals - Def. (5) Tampa Bay 4 games to 3
Vancouver Road to the Finals
First Round - Def. (8) Chicago 4 games to 3
Conf Semis - Def. (5) Nashville 4 games to 2
Conf Finals - Def. (2) San Jose 4 games to 1
Boston Postseason Leaders
Goals- David Krejci 10, Nathan Horton 8, Brad Marchand 6
Assists- Patrice Bergeron 11, Nathan Horton 9, Tomas Kaberle 8
Points - Nathan Horton 17, David Krejci 17, Patrice Bergeron 15
Goaltending - Tim Thomas 12-6, 2.29 GAA, 92.9% Saves, 2 Shutouts
Boston Regular Season Leaders
Goals- Milan Lucic 30, Nathan Horton 26, Patrice Bergeron 22
Assists- David Krejci 49, Patrice Bergeron 35, Mark Recchi 34
Points - David Krejci 62, Milan Lucic 62, Patrice Bergeron 57
Goaltending - Tim Thomas 35-11-9, 2.00 GAA, 93.8% Saves, 9 Shutouts
Vancouver Postseason Leaders
Goals- Daniel Sedin 8, Ryan Kesler 7, Alex Burrows 7
Assists - Henrik Sedin 19, Ryan Kesler 11, Christian Ehrhoff 9
Points- Henrik Sedin 21, Ryan Kesler 18, Daniel Sedin 16
Goaltending - Roberto Luongo 12-6, 2.29 GAA, 92.2% Saves, 2 Shutouts
Vancouver Regular Season Leaders
Goals- Daniel Sedin 41, Ryan Kesler 41, Alex Burrows 26
Assists- Henrik Sedin 75, Daniel Sedin 63, Christian Ehrhoff 36
Points - Daniel Sedin 104, Henrik Sedin 94, Ryan Kesler 73
Goaltending - Roberto Luongo 38-15-7, 2.11 GAA, 92.8% Saves, 4 Shutouts
French Open Women's Semifinalists
(5) FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE - Italy
The 30 year old Italian, currently ranked 5th in the World, is the defending French Open Champion. She defetaed Samantha Stosur last year in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 to win her first Grand Slam. Schiavone defeated Melanie Oudin, Vesna Dolonts, Shuai Peng, Jelena Jankovic and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach the semifinals where she will face off against Marion Bartoli.
(6) LI NA - China
The 29 year old Na is coming off her first Grand Slam final earlier this year at the Australian Open which she lost to Kim Clijsters. Currently ranked 7th in the world, Na has lost just 2 sets through 5 matches defeating Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova, Silvia Soler Espinosa, Sorana Cirstea, Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka on her way to the semifinals where she will take on Maria Sharapova.
(7) MARIA SHARAPOVA - Russia
The 24 year old Russian has 3 Grand Slam titles winning the Australian Open in 2008, Wimbeldon in 2004 and the U.S. Open in 2006, but she has never won the French Open with this being the farthest she's ever gone in the tournament. Currently ranked 7th in the World, Sharapova has lost just 1 set in her first five matches. She defeated Mirjana Lucic, Caroline Garcia, Yung-Jan Chan, Agnieszka Radwanska and Andrea Petkovic to reach the semifinals.
(11) MARION BARTOLI - France
The 26 year old Frenchwoman is currently ranked 26th in the world and is France's last shot at having one of their countrymen winning a singles title at the French Open this year. Mary Pierce was the last Frenchwoman to win the French Open doing so in 2000. Bartoli has never won a Grand Slam event, reaching the finals only once when she did so at Wimbeldon in 2007. She defeated Anna Tatishvili, Olga Govortsova, Julia Goerges, Gisela Dulko and Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the semifinals.
The 30 year old Italian, currently ranked 5th in the World, is the defending French Open Champion. She defetaed Samantha Stosur last year in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 to win her first Grand Slam. Schiavone defeated Melanie Oudin, Vesna Dolonts, Shuai Peng, Jelena Jankovic and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach the semifinals where she will face off against Marion Bartoli.
(6) LI NA - China
The 29 year old Na is coming off her first Grand Slam final earlier this year at the Australian Open which she lost to Kim Clijsters. Currently ranked 7th in the world, Na has lost just 2 sets through 5 matches defeating Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova, Silvia Soler Espinosa, Sorana Cirstea, Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka on her way to the semifinals where she will take on Maria Sharapova.
(7) MARIA SHARAPOVA - Russia
The 24 year old Russian has 3 Grand Slam titles winning the Australian Open in 2008, Wimbeldon in 2004 and the U.S. Open in 2006, but she has never won the French Open with this being the farthest she's ever gone in the tournament. Currently ranked 7th in the World, Sharapova has lost just 1 set in her first five matches. She defeated Mirjana Lucic, Caroline Garcia, Yung-Jan Chan, Agnieszka Radwanska and Andrea Petkovic to reach the semifinals.
(11) MARION BARTOLI - France
The 26 year old Frenchwoman is currently ranked 26th in the world and is France's last shot at having one of their countrymen winning a singles title at the French Open this year. Mary Pierce was the last Frenchwoman to win the French Open doing so in 2000. Bartoli has never won a Grand Slam event, reaching the finals only once when she did so at Wimbeldon in 2007. She defeated Anna Tatishvili, Olga Govortsova, Julia Goerges, Gisela Dulko and Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the semifinals.
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