The American Spectator

In a way, this year’s edition of this most classic of tournaments is indeed about adapting. Isner must counter-adapt to the adaptations his opponents, who are beginning to know him, have learned to make to his service. Melanie Oudin must adapt to the pressure that comes from coming out of a period of drought, and maintain the momentum her first round win gave her. Rafa Nadal must maintain his momentum, which thus far has made him the top clay court champion this year, though it was his old rival Roger Federer who won at Madrid, which required no end of adaptation due to the appalling experimentation the tournament organizers insisted on with their ill-adapted blue clay.

Federer mentioned the other day that the tennis balls are a bit of a problem this year, due to manufacturers’ adaptations. At the highest level, even small variations in the ball’s weight and texture, which the rest of us would not even notice, are felt by the players, so they must… adapt.

Anyway, Paris is balmy and Roland-Garros is spick and span and if you want a heart warming adaptation story, here it comes, it is 6-5 for Brian Baker in the third set tiebreak and he is serving for the match against a big-serving opponent and he whips one to the far left corner of the service box and — we’ll see Brian in the next round, the man nothing could stop.