TENNIS: French Open Women's Quarter-finals: Despite Amelie Mauresmo's impressive physical bearing, her quarter-final against Serena Williams today has been characterised as grace and pained sensitivity against physical dominance and aggression. Johnny Watterson reports from Roland Garros, Paris.
The French care little for stereotyping and for them the outcome will make or break this year's Roland Garros.
Having beaten the American in the run-in to Paris, Mauresmo has cantered to today's match by a path smoother than that of her opponent.
The 6-1, 6-2 dismantling of Magui Serna on Sunday has shown her robust game to be also finer and more consistent than in previous years.
Yet, Mauresmo (right) cannot be ignorant of the fact that facing Williams (left) is an entirely different level of tennis, emotionally, physically and technically.
Neither player has dropped a set but if Williams races through the match and Mauresmo, the cause for concern for the winner of the match between Chanda Rubin and Justine Henin-Hardenne should be acute. Imperiously, Williams believes she can only be beaten by herself.
"I think that's definitely 100 per cent accurate," she said. "All the matches I've lost, I've pretty much beaten myself. It's been that way for a couple of years now.
"Whenever I lose, it's not because the girl I lose to just played an outstanding match; it's normally because I'm making 80 errors."
Perhaps it is a graceless observation but few would argue the facts, not even second seed Kim Clijsters, who faces Conchita Martinez in the other half of the draw.
In what is seen as a potentially easier route to the final, Clijsters must first end the run of the 31-year-old Spaniard, then face the unsung Nadia Petrova, Jennifer Capriati's nemesis, or the hitherto unknown 18-year-old from Moscow Vera Zvonareva, who shockingly highlighted the untidy nature of the Venus Williams game.
Dropping 0-6 to Magdalena Maleeva in the first set of their match cautions care on the Belgian's part. Although she easily dug herself out of that match, winning the subsequent sets 6-2, 6-1, she will find Martinez canny even if slower and far past her best.
"Sometimes these type of matches are even better for your mental strength," said Clijsters following the match with Maleeva.
"The first set I just had no rhythm. I wasn't moving well. I don't know if it was because I had to wait in the locker room before I got to play my match."
A Spaniard today, a Russian next and a convincingly strong case for having at least one Belgian in the final.
