TENNIS/French Open Championships:At the changeovers, Venus Williams would read her own hand- written notes from a red hard backed book with Che Guevara's image on the cover, her strategy, her inspiration. Jelena Jankovic would bury her head in her towel, look sideways up at her friends in the guest box and start laughing, her inspiration, her strategy. Revelry on one side, revolution on the other. Williams' failed coup lasted three sets, Jankovic's jollity continues into the fourth round at Roland Garros.
At some point in a Grand Slam a player steps forward. Like runners in a 10,000 metre race, tennis players sit in the pack for the first few rounds, look around and try to gauge where the form lies. It usually takes adversity to force the move but it always comes, someone makes a bolt.
Yesterday it was the long face, the striking cheekbones of Jankovic that made the move. The 22-year-old Serb's declaration was the 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 beating of Williams the elder, leaving America with just one player left in the draw, Venus's sister Serena.
For her own solace, Williams warmed to the theory that she is on a comeback climb from a wrist injury and took comfort in looking down the path. The more friendly grass at Wimbledon is just weeks away.
What may dismay her, however, is that Jankovic was able to get on to her best weapon, the 200 kph serve and manage to play her way into nearly every point. Then when the rallies began, the Serb's defensive game matched everything Williams could throw.
Jankovic refused to be bullied, returned as hard as Williams and finally out lasted her as Williams, in her go-for-broke way, began to hit long.
"Yeah, it did go long, long, long. But in my experience, when it goes long, long, long, it's only a matter of time before it goes in, in, in," she said defiantly.
Jankovic has never won a Grand Slam but was ranked as the best junior player in the world and when she took the first set 6-4 few around Court Philippe Chatrier were surprised.
But the manner in which she handed over the second to Williams forced people to consider whether she had lost her grip on the match.
The players exchanged service games twice but when Jankovic hit her backhand long on break point for 4-6, it was a soft handing over of the set.
Rather than ruminate on the unforced error Jankovic continued to scramble for every thing, which she did magnificently and as Williams t ired the back hand began to go long, long, long.
She double faulted to give Jankovic her second break point at 3-1 down and the match turned. Clearly the fourth seed Jankovic had brought bundles of confidence from having been crowned the champion of Italy just weeks ago. But again a Williams over-hit was responsible for the turning point, this time a wide forehand that gave Jankovic a 4-1 lead. From there she never looked back.
"I was staying really tough out there. Mentally very strong in the third set and really going for my shots," said Jankovic.
"I never had in my mind that I was going to lose the match."
That was difficult to tell as Jankovic laughed her way through the entire episode, not just at the turnovers. With one of the nosiest players boxes at the tournament there was a constant exchange between the player and her friends, which she was able to switch on and off.
"I am the person, who likes to laugh a lot. Even before the match, I think you could hear my group," said Jankovic.
"We are the only ones who are so loud. You see the other players, so quiet in the corner, you don't hear them. Then you see the clowns over there."
Williams, however wasn't alone in packing her bags. Russia's Elena Dementieva folded even more easily to the battling French girl, Marion Bartoli.
A finalist here three years ago despite a shockingly fragile serve, Dementieva departed 6-2, 6-4, much to the delight of the partisan crowd.
Serena Williams beat 1996 Wimbledon winner Richard Krajicek's little sister, Michaella 6-3, 6-4. Krajicek, who had said she idolised the American when she was growing up, appeared to be star-struck in the initial stages of the contest as she quickly fell behind 3-0.
The 18-year-old rallied to level at 3-3 but then crumbled under pressure and hit a service return long to bow out after 76 minutes.
Men's Singles
Second round: Paul-Henri Mathieu (Fra) bt Gilles Simon (Fra) 3-6 6-4 6-1 7-6 (7-2), Igor Andreev (Rus) bt Nicolas Massu (Chi) 6-3 3-6 6-3 7-5.
Third round: (1) Roger Federer (Swi) bt Potito Starace (Ita) 6-2 6-3 6-0, Juan Monaco (Arg) bt Edouard Roger-Vasselin (Fra) 6-4 6-2 6-4, (13) Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) bt (17) Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spa) 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 6-2, (4) Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) bt Michael Llodra (Fra) 6-4 6-2 6-4,(19) Guillermo Canas (Arg) bt Kristof Vliegen (Bel) 6-2 6-2 2-6 6-3, (15) David Nalbandian (Arg) bt Gael Monfils (Fra) 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-5), (9) Tommy Robredo (Spa) bt Janko Tipsarevic (Ser) 6-3 6-4 6-0, (19) Guillermo Canas (Arg) bt Kristof Vliegen (Bel) 6-2 6-2 2-6 6-3, (15)
Women's Singles
Second round: (12) Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) bt Olga Poutchkova (Rus) 7-6 (8-6) 6-3.
Third round: (4) Jelena Jankovic (Ser) bt (26) Venus Williams (USA) 6-4 4-6 6-1, (19) Tathiana Garbin (Ita) bt Stephanie Cohen Aloro (Fra) 6-3 6-0, (20) Sybille Bammer (Aut) bt (16) Na Li (Chn) 6-4 6-3, (6) Nicole Vaidisova (Cze) bt (27) Samantha Stosur (Aus) 6-4 6-4, (8) Serena Williams (US) bt Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) 6-3 6-4, J Henin, (Bel) bt M Santangelo (Ita) 6-2 6-3, (18) Marion Bartoli (Fra) bt (13) Elena Dementieva (Rus) 6-2 6-4.
