Tennis

Steady contender could sneak up in France

By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published May 3, 2005

On the famed red clay of the French Open, one usually expects the unexpected, but this year there appear to be a handful of clear-cut favorites.

And here's a shocker: none are American.

The list of likely contenders must include world No.1 Roger Federer , defending champion Gaston Gaudio , rising star Rafael Nadal , former champion Carlos Moya and last year's runner-up, Guillermo Coria . But if you're looking for a sleeper, the pick here is David Nalbandian .

Nalbandian, 23, hasn't drawn much fanfare as the French draws near, but that's nothing new. Despite being a Top 10 regular the past two years, the Argentina native rarely gets much buzz, which seems unfair. He was, after all, a Wimbledon runner-up in 2002 and a semifinalist at the 2003 U.S. Open (where he had eventual champ Andy Roddick struggling for air) and last year at Roland Garros.

Nalbandian doesn't excite, like say Federer or Nadal, and lacks the fire of a Moya or the grit of Coria. But he's a consistent force who keeps points alive and frustrates opponents. And he appears to be over a series of injuries and illnesses.

"This year I started very good in Australia and I then got a virus," he said. "Right now I'm trying to get back to my best level."

In two weeks, we'll pick a women's dark horse.

SETS APPEAL: Maria Sharapova never wanted to be compared with Anna Kournikova (the player turned model who never won a singles title), and her stellar play has spared her from much of that. But last week Sharapova accomplished something only one other professional female player has done when she was featured in People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" issue.

Kournikova made the list in 1998.

NEW ADDITION: The United States Tennis Association is putting wheelchair tennis on the big stage. The first U.S. Open Wheelchair Tennis Competition will be held at this year's U.S. Open and players will compete in four events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles.

"This new initiative at the U.S. Open reinforces our ongoing commitment to recognize the talents of those competing in wheelchair tennis at the highest levels," USTA chairman and president Franklin Johnson said.

The USTA is wheelchair tennis' national governing body. It sanctions tournaments, oversees U.S. wheelchair rankings, creates and manages a program for developing elite disabled athletes and selects teams to compete internationally.

ODDS AND ENDS: Jesuit grad Ryler DeHeart , who plays at Illinois and will enter the NCAA Tournament next week, is No.8 in the college singles rankings. He reached No.1 earlier in the season. ... ESPN Inc. and Tennis Australia have reached a multiyear, multimedia agreement for the extension of ESPN's exclusive television coverage of the Australian Open. It also calls for coverage on ESPN Deportes, the Spanish-language U.S. network, and includes distribution on broadband service ESPN 360, the ESPN cell phone service that will be launched in the next year. ... The ATP announced Vietnam will stage an ATP tournament this year for the first time. It will be held in Ho Chi Minh City. ... Legendary singer Elton John performed before a soldout crowd as Roddick hosted the 2005 Champions for Charity Gala and Auction last week in Austin, Texas. The event raised $800,000 for the Andy Roddick Foundation, and proceeds will benefit local children in need.

LAST WORD: "You come (to Spain) and all you hear is Nadal, Nadal, Nadal. It is wrong for somebody so young. The country has great players. Moya, (Juan Carlos ) Ferrero, Albert Costa have all won the French Open, but nobody talks about them. Only Nadal. Why is this?" - Marat Safin .

--Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

[Last modified May 3, 2005, 01:18:22]