Yes, friends, it’s that time of year again. Time for another installment of that crabwalk.com franchise we’ve all come to know and love: ChandaWatch.
(For newish readers, I went to high school with Chanda Rubin, one of the world’s top women’s tennis players. So, for the last two years, I’ve posted updates on her career here, focusing on her progress through the grand slams. Also, this gives me an excuse to mention the names of many women’s tennis stars — a pattern which, when combined with out-of-context use of the word “naked,” leads to many, many Google hits. If only I had a nickel for every “anastasia myskina naked” search that leads crabwalk.com’s way.)
Anyway, seeds were announced for the French Open today. Chanda’s the 13 seed this time around, a bit lower than normal. That’s no doubt because of her recent knee problems. (She had left knee surgery in both 2001 and 2002; she tweaked the knee again whooping up on Rita Grande in February.) Chanda took three months off and had her first match back on Wednesday. Unfortunately, she lost to Trotskyite nobody Alina Jidkova, 6-7, 7-6, 4-6. In other words, the knee’s not exactly 100 percent.
Anyway, as the bracket lines up, Chanda is favored by seed through to the fourth round, facing a qualifier and then (if seeds hold) the Zimbabwan Cara Black and the Colombian Fabiola Zuluaga. Then would come Venus Williams and a likely demise. (At least that’s how it worked out in 2002 at Roland Garros.) But cross your fingers anyway, everyone.