THE SCOOP, ROLAND GARROS DAY 5

Dehydration the key to Roddick injured hamstring

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

What to make of Andy Roddick's hamstring pull and subsequent retirement down 7-6 (6), 4-6, 2-2 to raging Lleyton Hewitt in the third round of Roland Garros on Friday? How about that he put too much stress on his muscles when he failed to hydrate properly before his five-set win over Michael Chang, when he cramped so terribly? That's essentially what Roddick said after leaving the court after the Hewitt match – that his hammy had started to hurt against Chang and he hadn't properly prepared his body for the match. Hence a sore hammy on Wednesday and a wasted hammy on Friday.

Minutes after the match ended, Roddick's coach, Tariq Benhabiles yelled out to a few of Andy's friends in the Player's Lounge that his pupil was "out of Wimbledon." An hour later, doctors determined that he'll likely play Queens in 10 days.

THE AMERICAN SURPRISE: MICHAEL RUSSELL
Michael Russell in the fourth round of Roland Garros? Anyone for another Tracy Austin comeback at the U.S. Open with three kids in tow? The football crowd would

love Russell, who's been all over the world and back trying to make a go out it on tour. Last year, he spent a month in India playing the satellites, at times forced to take cold showers. He even played a challenger tournament in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Russell went to the U. of Miami for a year and then hit minor league pro road. For the past four years, he hasn't done any real damage. Last year, he played an whopping 27 tournaments but only finished the year ranked No. 156. But under new coach Terry London (Geoff Grant's and Mark Merkelein's former maestro), he's moved up a good 60 spots in the rankings. The 5-foot-9 Russell's a superfit pit bull with a pretty sizable forehand and terrific speed.

London told tennisreporters.net that in the first round of qualifying against Frenchman Olivier Patience, Russell was down a match point and on the run into the doubles alley, where he hit a floater back to Patience, who was camped at the net. Instead of punching it away for a winner, Patience lost his temper, jumped in the air and tried to hit a gorgeous backhand volley winner. "He was trying to close it out in style," London said. Instead, Patience dumped it into the net. Russell won the next nine games and the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-0.

Russell says he loves sliding on the clay. He'll be doing 360s in the next round, when he faces the Great Guga. But the cheerful Russell promises a good show. We believe him.

NO CHOKE FOR MANDULA; DOKIC TAKES A DIVE
Friday's biggest shocker was seeing a hobbled Jelena Dokic stunned by Petra Mandula of Hungary. When Mandula failed to convert three match points serving at 5-2 in the third set, Eastern Euro journalists were guaranteeing a choke. But the attractive Mandula eventually closed it out, as Dokic never adjusted for the injury. Jelena's a terrific player, but does not have a great head for the game – yet. The only good thing about Dokic going down is a probable quarterfinal appearance from the jovial and funny Italian, Rita Grande.

The bottom half of the womenÂs draw could belong to Belgian Bashers Kim Clijsters or Justine Henin. Henin took apart the very talented Frenchy Virginie Razzano, while Clijsters wasted Spaniard Marta Marrero. Henin will have her hands full with Babs Schett in the next round and Clijsters will have to play extremely well to down Slovak Henrieta Nagyova.

SATURDAY MATCH TO WATCH
Former burnout's and co-Florida residents Jennifer Capriati and Mirjana Lucic will face off. Will Lucic ever get in shape?