Postcard from Roland

The 2004 US Open champion had been waiting for this moment for two years after having stalled in consecutive tournaments at the round of 16 stage, where each time she fell to the eventual winner of the tournament.

But this time round she's done it. After dominating Francesca Schiavone on Sunday in the last 16, the number eight seed reached the semi-finals for the first time after dominating Dinara Safina in two sets.

The win represents Kuznetsova's best ever performance at Roland Garros after having been dumped out in the first round in her first participation here in 2003, before she fell in the round of 16 the following two years, in 2004 and 2005.

An interesting poll has been introduced to the tournament as, until June 7th, people can vote for the fairest playing participant at this year's Roland Garros (yay!) as well as the least fair player (boo!).

The pantomine cast list could include such heroes as Roger Federer, Amelie Mauresmo, James Blake, Gael Monfils, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Rafael Nadal, whilst villains like Maria Sharapova, David Nalbandian, Martina Hingis, Tatiana Golovin, Marat Safin or Andy Roddick could be voted in.

The demands of television are such that it is now obligatory for victorious players to sign the camera lens on their way off court. It is a phenomenon that has risen to prominence over the last few years, and is now generally accepted as 'the done thing.'

But on the show courts at Roland Garros this year, players such as Rafael Nadal and Ivan Ljubicic have been given rogue pens that have already run out and dried up, rendering the autographs useless, even if the camera pans up towards the sky in a vain attempt to highlight the signature.

To spare the blushes of television executives, 'official' pen sponsors have now stepped in to avoid any more embarrassment.

Good to see that, while members of the VIP boxes were flitting between networking with business associates and friends in the huge marquees and lounges dotted with alarming regularity around Roland Garros, 1973 winner Ilie Nastase was spotted watching the tennis until its conclusion.

An incredible 200 credit cards have been lost during the first week of the tournament at Roland Garros, as people leave their precious pieces of plastic all over the complex.

Just for information, those that are found and not abused are brought to Door 13, on the left hand side of the Court Chatrier.

Russia's Igor Andreev, who was the last player to beat current champion Rafael Nadal on clay, came out with this beauty as he walked around the courts recovering from an ankle injury.

"I'm the last person to have beaten Nadal on clay. It was April 8th 2005 in Valencia. Today I'm scared. The Russian mafia have put a contract over my head to beat him next time we meet"

21 - The number of years since the four top seeds in the men's singles draw were on course to the quarter-finals of Roland Garros. The last time was in 1985 where Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors headed the field.

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