On the Baseline Tennis News

Eighth seed Alona Bondarenko will face qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru in Warsaw’s singles final on Saturday.

Aravane Rezai of France will play Czech Republic’s Lucie Hradecka in the final at the Internationaux de Strasbourg on Saturday.

Will Hamilton of Fuzzy Yellow Balls gives a technical and fun lesson on how to smash your tennis racquet like real tennis professionals.

The draw is out, I’ve made my pick, and now it is your turn!

Tell us who you think will win the 2009 Roland Garros women’s title in this week’s edition of Open Forum Friday.

The main draw for the 2009 French Open was released just hours ago, and players and fans alike are eager to see the intriguing matches lined up for Paris.

Take a look at On the Baseline’s preview of the women’s main draw, along with a few predictions on how Roland Garros might play out.

Wild card Maria Sharapova lost on Thursday to Alona Bondarenko, while another wild card, Daniela Hantuchova, reached the semifinals with a victory over Klara Zakopalova.

Japan’s Ayumi Morita downed third seed Peng Shuai of China 7-5, 6-2 to reach the semifinals in Strasbourg.

The official website of the 2009 French Open will cover the main draw ceremony live online tomorrow.

The men’s and women’s singles draws will be selected on Friday at 11:30 am in Paris (5:30 am ET).

Fans will have online access to nearly three hundred hours of live tennis from Roland Garros, courtesy of ESPN360.com.

The internet broadband service will offer coverage from up to five courts at the French Open.

With the French Open approaching, the spotlight for success is trained on two players. Will reaching the No. 1 ranking be the “turning point” of Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic’s careers?

Matt Trollope takes a comprehensive look at major turning points in the lives of five other former number one players.

DIRECTV’s exclusive French Open Interactive service is returning to American television screens on Sunday.

Offered in HD for the first time this year, fans can simultaneously view up to six live matches.

One of the most politically minded tennis stars on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour has an opportunity to help make a difference in global affairs.

Vera Zvonareva has been named a “Promoter of Gender Equality” as part of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s partnership with UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

Wild card Maria Sharapova won her second match in Warsaw on Wednesday, setting up a quarterfinal meeting with Alona Bondarenko.

Top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues retired on Wednesday in Strasbourg because of a lower back injury.

The 2009 French Open will be aired live from Roland Garros on NBC Sports, ESPN2 and Tennis Channel.

Live coverage is scheduled to begin with the first round of action on Sunday, May 24 at 5:00 AM ET.