The 2009 French Open (also known as Roland Garros after the famous French aviator) was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 108th edition of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam event of the year. It took place at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, from May 24 through June 7, 2009.
Rafael Nadal and Ana Ivanovic were the defending champions. Both were unsuccessful in their title defences, both losing in the fourth round: Nadal to Robin Söderling and Ivanovic to Victoria Azarenka. Nadal's loss to Söderling was his first (and, as of 2013, only) defeat in the tournament since debuting in 2005. Söderling then defeated Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando González on his way to the final, where he was defeated by Roger Federer. Federer equalled Pete Sampras' then-record of 14 Grand Slam titles, and completed his Career Grand Slam by winning the tournament; he had lost the previous three finals to Nadal. Svetlana Kuznetsova, the runner-up to Justine Henin-Hardenne in 2006, was the women's champion this year. She defeated World No. 1 Dinara Safina in the final, avenging a semi-final loss to the same opponent in 2008.
Read more about 2009 French Open: Seeds, Wildcard Entries, Media Coverage
Famous quotes containing the words french and/or open:
“But as some silly young men returning from France affect a broken English, to be thought perfect in the French language; so his Lordship, I think, to seem a perfect understander of the unintelligible language of the Schoolmen, pretends an ignorance of his mother-tongue. He talks here of command and counsel as if he were no Englishman, nor knew any difference between their significations.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)
“Blow the dust off the clock. Your watches are behind the times. Throw open the heavy curtains which are so dear to you—you do not even suspect that the day has already dawned outside.”
—Alexander Solzhenitsyn (b. 1918)