Roland Garros

Ok, nothing like being 4-6 weeks late on this posting...

I had the opportunity to go to Roland Garros (aka French Open) twice this year. The first was for Benny-Berthet day (charity day) and the second was for the quarter finals.

Benny-Berthet day (which I believe will be renamed next year?) is a great way to see all the players and spend an entire day there. Plus, the benefit is that "Proceeds from the day's events will go to charities supporting scientific and medical research, helping sick people and their families and helping children in need." Tickets are cheap and generally easier to get. My friend Andrea and her mom were in town, so we went, along with my friend/colleague Marissa. Thank goodness Andrea and Marissa were there because they are tennis fanatics! They knew all the players. And, Andrea is really good at taking photos, so I just sat next to her and clicked away (see her full tennis portfolio at Zenfolio and you can then see her other work as well; her Paris and Roland Garros photos are works of art, too). We saw all the big names : Nadal, Safin, Federer, Monfils, and many others I cannot remember.

I also had the opportunity to go to the quarter finals match between Roger Federer and Gael Monfils. This was a work sponsored outing that started off with a four hour morning session on hedging, options, derivatives, etc. Our reward for that was the match. First, of course, were drinks and lunch. At our table of 10 I was the only woman, and one of only two non-French speakers. All the men loved their Ricard pastis drinks (which I find disgusting due to the anise flavor, but French men LOVE it).

The match was good, although it was very hot and I was in long sleeves and long skirt and hat - mostly to cover up from the crazy sunburn I got 4 days prior in Ireland. The seats are so narrow (think Fenway Park) that you're basically thigh-to-thigh with the person next to you. I was disappointed that the crowd wasn't more into cheering for the French favorite, Gael Monfils. And that he wasn't showier / flamboyant (for lack of my brain thinking of a better word) like he usually is.

Some things I noted : Federer jumps a lot, as in when taking every shot ; when Monfils serves, he keeps his skinny legs and feet together, it just looks unnatural ; I like watching matches on clay and watching the players slide, it definitely has its advantages, but I can see how it would be difficult ; there were some crazy outfits in the stands, and hot pink seems to be popular, and why do groups find it necessary to wear matching hats? ; when people take out their mobile phones to check messages and text, the glare reflecting off is brutal.

Overall, a nice day at the quarter finals and I will definitely sign up for the charity day again next year!