This also happened last year, so I wanted to bring it up. All four women's matches were put on Lenglen today. Lenglen is the second stadium and seats just under half of Chartrier (main stadium). On Chartrier, we were treated to a doubles match followed by the two men's quarterfinals (involving nobody seeded higher than 15th).

The rationale by the Roland Garros organizers is that the women should play on Lenglen as a sign of respect to the great women champions. However, one must ask why the women (with four of the top draws in the game playing) were schlepped off the center court completely.

Other grand slam events alleviate this problem by either scheduling the men and women on alternating days (Wimbledon for example), or splitting up matches between the two stadiums (US Open for example).

I thought it was odd last year, but last year Agassi/Grosjean were one of the men's matches, so that was definitely going onto Chartrier. Still, I think the Venus/Monica match and the Jennifer/Jelena match were more fan friendly than either of the men's matches today.

Opinions?

I'm not sure the infatuation with women's tennis extends to Europe. The American media has come down hard on the men's game mostly because of a lack of exciting young Americans (with the exception of Andy Roddick). I don't know that Europeans have the same pessimistic view of the men.

That said, something tells me that if a French woman had played today, she wouldn't have been relegated to a secondary court.

Uh, the last I checked, Mary Pierce is still French, right? I know she isn't the traditional French woman, but didn't the crowd really get behind her this year, especially after the time off from injury?

D'oh! I forgot Pierce plays under the French flag. But I bet they'd root for Mauresmo or Testud or Tauziat over Mary.

Mary is a former Champion, the others haven't done much in Paris! Peirce will be back!!! The obstacles she's overcome prove her mental toughness! Despite what the announcers say about her! She will probrably have an aweful Wimbeldon, but look out for her @ the US OPEN!

Mary ain't gonna make a dent in the top ten until she loses about 30 lbs. and gets a little mobility in her game. She was a relatively slow player before her injury but now she's downright slovenly.

Lose 30 lbs? Do you wanna Maryjo Fernandez or a Mary Peirce? No Peirce's court mobility has never been in her "plus column" but neither has her "mental toughness" I'm just saying don't count her out, her "mental toughness" is a bit more of a positive than she's given credit for! GO MARY!!!

Lose 30 lbs? Do you wanna Maryjo Fernandez or a Mary Peirce? No Peirce's court mobility has never been in her "plus column" but neither has her "mental toughness" I'm just saying don't count her out, her "mental toughness" is a bit more of a positive than she's given credit for! GO MARY!!!

Lose 30 lbs? Do you wanna Maryjo Fernandez or a Mary Peirce? No Peirce's court mobility has never been in her "plus column" but neither has her "mental toughness" I'm just saying don't count her out, her "mental toughness" is a bit more of a positive than she's given credit for! GO MARY!!!

Lose 30 lbs? Do you wanna Maryjo Fernandez or a Mary Peirce? No Peirce's court mobility has never been in her "plus column" but neither has her "mental toughness" I'm just saying don't count her out, her "mental toughness" is a bit more of a positive than she's given credit for! GO MARY!!!