Rafter exits French open

PARIS: Australian eighth seed Pat Rafter today crashed out of the French Open championships at the first hurdle when upset in a marathon five-setter by compatriot Wayne Arthurs.

Rafter steamed through the first two sets, and though he dropped the third, had two match points in the fourth when he could have put paid to his opponent.

But Arthurs, ranked 51 places below Rafter at 59, served his way out of both, took the set in a tiebreak and steamrolled Rafter in the fifth, winning 4-6 2-6 6-3 7-6 6-1 in three hours, 15 minutes.

Arthurs will now have his first meeting with Spaniard Juan Balcells, one of Australia's conquerors in last year's Davis Cup final, in the second round.

Defeat for Rafter further confirms the French Open as his least favourite grand slam.

Since an anomalous semi-final appearance in 1997, Rafter has lost once in the first round, twice in the second and once in the third.

Today's all-Australian first rounder, originally scheduled as last match for the day on the tight court three, was rescheduled to the more expansive court one.

Unfortunately, noone told the crowd of Rafter spotters who had grabbed every vantage point on court three, and who then showered that court with plastic bottles -- and a pair of running shoes -- to show their disapproval once the announcement finally came.

There was even some ill temper where the match was actually being played.

Rafter, having just missed his two match points, incredibly served back-to-back double faults in his first service game of the fifth to go down 2-0.

He smashed his racquet, earning a code violation from umpire Emmanuel Joseph, and his game fell apart further from there on.

Despite predicting a difficult encounter with the big serving Arthurs, and despite Arthurs' win at their only previous meeting two months ago, Rafter came into the match as a warm favourite.

Arthurs began the better, however, jumping on Rafter's early tentativeness to break his first service game.

But he handed back the advantage in the following game, and was then broken again by Rafter in a desperate fifth game, giving the Queenslander a 3-2 lead which was all he needed to take the set.

Serving well and rushing the net sparingly for him, broke Arthurs in his first two service games of the second set to take it in just half an hour.

Arthurs picked himself up for an early service break and a 3-0 lead in the third, and served out strongly to make it two sets to one.

Things tightened up appreciably in the fourth set, with break points rare.

Rafter racked up two, however, in the 10th game, which were also match points, with the Queenslander leading 5-4.

Arthurs served his way out of both, the set went to a tiebreak, and it was the South Australian's serve which sent the match into a fifth set.

Of the other Aussies involved in first round action on day two, Rachel McQuillan advanced to the second round in the women's singles with a 3-6 6-1 6-1 win over Indonesian outsider Wynne Prakusya.

McQuillan, ranked 68th, will play 91st-ranked American Jill Craybas in the second round.

Sydney's Evie Dominikovic, ranked 75th, lost out to 89th-ranked Belarussian Tatiana Poutchek, 1-6 6-2 6-3.

For Arthurs, who drew inspiration from playing for Australia in last week's World Teams Cup in Germany, the victory rated as one of his finest.

"I regard that as one of my better wins, especially after being two sets down," said Arthurs, who had made fourth round appearances at the US Open and Wimbledon.

"Usually if I'm up there in a fifth set against somebody, in a grand slam, I'd be showing a lot of emotion.

"It's hard to show that much emotion when you're playing another Australian, especially when there's only five of us in the draw.

"I just had to block it out."

Rafter was far from despondent despite missing his chances, crediting Arthurs with serving well on the big points.

"I had opportunities today. It would have been nice if I'd won, but that's the way it goes," Rafter said.

"Wayne served pretty well on the big points. I tried to keep the pressure up on the big service game."

Rafter falls apart CNN 

PARIS (Reuters) -- Eighth-seeded Australian Pat Rafter threw away a two-set lead on Tuesday as he was beaten in the first round of the French Open by compatriot Wayne Arthurs 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-1.

The twice U.S. Open champion and semifinalist here in 1997 started brightly on Court One, his all-action brand of tennis giving him a comfortable two-set lead.

But 30-year-old Arthurs hit back in the third set with some whipped backhand returns and more solid serving of his own.

Arthurs, a first round loser here last year, edged the fourth set 7-5 in the tiebreak before pulling away in the fifth.

Rafter tired, his serve lacking penetration, and Arthurs began to pick it off easily on the return.

Rafter saved three match points on his own serve at 5-0 down with some daring volleys but it was only delaying the inevitable.

Left-handed Arthurs served out the following game after three hours and 16 minutes.

"I had my opportunities," said Rafter after a match that finished with darkness closing around the court.

"It would have been nice to win but that's the way it goes.

"Wayne served very well on the big points. He got himself out of trouble.

"I lost my rhythm on the serve in the third set and he took advantage."

Rafter said he was disappointed not to have more opportunities for match practice ahead of Wimbledon, his primary target this season.

"It's very important to get matches in, whether they're on clay or whatever surface," he said.

"There's no substitute for it. I can take some positives, though. I felt great out there on the court, with no fatigue."

Rafter uses late start to recover

By Linda Pearce and wires

Meanwhile, Pat Rafter has declared himself a likely starter for the tournament, despite the weekend's untimely recurrence of his elbow injury.

The injury had left the eighth seed's participation a source of some conjecture in the Roland Garros dressing-rooms.

"I'm fine," Rafter said when asked about his cancellation of a scheduled Sunday practice session with Scott Draper. He confirmed he had chosen to rest the arm ahead of Tuesday's first-round match against compatriot Wayne Arthurs, having already admitted that his faltering body has left him only 70 per cent fit.

At least one main-draw rival was under the impression Rafter had withdrawn from what may be his last French championship, although perhaps the mix-up was down to the probability that the Queenslander will miss the doubles event he had planned to enter with partner Andrew Kratzmann.

Rafter withdrew from the World Team Cup final on Saturday due to inflamed flexor muscles in his right elbow and was replaced by Scott Draper. Australia defeated Russia 2-1.

Of some assistance was the fact that the Tuesday start for the bottom half of the men's draw has given Rafter a further day of treatment and massage to try to reduce the inflammation.

Davis Cup chiropractor Andrea Bisaz has worked on it over the past few days and said Rafter planned to practise yesterday.

"At this stage, he's 70 or 80 per cent that he'll play," Bisaz said. "I expect him to play, but you never know, because the main thing is Wimbledon, of course."

Rafter lost the only match he has played against Arthurs, 6-1, 7-6 (7-0) on hardcourt at Delray Beach in Florida two months ago. Arthurs's big-serving game is better suited to the faster surfaces, as is Rafter's, but the Victorian has dragged his ranking back up into the 60s after a period last year in which he had contemplated retirement.

Rafter fit to play in French Open May 28 2001

Pat Rafter cleared himself to take part in the French Open after his first day of training at Roland Garros brought few troubles with his problem elbow. Rafter, the eighth seed for the claycourt grand slam, rated himself a slightly doubtful starter on Saturday after withdrawing from Australia's victorious final line-up at the World Team Championship in Dusseldorf. He reported a flare-up in an old elbow injury, the third time his lower right arm had forced a retirement or withdrawal in the past two months. But the 28-year-old worked out today with few problems and will go in pursuit of his first French Open, and the first by an Australian since Rod Laver in 1969. Rafter, whose best effort here on his least favourite surface was a surprising semi-final appearance in 1997, will benefit from more physiotherapy on his elbow than otherwise may have been available, since he is not scheduled to play until Tuesday (Tuesday night, AEST). He will still face a tricky first round match with compatriot and friend Wayne Arthurs. However he has made clear that he will not risk his longer term fitness if his elbow gives him more trouble - particularly with only a month left until Wimbledon, where he made the final last year. "I can't recall having this problem for three or four years now to this extent," Rafter said. "I know at this stage if I push it, it will get to that level, and when it's at that level, it's time to take three or four weeks off to get it right again." There are no problems with left-hander Arthurs' lethal serving elbow, and Rafter knows that despite being ranked 50 places higher than the 30-year-old Victorian, their match will be no easy ride. Though they have practiced for hours together as Davis Cup team-mates, Rafter and Arthurs have met only once before, when Arthurs upset the Queenslander 6-1 7-6 in a hardcourt quarter-final in Delray Beach, Florida, in March before losing his semi to eventual champion Jan-Michael Gambill. Rafter wants to avoid matches that are too taxing on his body, but paradoxically is hoping for a heavy atmosphere to take the zip out of Arthurs' serve. "It's going to be a good tough match," Rafter said. "He's got a great serve I've got to try and get that back, and he's able to play from the baseline as well at the moment on clay. "But at the same time if the conditions are heavy, then I'd like to probably favour my chances, a bit more than Wayne maybe. "That's the only saving grace -- if it's heavy, I have a chance of winning." Arthurs, a first round loser here last year at his only prior attempt, comes in buoyed by his part in Australia's World Teams Championship triumph in Dusseldorf on Saturday, but knows playing his friend will be difficult. "For Pat and I to have to play each other was a little unlucky," said Arthurs, who described winning in Dusseldorf as "a nice feeling going into the French Open".