Postcard from Paris

Some are surprised to see the world number two Sharapova having recovered well enough from a nagging shoulder injury to reach her first French Open semi-final, but not the Russian herself.

"I wouldn't say I'm surprised, you know. I didn't come off the court and go, 'Wow, I'm in the semifinals.' That wasn't really the feeling that I had," the second seed said after easily dispensing of compatriot Anna Chakvetadze on Tuesday.

"I know in any tournament that I play, whether it's on clay or mud or whatever it is, I know what I'm capable of, and I believe in myself, and that's the most important thing," added Sharapova, hinting at a new possibility for a hybrid court.

Rafael Nadal played Roger Federer in an exhibition match earlier this year on a court made one side of clay and the other of grass in Majorca to interesting results (the Spaniard won in a tie-break, not a jaw-dropping result in retrospect).

Whose to say a Justine Henin v Maria Sharapova duel on a mixed clay/grass surface in, say Moscow, wouldn't be an equal success?

Take the Russian number two's 20-3 record at Wimbledon and Henin's three French Open titles and put them on a hybrid mix of dirt and lawn of Postcard's own concoction, which we like to call "Grayss" or "Class" or "Crass," patent pending.

If a ten-degree below freezing battle of the surfaces doesn't make loads of money for Russian tennis, then Nikolay Davydenko's quarter-final success and new sponsorship deal with French company "Airness" will have to suffice.

The fourth seed, who reached the semi-finals of Roland Garros for the second time yesterday, easing past Argentine Guillermo Canas in three sets, has traded the old drab wears of "Koyla the Obscure" for fancy new threads.

Bright orange has been the Russian's understated choice for Roland Garros this year.

"It's French company, so also it's not bad. Play Roland Garros with French company here, it's nice," Davydenko said, trying to differentiate himself from the herd.

"It looks more nice, not like my Nike, and [Roger] Federer, I see like -- for me, it looks more nice."

As for the contract, Davydenko is focused more on the prize money he will win from reaching the semi-finals and could win if he somehow manages to earn his first-ever win against the world number one Federer in Paris.

"I go rich? No, I have more money, my prize money to win here in the tournament."

After Serena Williams exited Roland Garros on Tuesday there are no Americans left in either draw to bring home the big Euros.

Serena left the Paris audience with a less-than serene impression of Americans after slam-dunking her racket into the red dirt of Philippe Chatrier's centre court, but didn't think she necessarily deserved the chorus of boos that ensued.

"I always throw my racket. I try not to, you know, but my hands tend to get really slick, and it just tends to fall out of my hand all the time, so... Maybe they just weren't used to seeing that side of me."

After coming back from the losing the opening break of the second set on an error (the inspiration for the slip), Serena came back in style with a quick break back to love garnering huge applause from the Roland Garros faithful with chants of "Come on Serena" and even a few of "Allez Serena."

Did the American number one feel that the crowd was more on her side than it was during her contentious semi-final with the Belgian in 2003?

"No, I think they were definitely for Justine. But it doesn't matter. That really doesn't bother me."

C'est la vie says Serena before bidding au revoir.

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Jeremy Stahl in Paris