Why Venus Will Never Win French Open

PARIS -- Venus Williams just keeps letting this happen to her, and she throws up her hands as if there is nothing she can do about it.

She had been playing her best tennis in years, and had a shot at moving to No. 1 in the world rankings, where she has spent just 11 weeks in her long career. She was moving better than ever on the red clay at the French Open, playing with confidence.

And then she had an off day Sunday. Now, she's gone. Williams lost 6-4, 6-3 to Nadia Petrova in the fourth round at Roland Garros.

"It's not ideal, but I feel like I had a day where I want to hit the ball crosscourt and it went down the line,'' Williams said.

"Sometimes, it happens.''

It's clear now why Williams has never won the French Open, and never will. It's not about a lack of ability or comfort on clay.

It's unbelievable that someone who has been so great for so long would allow herself to play for all these years without a safety net. She has no adjustments to make, no alterations.

It's a bigger problem at the French than anywhere else. On hot days, the red clay is fast and on cold days it's slow. On wet days, even stickier. On Sunday, it was raining and windy, too. Nothing stays the same, and even on the best of days, you can't just impose physical strength on your opponent, the way Williams plays. The ball slows down when it bounces in this dirt, and gives players a chance to catch up to the power.

Greg Couch in Paris

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• Contrasting Henin, Sharapova
• Ginepri Last American Standing
• Roddick Falls to Old Habits
• Serena's Attitude Ruff to Take
• Venus Mulls Closeting Dress
• Silver Lining in Ivanovic's Loss
• Controversy Over Dark Match
• Venus Fashioning Controversy
• Tennis' Newest Generation Lost
• Venus Bares All, Chasing No. 1
• Clay: USA Tennis' Kryptonite
• Madrid Refuels Nadal-Federer So Williams keeps pounding away, and it's usually good enough. And then a day like Sunday rolls around, as it does every year here.

And Venus Williams loses to Nadia Petrova.

Sometimes it happens? Then why not be ready for it?

Don't you have to make adjustments?

"At the end of the day, you have to connect with the ball and you have to connect physically and mentally and just make the play,'' Williams said. "That's really what it's about.''

When Andy Roddick used to say things like that, I used to call him a dumb tennis player. But Roddick, seeing that a lack of Plan B was ending his career, made real changes a year and a half ago.

Maybe Williams hasn't felt it necessary. She has already won seven majors. Her spot in history is secure. But the only variety in her game has to do with how often she comes to the net.

So the tournament ends with a thud for Williams, who made noise partly because she was considered a contender here for the first time in years, and mostly because the see-through dress she had designed created such a stir.

"I'm going to still wear creative things,'' she said. "I don't know how much -- how many more skin-colored shorts I'm going to be wearing, because it's a little too much for me.''

Williams will turn 30 next month, days before Wimbledon, where she will be a favorite. Maybe THE favorite.

But what has been happening with her all year is that she plays great, and then throws in one occasional bad day that she doesn't know how to get through.

She has won two tournaments this year, and also fallen apart to Li Na in the Australian Open quarterfinals. She was fantastic for five matches in Miami, and then had one of the worst losses in her career in the final, losing 6-2, 6-1 to Kim Clijsters.

Looked great in Rome, lost to Jelena Jankovic 6-0, 6-1.

It just happens?

Petrova can be a great player, but usually is even a greater choker.

"These days on tour, you can't really have a match where you aren't playing your best. Everyone plays their best, especially when they're playing a top player."
-- Venus Williams She is ranked No. 20, and has beaten Serena Williams and Clijsters this year, too.

I have also been at matches where she has started crying on court in panic.

So even during the match Sunday, the expectation was that Williams would come through. And late in the second set, Petrova swung so early on an overhead that the ball hit the top of her frame and flew over Williams into the stands.

Petrova missed easy forehand volleys, too. But Williams kept going for winners rather than keeping the ball in play and letting Petrova miss.

"These days on tour, you can't really have a match where you aren't playing your best,'' she said. "Everyone plays their best, especially when they're playing a top player.

"Out on Court 18, I don't know what they do, but when they come against me, they come hard. So it's tough to have a bad day. It's not as easy to win if you aren't having the best day.''

No, but it doesn't have to be impossible.

E-mail me at gregcouch09@aol.com