SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2008

Today, we went to the Roland Garros Tennis Complex where we took the guided tour and then spent some time in the Tenniseum. We toured the grounds and started with fountain in the place des Mousquetaires where there are statues of some of the original players including René LaCoste, well known also for Izod shirts with the alligator.

We toured two of the three stadia, the largest being the Court Philippe Chatrier.

We were shown around the playing area and then inside to the press area and the players' area. While there we saw the press room, Alexandria in the winners' interview room (no, she didn't play), and the players' lounge. Notice these areas in the following pictures.

Alexandria has been to the US Open at Flushing Meadow for 4 or 5 years and says that it is much larger than Roland Garros. There are 20 courts at Roland Garros of which 16 are used for marches and 4 for practice. The place is only in use for the time of the French Open and is not used for the rest of the year. However, there are the guided tours all year long as well as the Tenniseum. After the tour we spend about an hour in the Tenniseum looking at the displays and mementos, and watched replays of some of the important matches over the past 20 some odd years. One we saw was the year Ivan Lendl beat the young John McEnroe. McEnroe was not very happy as you could see from his face at the presentation ceremony. Incidentally, even a player who loses his first match takes home about $20,000.

We had gone to the Complex on the metro but we went home on two buses. Much longer but a much more pleasant trip. We had dinner in this evening.