dc 2011: VAMOS

these ladies posed for me at roland garros--cute, no?

i don't know their names or exactly where they're from.

but i think i know what they'll be tuned in to tomorrow, round about 8am est...

@roland garros, may 28, 2011

© anita aguilar

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compulsory, fun preview here

paris postcard: roland garros, the king on clay

nadal played his third round match against antonio veic on the day i was there. the seats i had brought me closer to the court than i'd ever been for a "real" nadal match. but after the first handful of games i realized that even from my very nice seats, my zoom and i were not going to get better photos than i could find online the next day, shots from the "pros." with their credentials they have a bit more freedom to roam--i was fighting gals with frizzy hair, guys with caps, taller people, who were all sneaking into the corners of the frame. i was missing shots--and the tennis.

still, i made some photos with intent--to try to catch nadal acknowledging the crowd, cleaning the baselines with his nikes, sliding, kicking up clay. but for most of the match, the camera was in my lap. i just watched the action, the playing out of every point.

i could appreciate his speed, his powerful and agile directional shifts. nadal's compact frame and his low-to-the-ground movement must give him the confidence to maintain balance on a surface that constantly pushes one off. tennis is a much more quiet, meditative game at roland garros (grunting aside)--no squeaky sneaks on the clay, just occasional long raspy slides. it was practically soothing. but the relative silence also has the effect of intensifying the tense moments, if you will. i liked the long points that showed both loft and the zip of his groundstrokes. it never seems effortless--how could it be? but it certainly is awesome.

it looks like it would be fun, too.

i like the ball boys in the photographer's pit

this one's my favorite, for the movement, the wrinkles in his shirt, and the clay kicking up.

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steve wrote a really nice feature for his blog about manuela davies, a professional sports photographer, during week 2 of the open. if you're interested in tennis or sports photography, you'll appreciate the "day in the life" peek, but you might also be interested to know more about the challenges the pros have to navigate. it's a dreamy piece, but with a dose of reality.

paris postcard: roland garros, dustin brown

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photographed on may 28, 2011 during doubles match with michael kohlman

(def xavier malisse/alexandr dolgopolov 3-6, 6-3,7-6)

@ anita aguilar

paris postcard: roland garros style

shades

i mean, what is more parisian than this pose, with the ciggie and the cafe?

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hats

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flats

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prints

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reds

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pinks and purples

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and posies...

all photos taken on may 25 and 28, 2011.

© anita aguilar

paris postcard: roland garros, "simple dames"

gisela dulko:

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tsvetana pironkova

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Vika Azarenka

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maria sharapova

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all photos © anita aguilar

paris postcard: french moves, francesca schiavone

the funny thing about visiting a gland slam tournament--you may see less actual live tennis than you'd watch on tv.

sound counterintuitive?

but unless you're content to just sit in one "assigned" stadium seat all day (and i'm not saying you shouldn't or i wouldn't), you may spend a fair amount of time wading through the crowds to get to an outer court to see your favorite lower-ranked players engage in more unpredictable or more competitive matches. once you finally arrive at court 6, 7, or 11, there will likely be another wait to gain entrance.

you might decide check out the "marquee" action on the other main courts courtesy of the jumbotron (at the french open there are 3 stadium courts that require separate tickets: chatrier, lenglen, and court #1, aka "the bullring," though during week 2, court 1 becomes a free, open court) and while that is an especially fun congregation at RG, it's not really watching it "live" is it?

in-between the matches, there are sandwiches, ice creams and strong coffees to be had.

and there are the bathroom breaks.

the day goes by pretty swiftly.

and because i am so easily (and maybe weirdly) entertained by people-watching and snapping photos, i spend an exceptional amount of time just loitering.

it was late in the afternoon last wednesday when i realized that i'd not seen a full "live" set.

tired and sunkissed, i retreated to my assigned seat in chatrier to watch the final match of the day: schiavone v roberta vinci. i didn't take too many photos, just sat and really watched the points. i soaked up the scene: it was quiet. the sun and heat had mellowed, along with the crowd. there were fewer of us but we seemed to watch with intensity and deep appreciation. not sure if that comes through on television, but it was true that day.

in person, schiavone is as powerful as you would expect, but i was surprised by how the surface could amplify her gracefulness. she has impeccable balance and can create some beautiful lines with that backhand of hers.

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as the match drew to a close, i noticed someone cheering really wildly. for many minutes. (can you see him?)

i'm with him: it was a nice way to end the day...

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all photos taken may 25, 2011

© anita aguilar