Tennis: Rusedski to face hostile crowd

Greg Rusedski was today hoping to keep the British momentum rolling amid the Gallic bedlam which is sure to accompany his clash with Fabrice Santoro.

The British number two’s second round match on the red clay at the French Open was scheduled late in the day and on Court Philippe Chatrier, the Roland Garros equivalent of Centre Court, to suit French television’s interest in one of their home favourites.

The irony was that Santoro is a near neighbour of Rusedski and knows him well having lived in London for the past two years.

‘‘It’s going to be a difficult match,’’ said Rusedski. ‘‘He’s starting to hit his form. He’s beaten Sampras on this surface and he beat Agassi in Hamburg.

‘‘On top of that he’s going to have the partisan French crowd behind him. It’s going to be tough but I’m looking forward to it. It’s a match I think I have a chance to win.

‘‘I wasn’t fortunate to get one of those draws where something opens up. It gets harder and harder and harder every round.’’

No-one would argue with that as, if Rusedski disposes of Santoro, he would almost certainly face Russia’s Marat Safin in the third round.

Rusedski, however, went into his match against Santoro with praise from compatriot Tim Henman ringing in his ears.

Henman demolished Dutchman Sjeng Schalken in straight sets yesterday and announced he was beginning to feel much more at home on the clay that he has always hated.

The same could be said of Rusedski, who rated his first round triumph over Spain’s Albert Portas as his best on the surface.

‘‘If Greg plays the game he’s capable of he can cause trouble,’’ said Henman.

‘‘To play a guy like Portas who is established on clay and win the way he did was a great effort.’’

For Henman the outlook could get even sunnier, if that is possible after a week of cloudless skies here.

He is eminently capable of beating Guillermo Canas in the third round tomorrow, even though the Argentine defeated him in straight sets in the first round of the US Open in 1999.

Revenge is a powerful incentive and Henman surely cannot play again as badly as he did that day.

‘‘The nature of the surface and the conditions favours the baseline players,’’ said Henman.

‘‘But if I use the shots I’ve got I can unsettle these guys because they do not have much time, nor a chance to settle into that rhythm that they like. It’s a challenge.’’