Skirts from the Sidelines

37-year old Hideki Matsui still got game. After playing 13 games with the Durham Bulls of the Tampa Bay Rays organization, he is back in the Major Leagues as Matsui is expected to join the Rays before Tuesday night’s game against the White Sox.

He came to play baseball in the U.S in 2003 after attaining enormous fame in Japan. Matsui played 9 seasons in the Major Leagues with the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, and Oakland Athletics with a .285 career average along with 173 homers and 753 RBIs. He was a 9-time All-Star in Japan and a 2-time American League All-Star.

Currently, the Rays are tied for first place with the Orioles in the Eastern Division. The team could use Matsui in the left or right field. He could also be sharing time at designated hitter with Luke Scott. 

Some players hate playing on the red clay while others, such as Rafael Nadal, have been fortunate with winning records on the red clay. Furthermore, Americans usually have the disadvantage of playing on the red clay. So far, all 10 American women who have played at the 2012 French Open have broken through to the second round at Roland Garros.

Serena Williams and Jamie Hampton are the two remaining Americans who have yet to play their first rounds. If both successfully win their matches, there will be 12 advancing to the second round, the most since 1991 with 13 American females. Since 2005, the average of American women to make it out of the first round was 5.

Recently a Grand Slam champion, No. 1 Victoria Azarenka almost lost her first round match against Alberta Brianti 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-2. If she had lost, Azarenka would have become the only top-seeded woman to lose in the first round of the French Open since the tournament started allowing foreigners to compete in 1925. Despite her recent accomplishments on the court within the past year, Azarenka still has some learning to do, after all, she is only 22 years old.

The No. 7 ranked Li Na, who won the 2011 French Open, is in danger of falling out of the Top 10 if she does not make it to the third round. She won her first round match against Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-1.

Any guess as to who will win the French Open this year?