French Open Diary

Paris, May 27: A crowd-pleasing player at the 10.5 million French Open has the chance to ride out of town on a horse -- on loan. That is...

Paris, May 27: A crowd-pleasing player at the 10.5 million French Open has the chance to ride out of town on a horse 8212; on loan. That is the prize being offered by the French betting authority PMU for the player voted by the public as the most pleasing to watch during the fortnight on the clay courts of Roland Garros.

The loaning of the horse for a full year is worth 50,000. Under PMU rules, prize money 8212; in the form of a cheque 8212; cannot be awarded to players.

But the PMU said if the winning player does not have space in the back garden for a high-strung, attention-demanding equine friend, it will take care of the animal for the year.

8220;The horse will be fed, housed and trained for one year to ensure the proper care in the beginning,8221; a PMU official said.

Williams8217; for Pete

Venus and Serena Williams burn with an unsuspected passion for a tennis idol of their own 8212; Pete Sampras.

The sisters avidly watch his matches, study his strokes and have even gone as far as to interview him for a special Big Pete issue of their tennis newsletter.

On Tuesday, they took time off from their own practice sessions to watch the American second seed struggle for nearly four-and-a-half hours to dismiss little-known Costa Rican Juan Antonio Marin.

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And even though the former world number one played a lacklustre match, Venus was highly supportive.

8220;When I go to a match of Pete8217;s, I just try to learn something,8221; she said. 8220;I have no criticisms against Pete, none at all.8221;

Keep it in family

Top women players are increasingly looking to keep it in the family when it comes to choosing a coach.

Defending French Open champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario is coached by brother Emilio, but several of her rivals prefer to be mummy8217;s girls.

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Top seed Martina Hingis, the Williams sisters and Russian pin-up Anna Kournikova have all turned to their mothers as coaches.

Oranges and lemons

Someone loves Chilean star Marcelo Rios, even if the media don8217;t. Sulky Rios picked up his fourth straight lemon prize8217; at Roland Garros for being the least cooperative player on the circuit in the view of reporters.

But the players8217; transport service here thinks he is misunderstood. 8220;We can8217;t understand why Marcelo gets such a bad press. He8217;s one of the most charming players around,8221; said one driver in statement issued by the transport office.