THE SCOOP, ROLAND GARROS DAY 2

Marriage woes hit newlywed Sanchez-Vicario

By Sandra Harwitt and Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

PARIS, Tuesday, May 29 – There's sad news on the Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario front and it's not that the three-time French Open champion struggled through three sets to win her first round match over German qualifier Greta Arn at Roland Garros on Tuesday.

Despite still wearing a wedding band on her ring finger, the 11th-seeded Sanchez-Vicario, who eventually prevailed over Arn 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, has recently announced a trial separation from her husband of less than one year.

After a six-year courtship with Joan Vehils, a former TV sports announcer who now is in charge of public relations for a Spanish sports newspaper, the couple married last July in what can only be described as a nearly royal wedding. Among the guests at the wedding were Spain's President Jose Maria Aznaz and an emissary from Pope John Paul.

While rumors abound as to why the marriage has gone on the rocks, no one knows for sure what caused the break-up except for those close to the couple. Amidst rumors, Arantxa finally announced at the Berlin tournament earlier this month that she and Vehils will temporarily live apart.

Sanchez-Vicario has now won tournaments in three different stages of her life – 27 as a single woman, the Porto Portugal title earlier this year as one-half of a married couple and Madrid last weekend as a separated woman.

In her usual position courtside, Arantxa' mother, Marisa, sat with Arantxa's Yorkshire Terrier, Roland, on her lap as her daughter toiled through the first round encounter at Roland Garros on Tuesday. The dog was named Roland in honor of Arantxa's first French Open and first Grand Slam title in 1989, a trophy she won after upending defending champion Steffi Graf 7-6, 3-6, 7-5.

ANDRE: COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN When asked whether his girlfriend, Steffi Graf, was planning on showing up in Paris to cheer him on, Andre Agassi quipped, "I don't know. The woman never tells me anything."

Susan Mullane Camerawork USA, Inc.

JAN-MICAHEL STARTS BUILDING DREAM HOME
Jan-Michael Gambill recently purchased the last 15.9 acre on Little Spokane River in his home state of Washington. Jan-Mike, who was ousted in the first round, is constructing a 10,000 square-foot plus log cabin home, which he calls his dream house. The sometimes model is thinking ahead and is making sure to design the house so a future wife and children won't feel like they are living in an over-glorified bachelor pad. Here's the kicker on the property: Gambill owns all the ground underneath the river and halfway through it. However, the water remains state property.So Jan-Mike fans, get your canoes ready, just donåt dock them on the shore.

BOVINA ROCKS PARIS
Russian rocket Elena Bovina seems to be getting taller by the day, which is bad news for the rest of the tour. The 18-year-old has to be 6-foot-3 and appears to be serving in the 115 mph range, with huge groundies and a decent swing volley to back it up. She made Jana "the Killer" Nejedly look like a panicky victim on Tuesday. Bovina last made news by knocking off a couple seeds at Indian Wells but sheåll be a much bigger hit if she reaches the third round here and takes down Sadrine Testud in her home country. The feeling here is that once Bovina grows into her Bob Lanier-size feet, sheås a lock for top 10. Like Elena Dementieva and unlike Anna K., sheås making the most out of her talent.