NOTEBOOK | French Open

June 4, 2004 at 12:00a.m.

Sibling rivalry: Michaella Krajicek wants to emulate her big brother and win Wimbledon. Richard Krajicek won the grass-court tournament in 1996, beating seven-time champion Pete Sampras along the way. "I would like to win a Grand Slam, especially Wimbledon. It's awesome to have a brother like that," 15-year-old Michaella said Thursday after losing 6-3, 2-6, 8-6 to Timea Bacsinszky in the girls quarterfinals at Roland Garros. The big-serving Dutchman retired last year after reaching at least the quarters in nine Grand Slams. He made it to the French Open semis in 1993. "I'm the only person he plays right now. He helps me with my serve," she said. Richard's booming serve topped 135 mph. Michaella says he refrains from unleashing a trademark thunderbolt when they play. "I wouldn't even be able to reach it," she said. Her idol in women's tennis, she added, is Serena Williams. "I would watch her 24 hours a day if possible."
Beckham's excited: Tim Henman's unexpected run to the French Open semifinals has caught the eye of England's top sports idol. England soccer captain David Beckham called Henman's success "a massive boost for the country," in a posting on the tennis player's official Web site. "Tim's done really well," the Real Madrid player was quoted as saying. Beckham will lead England in this month's European Championships. No. 9 Henman faced No. 3 Guillermo Coria today, who has won 36 of his last 37 matches on clay.
French cheer: Teenagers Tatiana Golovin and Richard Gasquet beat Elena Bovina and Nenad Zimonjic 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the mixed doubles final. The French pair's performance bodes well for French tennis. Golovin is 16, Gasquet 17. Both lost their first-round singles matches last week. "I have a lot of work to do in singles, and for me to win in doubles is great," Golovin said. "But you need to take things step by step." At 15, Gasquet won his first ATP Tour match when he defeated Franco Squillari in the 2002 Monte Carlo Masters. He was the youngest player to qualify for a Masters event.
-- Associated Press