FRENCH OPEN Martina's return is a noble attempt

The 47-year-old's comeback was short-lived against Gisela Dulko.
PARIS (AP) -- One French fan's words of encouragement directed toward Martina Navratilova stood out because the voice was familiar.
That's no surprise: Navratilova started coming to Roland Garros more than 30 years ago, and she was back to play singles Tuesday at age 47.
Navratilova tried to give the crowd something to cheer, but found herself trailing 19-year-old Gisela Dulko in the second set.
"This one guy was so desperate," Navratilova said with a laugh. "I recognized his voice from before: 'She's getting tired. She's getting tired.'
"I'm like, 'Yeah, right.' He was hoping. It was sweet."
Fatigue wasn't an issue because Navratilova's French Open comeback lasted barely an hour. Playing her first Grand Slam singles match since 1994, she lost in the opening round to Dulko, 6-1, 6-3.
A noble attempt
Navratilova shrugged off the defeat as a noble attempt, and many players agreed. Serena Williams watched the end of the match on TV after finishing her first-round victory.
"I just was thinking, 'How do you play at that age?' " Williams said. "She's really an amazing athlete, an amazing woman."
But Navratilova's return drew complaints from at least two players that she took a spot in the draw that could have gone to someone trying to establish herself.
"A French TV guy asked me as I was walking off the court, 'What do you say to the young player that didn't get in because you got the wild card?' " Navratilova said. "I said, 'I think I earned it. If she won two French Opens and tried to get a wild card at the age of 47, she'll probably get it, too."'
In under-47 results, Serena and Venus Williams led those reaching the second round.
Second-seeded Serena, jeered the last time she played at Roland Garros, drew applause after beating Iveta Benesova 6-2, 6-2.
Seemed tentative
But No. 4 Venus looked tentative at times in her first match since being sidelined May 9 by an ankle injury, yet defeated Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-2, 6-4.
No. 7 Jennifer Capriati endured scattered boos and overcame a 3-0 deficit in the final set to beat Yulia Beygelzimer 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Court Suzanne Lenglen was more than half empty for Capriati's evening match, but some spectators gave her a hard time. She angrily shouted at them at least once, and when she closed out the victory, she pumped her fist toward the stands and scowled.
"I didn't think I did anything that bad for them to boo," said Capriati, the 2001 champion. "But they're kind of finicky here. One day they're one way, the next day the other way. Next time I might go out and they'll cheer like crazy for me."
On the men's side, top-ranked Roger Federer ended his three-match French Open losing streak by sweeping Kristof Vliegen. Defending champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has been taking painkiller injections for sore ribs, rallied to beat Tommy Haas 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
The longest match
Fabrice Santoro won the longest match -- by time -- in the Open era, beating fellow Frenchman Arnaud Clement 16-14 in the fifth set. The 6-hour, 33-minute marathon actually took two days because darkness forced a suspension Monday at 5-5 in the fifth set.
Overall, Santoro eliminated the No. 32 seed 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 3-6, 16-14.
Three-time champion Gustavo Kuerten, seeded 28th, took a mere three hours to beat qualifier Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 7-6 (2), 1-6, 3-6, 7-5.
Navratilova made her Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros in 1973 and won the tournament twice. The second title came in 1984, the year before Dulko was born.
Two decades later, Navratilova is a very different player. She employed the same serve-and-volley tactics that helped her win 18 major singles titles, but 47-year-old footwork left her often lunging in vain for Dulko's shots.