NOTEBOOK French Open

Blending in: Dmitry Tursunov could pass for an American, and not only because he tends to struggle on clay. Tursunov moved to California when he was 12, still spends much of his time there, married an American, speaks fluent English and sports curly blond hair. "I try to blend in," Tursunov said with a smile. U.S. tennis would be happy to claim Tursunov, who's seeded 31st at the French Open. He advanced to the second round and improved to 2-5 on clay this spring by beating Jiri Novak 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 Monday. But at 23, the Moscow-born Tursunov still has a Russian passport. He first applied for American citizenship nine years ago and has yet to be accepted. "After nine years, I think you have to ease off," he said.
Spadea: All eyes were on Vincent Spadea and not because of his tennis. Decked out in a rhinestone-encrusted red ball cap, a loud striped shirt and red shorts, the American couldn't be missed during his 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 loss to No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko. The ensemble, it turns out, is part of Spadea's signature sportswear collection, designed by the player himself. He explained his foray into fashion as an attempt to spice up the predictable world of tennis garb. "Everyone wears white," he said, "and it's really tedious."
Associated Press
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