Security noticeably alert in Federer match
— -- PARIS -- Four security guards -- sporting black suits, white shirts and tasteful burnt sienna-colored ties -- were already stationed courtside Wednesday, facing the crowd, 10 minutes before Roger Federer stepped on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Two more strategically positioned themselves behind the changeover chairs, at precisely a 45-degree angle that allowed them to see both the crowd and the players, just before Federer and opponent Marcel Granollers emerged, each accompanied by his own personal guard.
Ushers stood in the middle of the aisles leading down to the box seats. And during changeovers, four ball boys -- back-to-back with the security guards -- formed a secondary wall against potential trouble.
Federer would defeat Granollers 6-2, 7-6 (1), 6-3, and we can report that -- aside from a momentary lapse in the second set by the Swiss champion himself -- there were no overt breaches of security this time.
After Sunday's disquieting on-court visit from a young fan seeking to take a selfie with the 17-time Grand Slam champion, Federer fumed in his postmatch news conference, saying the same thing had happened after a previous practice session. Tournament director Gilbert Ysern apologized but said the failure was an "error of judgment," and that the French Tennis Federation would not change its security protocols.
Did Federer notice any difference in the way security was deployed Wednesday?
"I mean, a little bit," Federer said afterward. "I think everybody is a little bit more alert. That was the only wish I had. It's just that the security is more alert. They don't need to change anything, that we need to have fences and all that stuff, not at all.
"Tennis is one of the most accessible sports out there, and we are unbelievably close with our fans. That's what I love about it. So for me it was just more important that everybody was doing their job, taking it very seriously, wakes up and that they are standing in the right places and to keep an eye on what's really important and not about just being there, you know. I think I felt that today."
According to an FTF spokesman:
• There was a Sunday night meeting between tournament officials and the considerable security staff, at which it was stressed repeatedly that there was zero tolerance for allowing spectators on the courts, regardless of age, and that constant vigilance is essential.
• No security staff has been added -- or subtracted, including the guards who allowed the fan onto Court Philippe Chatrier -- from the pool that was in place to start the tournament.
• Still, the on-court guards have been instructed to make themselves more visible, in terms of placement and posture, to deter fans from accosting players.
The FTF declined to divulge the number of security workers here, or the details of their deployment, but acknowledged there are two components: the highly visible guards wearing black suits from a private security firm who escort the players on and off court and stand behind them during changeovers, and plainclothes French policemen, who are less obvious.
Despite the FTF's insistence that security has not been enhanced, there was certainly the appearance of beefed-up protection. A member of the Federer camp acknowledged that there were more guards for his Monday and Tuesday practice sessions than the week before.
On Wednesday morning, the security slipup set off a spirited discussion among three analysts, all former players, in the Tennis Channel/ESPN Green Room.
"The guy who let that kid on the court should have been fired," said 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova, inserting a spicy adjective to underline her displeasure. "I mean, when the kid ran on, he looked away."
This was Federer's third incident at Roland Garros, going back to the 2009 final here, and Mary Carillo said part of the equation is his genial nature.
"He's such a good guy; he's so approachable that people want to interact with him," Carillo said. "But that's not an excuse for what happened."
When she was playing, Mary Joe Fernandez said, she sometimes received "over-the-top" fan mail from "crazy fans or stalkers," and when they referenced specific tournaments, extra security precautions were taken.
"You had to take it seriously," Fernandez said. "Everything changed when Monica Seles was stabbed [during a match in 1993]. Everything changed. But no, I never felt unsafe the rest of the time."
After his Tuesday match, John Isner, the top-ranked American man, was asked about Federer's brush with the public in his place of work.
"What happened yesterday should never happen," Isner said. "Could have very easily been a crazed person. Especially a guy like Roger, the biggest draw in our game and the most sought-after player we have. Everyone wants to watch him and see him. Needs to be security on the court at all times, especially when he's playing."
Isner won his first-round match on Court 2, a smaller venue lacking the natural barriers of the two larger show courts, Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen.
"A lot of people could have jumped out on the court where I was playing," Isner said. "Pretty intimate court."
Tennis, like basketball, is a sport with a more intimate fan experience than, say, football, baseball or hockey. And on the sprawling grounds of the Grand Slam events, players -- usually escorted by a security guard or two -- must walk to the outer courts through a sea of spectators for both practice and matches. The day before the tournament, Frenchman Gael Monfils was escorted by four aggressive security guards, who elbowed spectators out of the way. By contrast, Sabine Lisicki walked with a single guard Wednesday from the locker room, and two doubles players on their way to practice had no escort at all.
"So now we have just got to all keep it up for years to come," Federer said, smiling. "I know it's a lot of work, but it was a good exercise I think for everybody."
