Federer and Schnyder flounder as French Open looms

Switzerland's Roger Federer Keystone

Swiss tennis stars, Roger Federer and Patty Schnyder, are struggling in the run-up to the French Open.

The two have both been knocked out in first round matches as the clay-court Grand Slam tournament in Paris draws nearer. Roger Federer lost to Romania’s Andrei Pavel in the three million dollar Hamburg Masters Series event. He lost in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.

On the women’s front, Schnyder battled valiantly against the Czech Republic’s Denisa Chladkova at the one million dollar Rome Masters Series tournament. After losing the first set 6-4, she took the second set 4-6, but could not keep pace with Chladkova, and lost the final set 6-4.

Meanwhile, Schnyder’s compatriot, Martina Hingis, has withdrawn from the Italian tournament because of an ankle injury. Hingis, who just relinquished her number one ranking to Lindsay Davenport of the United States, is the fourth top player missing from the Rome event because of injury. Others who have had to withdraw include Conchita Martinez of Spain, Russia’s Anna Kournikova and American Serena Williams.