Bud Collins

PARIS - The first French Open I covered was in 1973 and I was the only American journalist on site. At that time, the colorful, paved walkways at Roland Garros were merely a dream and during a rainy two weeks I tromped down muddy paths to file my reports to the Boston Globe via Telex.

However, once the French reporters were done filing around 6 p.m., they shut down the office. So I often wound up filing by phone.

NBC's first French Open telecast was in 1975 and I have been part of the network's announce team ever since.

So from over a quarter of a century of watching tennis in Paris, here are my top French Open memories.

1. Chang wins 1989 title
I never thought I would live long enough to see an American male win the tournament again after Tony Trabert won it in 1955, but in 1989 a slight teenager with huge thighs came out of nowhere to take down the lions of the game.

Some people called me a homer because of the kind of questions I was asking Chang on air, but I was so excited I just couldn’t contain myself.

Here’s this teenager cramping against Ivan Lendl in the Round of 16, down two sets and I almost got up and left. Next thing I know Chang is serving underhanded and still running down ball after ball in a remarkable five-set win.

I still thought he'd lose the final to Stefan Edberg, but he was simply magical. Chang had maybe played 10 matches on clay coming into the tournament and he ended up being one of the truly shocking winners of this major, the youngest ever to win at Roland Garros.

I still get excited just thinking about it.

2. Hingis melts down in 1999 final
The Swiss player was in complete control of the match until she imploded over an irrelevant line call early in the second set. She screamed, pouted and eventually broke down sobbing in her mother’s arms after losing a highly emotional three-set match.

I've never seen a player who was so self-assured off the court become so unglued on the court.

3. Seles KO's Graf in 1990 final
Graf had dominated the game for three years running and the German was so lethal that it was hard to imagine anyone pushing her off the court. But the fearless Seles swung from her hips and punched right through Graf, 7-6 (6), 6-4.

I was as wide-eyed as Steffi was at Monica's power and precision.

While their 1992 French Open women's singles final, which ended with a 10-8 third-set win for Seles, may have been more dramatic, it didn’t knock my socks off like Monica’s first run to the title.

I still believe that if a madman had not stabbed Seles on court in early 1994 she would have ended up being the best player ever.

4. Noah wins men's title in 1983
Noah became the first Frenchman since Marcel Bernard in 1946 to win the men's singles title in Paris.

Few players have shown more sheer joy than then the ebullient Noah in winning the crown. The country of France nearly stood still to cheer and clap in unison.

Noah was also the last man to win the title by largely charging the net.

He’s now a rock star of major proportions, but his fame began on that one glorious day in Paris.

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