No USA players to speak of in the Qualies of the French. Nobody made it past the 2nd round anyway from the US. Only 6 USA players got in, including one who got in with a won-at-home USTA wild card. That was the bone that the French threw us, a wild card. So the USTA quickly assembled the USA girls to "compete" for that wild card. Some girl won it, but she was toasted in the first round. WRONG MESSAGE. Wild cards do not make you a champion, but not getting them might. Guess there were not enough wild card offerings from the US, so nobody knew what to do to get there. Everybody just sitting around waiting for their wild cards from the USA to further their so-called "careers" in pro tennis, instead of getting themselves out there on the tour day in and day out, like the rest of the world, who is trying so very hard, to earn the points so that they can make the cut for the Qualies which was just under 200.

USTA please take a back seat to our development. Go get some real jobs and stop looking like the GOD you want to be to our American players. We don't need your charity or contrived methods of "helping" players become players. IT IS THE TOUR THAT MAKES PLAYERS PLAYERS and a few expert coaches. So keep your wild cards, your USPTA elves, your "performance" centers. Just keep it. There is only one way to make it in pro tennis. Make up your mind that is what you want to do. And you chicken-hearted Americans who really do not want to play tennis, PLEASE HURRY TO THE COLLEGES and stay there. And you fathers who want to be the big man on campus and write the checks for your debutante daughter's pro tour debut after college so they can brag to all their friends that they are "turning pro" at age 22 (gag), who want their fling on the tour, coupled with the disgraceful wild cards they will receive from the USTA to inflate their rankings and give them "real hope" that they are a "real player," just stop it, stop it now.

Let the real players of Russia, Belarus, China and a gazillion other European countries entertain us. Thank you.

Players in the French Qualifying by country who Qualified:

1. 14 Former Soviet Union in the Qualies and 4 Qualified
2. 7 Czech Rep and 1 Qualified
3. 6 German and 1 Qualified
4. 5 USA and 1 USA Wild Card and 0 Qualified
5. 1 Argentina and 1 Qualified
6. 3 Romanian and 1 Qualified
7. 2 French and 5 Wild Cards and 2 Qualified
8. 3 Italians and 1 Qualified
9. 3 Taipei and 1 Qualified