Bleacher Report - Articles by Francois Gendron

Dramatic Victory for the Montreal Alouettes.

Francois Gendron — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:32:00 -0500

The Montreal Alouettes won the 97th edition of the Grey Cup by the score of 28-27 in dramatic fashion during the last play of the game.

A penalty for too many players on the field during a field goal attempt by the Alouettes costed the Saskatchewan Roughriders the title. Kicker Damon Duval didn't miss his ultimate chance and made a 34-yard field goal on the following play to complete the dramatic comeback.

Trailing by 16 points in the fourth quarter, the Montreal Alouettes held on and scored two touchdowns to get within two points with under two minutes to play. Quarterback Anthony Calvillo threw his best passes of the game at this crucial point of the game.

Also, on the last Riders punt of the game during the final minute of the game, Etienne Boulay saved the Alouettes from a disaster when he recovered the fumble by the kick returner. Without Boulay's intervention, Saskatchewan would have taken the ball and would have been crowned Grey Cup champions.

The action and suspense of this great championship game will be remembered as one of the most dramatic endings in CFL history.

Congratulations to the Montreal Alouettes for their great comeback.

(Picture: Anthony Calvillo, teammates and the Grey Cup at the airport, Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens Harvest Seven Points Out of 10 in Last Five Games

Francois Gendron — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:18:36 -0500

The Montreal Canadiens did a little better than expected during the last five games. When we look at the opposition the team faced, (Carolina, Washington, Detroit, Columbus, and Pittsburgh) seven points out of a possible 10 is a great harvest.

A couple of players have played very well during this successful string: goaltender Carey Price, Tomas Plekanec, Marc-Andre Bergeron and Matt D'Agostini. With the important number of injured players, those players took the extra work load and delivered. I am giving them all a 7 out of 10.

Only Mike Cammalleri deserves a higher note. The Canadiens' fans are discovering Mike's explosive and accurate shot. After a slow start, he now has 12 goals, leading the team in this department. I am giving him a 9 out of 10.

After spending the whole month of November under the .500 mark, the Habs are currently at 12-12-1. The team should be in a lot more trouble but have found a way to keep themselves in the playoff hunt.

Also, general manager Bob Gainey has traded Guillaume Latendresse to the Minnesota Wild for Benoit Pouliot earlier this week. Latendresse's work ethic and on-ice production did not please the organization and are the main reasons for his departure.

The Canadiens has thrown the towel on yet another 22-year-old player. Latendresse saw his ice-time drop dramatically this season and was aware that his time with the club was counted. We can only be concerned about the team's ability to fully develop their young talent.

Montreal Canadiens Win in Overtime Once Again

Francois Gendron — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:14:58 -0500

The Montreal Canadiens are still undefeated during extra time this season as they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes by the score of 3-2 after a long shootout session Tuesday evening.

Both teams sent six skaters each to finally end the contest.

Maxim Lapierre's shot made the difference.

As for goaltender Carey Price at the other end, he was perfect during the shootout and made a highlight reel save on Matt Cullen at the end to confirm the victory.

Max Pacioretty and Andrei Kostitsyn both scored for Montreal during regulation. Kostitsyn's goal came with under three minutes to play in the third period, forcing overtime.

Brandon Sutter and Jussi Jokinen scored their goals in a 2:52 span during the second period, giving the Canes a 2-1 lead until the late stages of the game.

The Canadiens have won eight straight games during the overtime/shootout session without any losses this season, tying a NHL regular season record.

(Picture: Carey Price, Canadian Press.)

Carey Price Saves Montreal Canadiens from a Catastrophe

Francois Gendron — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:42:19 -0500

The Montreal Canadiens were in Nashville, Tennessee, to face the Predators on Saturday night. The Canadiens played one of the worse game of this decade allowing Nashville to fire 55 times on the net defended by goaltender Carey Price.

Price was fantastic in this game as he managed to stop 53 of those 55 shots in this 2-0 loss. I sincerely hope that all the doubts about Carey Price's talent vanished with this performance. As I stated in an article after an humiliating loss in Vancouver: Carey Price is not the problem.

Saturday night in Nashville, the team in front of Price simply did not show up. The players were watching the Predators circle around them without lifting a finger. The domination was to a point that the Nashville Predators looked like a powerhouse of the NHL.

The lack of effort and character looks to be generalized and everyone knows that you cannot win hockey games on a regular basis without putting some serious effort during practice session and during games. Head coach Jacques Martin has the duty to raise the minimum effort given by his players.

The Canadiens will play their next game on Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

(Picture: Carey Price, Canadian Press.)

Maurice ''Mad Dog'' Vachon at the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame

Francois Gendron — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:53:29 -0500

The legendary wrestler Maurice Vachon nicknamed ''Mad Dog'', today at 80 years old, is now a part of Quebec's Sport Hall of Fame.

Born in Ville-Emard, Quebec, on Sep. 1 1929, Maurice Vachon had a very successful amateur wrestling career. At the 1948 London Olympic Games, Vachon finished in seventh place. Two years later, he won a gold medal at the 1950 British Empire Games, now known as the Commonwealth Games.

Vachon had an impressive stature. A strong, massive man with a mad look in the eyes. He was able to defend himself as he had to shrug off a couple of drunk spectators at times. One of those encounters earned him his nickname, when Don Owen, a wrestling promoter, yelled at him: ''You're just a mad dog!''.

A brilliant professional career followed for Maurice ''Mad Dog'' Vachon, who's fame had no boundaries. An approximate 13,000 live events all over the world. I personally remember him as I was a kid when I used to watch wrestling on TV. His WWF days where great, as he made a fantastic heel. A bad guy that everyone loved.

Vachon retired in 1985. One year later, an accident forced the doctors to cut Maurice's right leg under the knee. This event did not undermine his morale as he continued to appear on various TV shows.

The enormous charisma of this generous and tender man is now recognized. This is a well deserved honor. Vachon will always have a warm place in our hearts.

Congratulations Maurice for your fantastic journey and thanks for the memories.

Montreal's Carey Price Ends His Losing Streak Against the Boston Bruins

Francois Gendron — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:50:42 -0500

Despite a sixth consecutive loss against the Atlanta Trashers on Tuesday evening, the Montreal Canadiens sent Carey Price in net Thursday for their game with the Boston Bruins.

The Habs' goaltender was sharp and stopped 42 of the 43 shots he faced, helping the Canadiens in that 2-1 victory acquired at the shootout session. A victory that will feel like a breath of fresh air for Price.

Mike Cammalleri was the only player from both teams able to beat the goaltender in that shootout session. Tim Thomas was fooled by a good wrist shot from Cammalleri.

As for the scoring during regulation, Glen Metropolit put Montreal on the board on a great effort around the net from Andrei Kostitsyn. Patrice Bergeron tied the score at 1-1 with under a minute to play in the third period.

The Canadiens will host the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday and I think that Carey Price should be sent in net by head coach Jacques Martin. The Canadiens are still hovering at the .500 record with eight wins and eight losses.

(Picture: Canadian Press.)

Jaroslav Halak Wins, Cary Price Doesn't: A Montreal Canadiens October Recap

Francois Gendron — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:51:35 -0500

The first month of this 2009-2010 NHL season is already behind us and I thought it would be a good time to check out how the Montreal Canadiens initiated their season.

The injury to defenseman Andrei Markov during the first game of the season revealed the fragile state of the Canadiens' defensive unit. The team allowed a ton of shots a few games later resulting in an ugly five-game losing streak.

The departure of Mike Komisarek, Mathieu Dandenault and Francis Bouillon was patched by GM Bob Gainey with the acquisition of Hal Gill, Paul Mara, Jaroslav Spacek and later on, Marc-Andre Bergeron. I don't see any significant improvement at that position from last season.

But on a positive note, I really liked Paul Mara's physical contribution and on-ice presence during the first month. Also, Bergeron and Gill registered their first goals with the Canadiens during the month of October. But that's about all the positive points I could find in this defensive unit.

On the offensive side of the game, the Canadiens' top line performed to the expectations. Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez produced well early on, while Mike Cammalleri took a few games before taking off. Tomas Plekanec on the second offensive line did well but his line mate Andrei Kostitsyn (A.K.) has not been sharp.

A.K. has been under the scope for a while and many think that his work ethic is a problem. Nobody ever doubted the raw talent of the two brothers. The results on the ice and the criticism around him and his younger brother Sergei opens the door to a much deeper problem than those two players; the organization's incapacity to fully develop their young talent.

Finally, in the late stages of the month, goaltender Jaroslav Halak helped the team to get back to the .500 record with a winning streak at the Bell centre.

In fact, during the last 12 games, Halak registered five wins and two losses while Carey Price suffered five straight losses. Halak also leads Price on the GAA and save percentage stat sheet for the month of October.

The burning question in the early stages of November that will be asked to head coach Jacques Martin is which goaltender is the No. 1 man? Carey Price or Jaroslav Halak?

Stay tuned for the continuation of this already exciting 2009-2010 season.

Penguins-Canadiens: Crosby Crushes Montreal's Winning Streak

Francois Gendron — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:29:06 -0400

Sidney Crosby scored three goals on Wednesday evening against the Montreal Canadiens and helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win by a score of 6 to 1.

The Montreal Canadiens' winning streak has been stopped at four consecutive games and the overall team record stands at 6-6 after 12 games.

Jaroslav Halak was the starting goaltender for a fifth game in a row in this one, but was pulled by head coach Jacques Martin during the third period.

Carey Price allowed two goals in relief. We can expect Price's return as starting goaltender for the next game.

But the star of the show was Sidney Crosby, who completed his hat trick during the second period of the game. The Penguins captain and his troops have an impressive 11-2 record this season.

(Picture: Sidney Crosby, Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens: Four Wins In A Row With Jaroslav Halak

Francois Gendron — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:51:00 -0400

The Montreal Canadiens ended their six-game home stand with four consecutive wins with a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Monday night.

The Islanders were a more difficult opponent this time. After being outclassed by the score of 5-1 last week, the Islanders forced an overtime period, but ultimately lost the game when Roman Hamrlik scored the decisive goal during the overtime period. This was already the fourth overtime victory for the Canadiens this season.

But I want to keep the focus on goaltender Jaroslav Halak, for a moment. Montreal Canadiens' head coach, Jacques Martin, decided to go with his hottest goaltender in order to win games lately. Martin did not force Carey Price in against the New York Rangers on Saturday like we all expected. Mike Cammalleri's hat trick performance won that game after the team went down by a two goal margin on two different occasions.

The Canadiens will play the defending champions Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. Will Jacques Martin send Jaroslav Halak in net once again, or will he try to send Carey Price in action to extend the team's winning streak to five games?

(Picture: Roman Hamrlik, Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens: A Winning Streak!

Francois Gendron — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:01:27 -0400

The Montreal Canadiens waited until the 9th game of the regular season to win a first game in regulation. A convincing 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

It is true that the best performance of the season came against one of the weakest team of the league but the way the team has been playing lately, any good news is welcome.

Scott Gomez, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Max Pacioretty, Mike Cammalleri, and Maxim Lapierre scored for Montreal while only Josh Bailey beat Jaroslav Halak and avoided the shut out.

The Canadiens are currently on two wins in a row and will play the New York Rangers on Saturday evening. Who will be in net for the Canadiens on Saturday? Jaroslav Halak or Carey Price?

Head coach Jacques Martin has an important decision to make.

(Picture: Getty Images.)

Montreal Canadiens: After Five Straight Losses, Team Recalls Marc-Andre Bergeron

Francois Gendron — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:21:00 -0400

The Montreal Canadiens will try to stop their losing streak at five straight games on Tuesday night when they host the Atlanta Thrashers.

Acquired after Andrei Markov's injury, Marc-Andre Bergeron will play his first game with the Canadiens.

Outside Ilya Kovalchuk's playing quality, the Thrashers have never represented a force in the NHL since their arrival. It is then a good occasion for the Habs to snap out of their losing streak with a strong performance. The Canadiens have not given a full 60-minute effort so far this season and it would be a great time to start doing so.

As for Bergeron, he will wear the ''bleu blanc rouge'' uniform for the first time in his career—a dream for any French-Canadian hockey player. He was impressed by the size of the Canadiens' dressing room and can't wait to contribute.

This season, Bergeron played three games in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs and registered six assists. Shawn Belle was sent back to Hamilton to make room for Bergeron.

On Monday, head coach Jacques Martin talked about his expectations regarding Bergeron. The Habs coach should use him on the man-advantage along with Jaroslav Spacek and will give him around 16-18 minutes of ice time.

Photo Credit: Marc-Andre Bergeron, RDS

Montreal Canadiens Season Opener: Will You Cheer or Will You Boo?

Francois Gendron — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:05:46 -0400

The Montreal Canadiens will open their home season at the Bell Centre after playing their first five games of the 2009-2010 season on the road.

The early-season road trip brought many discussion topics to the couch managers. Hell, the press still cares and debates about what will happen to Sergei Kostitsyn! The guy's in the AHL ... time to move on!

So, despite losing defensemen Andrei Markov and Ryan O'Byrne to injury, losing 7-1 to the Vancouver Canucks, despite losing their last three games of this road trip, and—finally—despite being ranked the 29th penalty-killing unit of the NHL, the Canadiens managed to win two of those five games for four points in the standings. That's a tie for seventh place in the Eastern Conference before tonight's games.

The regular season and the finger-pointing season has now started. Especially the second one.

After five games, the candidates for the ''I have so many fingers pointed at me right now!'' award: Carey Price for his Vancouver game, Andrei Kostitsyn because it's ''in'' to blame him, Hal Gill for his -3 and 11 PIM, and Maxim Lapierre and Max Pacioretty for their absence.

I know I have not mentioned a couple others—pick your own winners and go ahead, blame them.

For me and a few others, I see the glass half-full. I did not expect a good start, and I believe the team will suffer a lot until the new year.

The team has four points, which were won by none other than Carey Price and the new players on the roster. In two of five games, Price played well enough to steal the win while the Gionta-Gomez-Cammalleri trio gave a couple of options to head coach Jacques Martin. We still are waiting for Cammalleri's first goal of the season, but his presence is positive on the ice. I still think he will have a good season and score his 30 goals.

Winning a game is big for the Canadiens right now, and will be for a couple of months. Each win will reduce the amount of points the team will have to recover in the final rat race towards the playoffs.

And right now, the Canadiens will host the next six games. Will you cheer or will you boo?

You will be the sixth player on the ice for the next six games. Think before booing.

Carey Price Not to Blame for Montreal's 7-1 Defeat by Vancouver

Francois Gendron — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:56:07 -0400

The Montreal Canadiens came back to the harsh reality of Western Conference play as they lost a second game in two nights by the score of 7-1 to the Vancouver Canucks.

Incidentally, Vancouver was looking for its first win this season, and Roberto Luongo had a 4.50 GAA before the game: two very good reasons explaining their solid outing.

The number of goals scored on goaltender Carey Price looks bad, but he is not to blame on five of those seven goals. Three of those goals were scored on breakaways.

The Canadiens' defense without Andrei Markov is not able to match any "top line on a good night" in the league, and Price will continue to see a lot of shots and odd-man rushes in the coming months.

The addition of defensemen Paul Mara and Hal Gill by general manager Bob Gainey is not helping either. Those two players really lack speed and will require at least half a season to get going.

The Montreal Canadiens could dramatically sink in the standings until the new year. A rat race to come back into the playoff hunt is a possible scenario awaiting the team for this 2009-2010 season.

Those of you that think that Price will have another awful season should wait a little bit before saying, "I told you!" A new attitude is noted by the people surrounding the athlete, as unlike last year, a major part of his family is now settled in Montreal, thousands of miles closer.

Head coach Jacques Martin was unhappy with his team and conducted a punitive practice session this morning.

(Picture: Canadian Press)

Flames-Canadiens: Montreal Suffers First Lost of the Season

Francois Gendron — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:55:58 -0400

The Montreal Canadiens were playing their third game of the season tonight as they were in western Canada to face the Calgary Flames.

The Canadiens won their first two games of the season, but it was in large part due to the fantastic play of the goaltender, Carey Price. For tonight's game, Jaroslav Halak was in net for the Habs.

The Flames dominated the play during the first period. Eric Nystrom opened the score for Calgary. But the Canadiens struck late into the period when Scott Gomez and Guillaume Latendresse beat Mikka Kiprusoff in a 32-second span.

Eric Nystrom tied the game up with his second goal of the game halfway into the second period. Then Jarome Iginla gave the lead to Calgary when he pounced on a rebound from the goal post on a shot from the blue line.

Halak is still looking for this puck.

But the Canadiens tied the score at three before the end of the second period when Tomas Plekanec beat Kiprusoff with a wild back-handed shot.

The Flames scored the winning goal early in the third period when Eric Nystrom completed his first career hat trick goal. Mikka Kiprusoff closed the door to any comeback with timely saves.

Final score: Calgary Flames 4-Montreal Canadiens 3

(Picture: Eric Nystrom and Jaroslav Halak, Canadian Press.)

Andrei Markov's Injury: A Big Challenge For the Montreal Canadiens.

Francois Gendron — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:33:07 -0400

The first victory of the season for the Montreal Canadiens came with a huge price tag.

The team's best defense man, Andrei Markov, was injured and will be sidelined for up to four months.

The incident came during the third goal of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canadiens' goaltender, Carey Price, went on the ice in an attempt to stop the puck and clipped Markov's left foot with the blade of his skate. The incident at first look seems to be minor but the injury that resulted is catastrophic for the team.

The challenge will be to play the next four months without their best player. The Canadiens simply cannot replace a player like Andrei Markov. Canadiens' head coach Jacques Martin will have to find a solution to this problem. The Habs have a record of 6-19-2 without the Russian player in the lineup so far.

The team could call up Yannick Weber, Matthieu Carle, or P.K. Subban from the Hamilton Bulldogs to fill the spot.

(Picture: Andrei Markov, Getty Images.)

Montreal Canadiens Open Season With Overtime Win

Francois Gendron — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:34:46 -0400

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Montreal Canadiens tonight as the 2009-2010 season opener.

The intense rivalry between those two teams was reignited very early into this game as Georges Laraque and Colton Orr fought, followed by a meeting between Travis Moen and Jay Rosehill.

The Canadiens scored shortly after as Brian Gionta scored during a man-advantage with a shot that beat Vesa Toskala. This was Gionta's first goal as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. Alex Ponikarovski tied the score for the Leafs before the end of the first period.

Montreal took the lead once again with the help of the checking line when Travis Moen scored with the help of Georges Laraque and Glen Metropolit. Once again, the Leafs tied the score when Matt Stajan tipped in a feed from his defensemen on a man-advantage.

Stajan sent the Leafs ahead by a score of 3-2 with his second goal of the game.

The hot streak against the Canadiens continues for him as he seems to always saves his best games for the Habs.

But despite being dominated on the ice, the Canadiens tied the game when Glen Metropolit tipped a shot from Josh Georges during another man-advantage.

Josh Georges made the difference during the overtime period with an opportunistic goal and the Canadiens stole the season opener by the score of 4-3.

The best players on the Habs side were Glen Metropolit, Josh Georges, Brian Gionta, Mike Camallari and the goaltender, Carey Price who stopped 43 of the 46 shots he faced.

It is a disappointing start for the Leafs as they played a solid game overall. But this season is very young. For the fans, and for my own pleasure, it was great to see the coolest sport on earth in action once again.

(Picture: Josh Gorges and Carey Price, Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens Season Opens Tomorrow.

Francois Gendron — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:47:22 -0400

The 2009-2010 edition of the Montreal Canadiens is very different from last season. General Manager Bob Gainey found a new coach in Jacques Martin and has drastically modified his roster.

The Canadiens will open their season tomorrow evening against an old rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. There will be no love lost between those two teams this season as the Leafs did also acquire their share of new players. One of them is defense men Mike Komisarek, coming from the Montreal Canadiens.

The Habs did travel to the Toronto area three days ago and finalized their training camp with a private gathering to try to smoothe the entry of the new players and create some kind of chemistry between the players.

There is still no sign given by the organization with the team's captaincy. As the rumor mill has already debated on the possibilities of who will be the next Montreal Canadiens captain, Jacques Martin did not reveal anything during the training camp.

I cannot wait for this new season to begin. I will be glued to my television tomorrow evening for the season opener between the Leafs and the Habs.

Justine Henin Announces Her Comeback

Francois Gendron — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:38:31 -0400

Sixteen months after her retirement from competition, former No. 1 player in the world Justine Henin announced this week that she will come back for the 2010 season.

The main reason for Henin's comeback is that "the flame has lit up once again." The lack of passion for the game of tennis was the main reason for her retirement in 2008, something that has come back in recent months according to the Belgian player.

Henin's professional record is an impressive one. In a little less than 10 years, she won 41 WTA titles, including seven Grand Slam titles.

Her small stature was not an obstacle, as she used to run down every ball on the court with speed while committing a low number of unforced errors.

News of her comeback will improve the already spectacular field of women's players. With the blooming of much young talent in 2009, the competition will be very fierce in 2010 on the women's side of the court with the addition of Henin.

Finally, Henin has been training seriously for about three months, and she has rehired her coaching/training staff. No detail is left unattended for this comeback.

I wish her a successful 2010 season.

(Picture: Justine Henin, Canadian Press)

Montreal Canadiens: A Series of Preseason Games

Francois Gendron — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:17:44 -0400

The Montreal Canadiens' training camp will pick up a notch as the team will play five games in the next five nights.

The Habs coach, Jacques Martin, knows very well about their first opponents, the Florida Panthers, as he was the head coach of the club until last season.

Ironically, the Panthers are the only NHL franchise to hold a winning record over the Canadiens in the history books.

Maybe the coming of Jacques Martin this season with the Canadiens will solve this weird slump of the club against the ordinary team that is the Florida Panthers.

The Habs fans will finally have an opportunity to see the newest faces of the club in action.

2009 US Open: Del Potro Defeats Federer in a Classic Five-Set Showdown.

Francois Gendron — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:19:54 -0400

Due to the bad weather conditions, the 2009 U.S. Open men's final between Juan Martin Del Potro and Roger Federer was played today.

The fans gathered at Arthur Ashe stadium were in for a five-set showdown that lasted just over four hours. At the end, Juan Martin Del Potro took advantage of the play with his formidable and powerful forehand, winning 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.

The momentum shifted a couple of times during this wonderful match. Federer at first exploited a nervous Del Potro, who really needed some time to get into this match. But once his gears got rolling and his forehand was adjusted to kill mode, Federer became a mere spectator so many times.

But we also have to give some credit to the great champion. His Grand Slam experience allowed him to hang in there and even steal the third set away from Del Potro.

But the fire and intensity of Del Potro was too much later on. After a disputed fourth set decided at the tiebreaker, the dominance of his forehand made the difference.

Congratulations to Juan Manuel Del Potro for his very first Grand Slam championship at these 2009 U.S. Open championships.

(Picture: Juan Manuel Del Potro, Canadian Press.)

2009 US Open: Melanie Oudin Advances to the Quarterfinals.

Francois Gendron — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:52:00 -0400

After defeating Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova during earlier rounds, the 17-year-old American phenom, Melanie Oudin, defeated Nadia Petrova in three sets (1-6, 7-6, and 6-3) and qualified herself for a quarterfinal match at the 2009 US Open.

The young Oudin had an horrible first set this afternoon as she committed countless unforced errors. But as the match went along, the young player adjusted her game and was more regular on the court.

Then Petrova started to commit more mistakes herself during the second set and gave a second wind to her young opponent.

Serving at 4-3 in the second set, Petrova was controlling the pace of the match but lost her focus, allowing Oudin to break her and even the score at 4-4.

The second set had to be decided by a tie break that Oudin won easily, 7-2.

The third set was a mirror image of the second—Petrova generating the most of the unforced errors—but more importantly, Oudin broke Petrova's serve four times to claim the victory.

To the delight of the Flushing Meadows' fans the unbelievable journey of Melanie Oudin will continue for at least one more match. This young and very talented player is already generating large crowds and will continue to be the talk of the town.

Congratulations and good luck for the rest of the way.

(Picture: Melanie Oudin, Canadian Press.)

The GP3R in Images

Francois Gendron — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:18:13 -0400

The 2009 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres was exciting. I have captured as many images of the event as I could during the weekend and I am presenting them to you. This was the 40th edition of this great event and it was once again a huge success. The weather was fantastic, perfect for a memorable weekend. I had a lot of fun and I want to share it with you. Enjoy!

Begin Slideshow

2009 GP3R: Andrew Ranger Wins for a Second Time

Francois Gendron — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:12:00 -0400

The main event of this 2009 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres was exciting from start to finish. At the end, Andrew Ranger crossed the finish line in first place and won for a second year in a row in Trois-Rivieres.

The fans gathered around the circuit were in for an exciting event as Alexandre Tagliani, Andrew Ranger, and Jacques Villeneuve were respectively starting for the pole, third and fifth place.

After exchanging the lead with pole sitter Alexandre Tagliani during the first half of the event, Ranger saw Tagliani's engine fail at the exit of turn three of lap 18 and took the lead until the end of the race.

Some serious pressure at the end of the race came from the car No. 95 driven by the young Anthony Simone, who finished in second place. DJ Kennington finished in third place.

Andrew Ranger extended his lead atop of the NASCAR Canada championship. His closest opponent, Scott Steckley, retired himself from the race when his transmission failed on lap 12.

As for Jacques Villeneuve, he wasn't able to follow the pace set by the leaders and settled for a fourth-place finish. His car wasn't competitive during the restarts and forced the former Formula One champion to protect his position.

Congratulations, Andrew, for your second win in a row at Trois-Rivieres.

The 2009 GP3R Friday slideshow.

Francois Gendron — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:14:47 -0400

The NASCAR Canada series is a very competitive one and many drivers have a legitimate chance to win it all. Winning at Trois-Rivieres in this race is not an easy task. You need a good starting position, a good setup, a great line and a bit of luck. Any hesitation or mistake results in a collision in the fences. The Former Formula One champion will have the tools to compete. Can he win it all? Many other very interesting series are scheduled this weekend in Trois-Rivieres. This slideshow is only a portion of what I saw on these Friday practice sessions. But anyway, here's a glipse at the 2009 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.

Begin Slideshow

GP3R 2009: Andrew Ranger going for two in a row

Francois Gendron — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:07:00 -0400

The main event of this 40th edition of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres promises a lot of action. The NASCAR Canada race scheduled for tomorrow will be very disputed from start to finish.

Yesterday morning, I was lucky enough to briefly meet last year's winner, Andrew Ranger. The young and talented driver from Roxton Pond, Quebec looked in a great mood and in good physical shape.

Ranger shook my hand as if I was an important reporter and once again this year he accepted to take a minute of his time to talk with me and posed with me. As my ''special photograph'' took the shot, I said: ''Second win in a row!''

By saying this, I knew that Andrew would feel a bit uncomfortable. And he did.

His victory in last year's race caught everyone by surprise. Sitting in third place for the major lenght of the race, Ranger took the lead during the last corner of the final lap when the second place car took out the leader in a desperate overtaking attempt.

The NASCAR Canada series is a very competitive one and many drivers have a legitimate chance to win it all. Winning at Trois-Rivieres in these race cars is not an easy task. You need a good starting position, a good setup, a great line and a bit of luck. Any hesitation or mistake results in a collision in the fences.

Andrew Ranger is well aware of this, he knows that repeating won't be easy, especially with the opposition this year. The pressure will be coming from both the inside and outside. The former Formula One champion and fan favorite, Jacques Villeneuve, will be seating in the Number 7 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford.

I can hardly wait for tomorrow.

(Picture: Andrew Ranger and yours truly, Overtime!)

At the GP3R.

Francois Gendron — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:54:00 -0400

This weekend I will be at the 40th edition of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.

I am leaving right now for the practice sessions and I will be on the site all weekend long. I will take pictures of this great event and I will post them in here. I should be able to post you today's pictures on Saturday and so on.

I hope that I will be able to stand close enough from Jacques Villeneuve for a quick snapshot. I bet that he will draw a huge crowd all weekend long. I will probably take another picture with Andrew Ranger, the winner of last year's NASCAR Canada race.

I will also try to post as many car-and-girl pictures as possible after this weekend.

Now if you don't mind, I have to go now. ;)

Have a great weekend, dear readers!

(Pictures: The 2008 GP3R, Overtime!.)

Honorable Exit for Frederic Niemeyer from 2009 Rogers Cup

Francois Gendron — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:02:00 -0400

Yesterday evening on the center court of the Uniprix stadium in Montreal, Frederic Niemeyer played a very good match versus Roger Federer—an honorable 6-7, 4-6 loss to the No. 1 player in the world.

Only a handful of points separated the two players during the lenght of this match. Niemeyer who will retire at the end of this season, probably played one of his best match in career. Both players exited the stadium under a standing ovation given by the spectators who filled the center court to capacity.

Federer had very good words for his opponent as he said that the match was played at a very high quality level. Roger had to give his best on important points during the second set. A couple of spectacular shots were made by Federer to finally break Niemeyer's serve at the seventh game of the second set.

Federer will continue his march towards the title tomorrow in his third round match. As for the second seeded player of the tournament, Rafael Nadal, his second round match is scheduled this afternoon.

Death of Arturo Gatti: Brazilian Police Concludes It's A Suicide

Francois Gendron — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:32:00 -0400

The life and times of Arturo Gatti were memorable. The story surrounding his death will also be memorable as new elements of this intriguing affair were discovered in the last hours.

First of all, the most shocking news came from the Brazilian police conclusions. According to them, Arturo Gatti commited suicide by hanging himself with a purse strap. Some clear evidence on the walls are said to be enough to conclude to a suicide according to the local police and coroner.

His wife, Amanda Rodrigues, was the primary suspect a few hours after the events, was taken in and interrogated but was released only a few hours ago by the Brazilian authorities.

The Gatti family and entourage is scandalized by the police conclusions. Nobody inside the circle of Arturo Gatti believes that the former champion would ever go down this road. Some family members even claimed that the police is wrongly protecting a Brazilian citizen from serious charges.

On a brighter side, a second autopsy will be performed in Montreal tomorrow to try to gather more details.

The Canadian Government, more specifically Minister Lawrence Cannon, asked the Brazilian authorities and coroner to give more specific details in order to sort this story out. Some clear proof that Gatti committed suicide were vaguely alleged, enough to rise suspicions on the police conclusions. Those proofs are what the Canadian authorities are looking to validate.

The re-opening of this case is imminent. The mystery fog is still very thick, twenty days after Arturo Gatti's death. I personally can't believe the police conclusions at all.

Felipe Massa Recovers After Violent Crash

Francois Gendron — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:52:00 -0400

Some great news comes today from the doctors at the AEK hospital in Budapest. Felipe Massa, Ferrari's Brazilian driver, is responding well after the surgery. Some bone fragments were taken out around Massa's left eye.

The doctors will need about ten days to know if Massa will fully recover from this incident. Massa's left eye is the biggest concern right now. The other injuries should completely heal at a normal pace.

The Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session presented this Saturday gave us some intense emotions when Ferrari's driver was hit to the head by Rubens Barrichello's suspension spring that went flying.

As the cars were negotiating a very fast portion of the circuit, the piece entered Massa's helmet through the visor. Massa lost control of his Ferrari that went straight into a tire wall. A scary scenario for the racing fans watching the live event.

As for the race itself presented yesterday, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton won the race, his tenth career victory but more importantly his first victory of the season.

(Picture: Felipe Massa, Canadian Press.)

Villeneuve, Ranger, and Brisebois at the 2009 Grand Prix De Trois-Rivieres

Francois Gendron — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:54:00 -0400

The 40th edition of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres will be very interesting to watch.

Last week, the former Formula One champion, Jacques Villeneuve, announced that he will be a part of the NASCAR Canada event at the GP3R. Villeneuve's last participation in Trois-Rivieres was in 1993 in the Atlantic series.

This week, Montreal Canadiens' defensemen and racing fan, Patrice Brisebois, announced that he will also be a part of the NASCAR Canada race. Brisebois said that he was very excited to be a part of such an event.

As for myself, nothing will make me miss this event.

I will be on the site and I will be taking pictures all weekend long. I will post my pictures of this great weekend on this very blog. Last year, I was very lucky and took a picture with Andrew Ranger, the winner of the 2008 NASCAR Canada race. This year, I will try to convince Jacques Villeneuve that taking a picture with me is a "guaranteed ticket to the checkered flag."