Aleksandra Wozniak (Blainville, QC) has found her home away from home, in Paris on the red clay courts at Roland-Garros. The top-ranked Canadian reached the third round at the French Open, the season’s second Grand Slam event, for the third consecutive year on Friday thanks to a 6-4, 6-1 win over Kateryna Bondarenko of the Ukraine, ranked No. 35 in the world.

Wozniak posted some impressive stats during the 67-minute match, hitting 20 winners compared to only six unforced errors to go along with four aces and only one double fault. She also maintained a healthy first serve percentage of 75 percent.

Wozniak awaits the winner of the second round contest between World no. 6 Elena Dementieva and World No. 43 Anabel Medina Garrigues which will be completed on Thursday, weather permitting. If a winner is declared then Wozniak will return to the court on Friday for round three. She will also play her second round match in doubles with partner Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic against the thirteenth-seeded team of Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova.

Wozniak spoke with me earlier today and the interview will be played in its entirety during Aces tonight at the FAN590.

Meanwhile, Daniel Nestor (Toronto, ON) and his Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic are waiting out Thursday’s rain at Roland-Garros to play their first round match in men’s doubles against Ross Hutchins and Jordan Kerr.

(with files from Tennis Canada)

Firstly, a big thank you to all of the Aces listeners and friends of mine for their condolences. I lost my (step)mother last week to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a horrible cancer that took my 54-year-old parent too soon.

Today is the first day back in action for me, just as things are starting to heat up in Paris. Although the only real news thus far is the amount of top-level players who were forced to miss the second Grand Slam of the season.

Both Nadal and Federer seem destined to meet again in the final a week from Sunday. Although with Tsonga, Soderling and Cilic in the top half of the draw with R-Fed, the road to a repeat won’t be easy. Federer has played nearly flawless tennis in my opinion during his first two matches, however so has Nadal, who won’t face a tough test until the fourth round against fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. The defending champion from Switzerland is one victory away from the 700th of his remarkable career and 150th on clay. Rafa is looking for pure clay court domination, having already won ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in Monte-Carlo (def. Verdasco), Rome (def. Ferrer) and Madrid (def. Federer). A clash of these two champions would renew a rivalry that brought tennis to global households like only Borg/McEnroe did.

When I was at Roland Garros last year, there was a very cool flare like no other event. Fans are educated but celebratory. They pack Court Suzanne Lenglen even for first and second round matches. In a city, like Toronto, that demands world-class talent, they too get it. Another French Open final with the two biggest stars in the game is a fitting reward for a fun tennis town.

The other “Rog” and I will be back on the airwaves tomorrow for another episode of Aces. As always, send in your emails to roger@fan590.com or give us a call.

Until 7pm tomorrow mes amies.