The 2006 French Open was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor clay courts at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France from May 28 to June 11, 2006. It was the 105th staging of the French Open, and the second of the four Grand Slam tennis events of 1991. This edition made history as it became the first Grand Slam tournament to start on a Sunday. It was the 2nd time since 1985 that all top 4 seeds reached the semi-finals in the mens singles of a Grand Slam tournament. This did not happen again until the same tournament 5 years later. Both defending champions, Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin-Hardenne, retained their titles.
Famous quotes containing the words french and/or open:
“The French courage proceeds from vanity—the German from phlegm—the Turkish from fanaticism & opium—the Spanish from pride—the English from coolness—the Dutch from obstinacy—the Russian from insensibility—but the Italian from anger.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“Wild Bill was indulging in his favorite pastime of a friendly game of cards in the old No. 10 saloon. For the second time in his career, he was sitting with his back to an open door. Jack McCall walked in, shot him through the back of the head, and rushed from the place, only to be captured shortly afterward. Wild Bill’s dead hand held aces and eights, and from that time on this has been known in the West as “the dead man’s hand.””
—State of South Dakota, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)