NO. 13 PETR PALA / PAVEL VIZNER

• Pala and Vizner are the first Czech team to play in a Grand Slam men’s doubles final since Martin Damm and Karel Novacek at the 1993 US Open. Damm and Novacek lost in that final to Americans Ken Flach and Rick Leach 67 64 62. The last time an all-Czech mens team competed in a doubles final at Roland Garros was in 1984, when Pavel Slozil and Tomas Smid lost to the French partnership of Henri Leconte and Yannick Noah 64 26 36 63 62. A Czech pairing has never won a Grand Slam doubles title in the Open Era.

• Pala and Vizner are hoping to win their first doubles title together on Saturday. For Pala, this would be only the second of his career, having won his first doubles title just two weeks ago on clay at St Polten. For Vizner this would be his fourth doubles title, but he has not won one for nearly five years.

• Pala teamed with another Czech, David Rikl, to defeat Jaime Oncins/Daniel Orsanic 63 57 75 in the final at St Polten. Vizner won his first title at St Polten in 1996, with Slava Dosedel defeating David Adams/Menno Oosting 67 64 63 in the final. At 1996 Rosmalen (grass) he teamed with Paul Kilderry for his second title, defeating Anders Jarryd/Daniel Nestor 75 63 in the final. He had success with a third different partner, Jiri Novak, at 1996 Gstaad (clay) defeating Trevor Kronemann/David Macpherson 46 76 76 for the title.

• Pala/Vizner first teamed up in doubles in 1996. They played three tournaments – including 1996 Wimbledon and the 1996 US Open – before going their separate ways for nearly three years. They reunited at 1999 Kitzbuhel and have played together almost exclusively since.

• 2001 Roland Garros is Pala and Vizner’s 40^th tournament together going back to 1999 Kitzbuhel. It is their ninth Grand Slam event, their previous best performance together at a major coming in their team Grand Slam debut at 1996 Wimbledon. They reached the third round there, falling to Guy Forget/Jakob Hlasek 76 63 67 62. As a team the Czech pair has only played at Roland Garros once before, falling in the second round here last year to Tomas Carbonell/Martin Garcia 75 46 61.

• Whilst that third round finish at 1996 Wimbledon was Pala’s best Grand result until now, Vizner has reached a Grand Slam semifinal before now. Playing with Martin Damm at 1997 Wimbledon, he advanced to the last four, falling to Jacco Eltingh/Paul Haarhuis 62 62 64.

• While Pala and Vizner are still looking for their first title together, they have reached four finals: 1999 San Marino (clay), 2000 Shanghai (hard outdoor), 2000 Stockholm (hard indoor) and, most recently, 2001 Rotterdam (hard indoor).

• At Rotterdam, Pala and Vizner were defeated in the final by Jonas Bjorkman/Roger Federer 63 60. In the run-up to 2001 Roland Garros they played six clay court tournaments together, reaching semifinals at Munich, TMS Rome and TMS Hamburg before Pala, somewhat ironically, won his first title at St Polten with David Rikl (as detailed above.)

• Both Vizner and Pala are coached by Pala’s father, former player Frantisek Pala. They are connected in other ways: Pala’s sister Monika is married to Vizner.

• This is the second Roland Garros Men’s Doubles Final for Bhupathi and Paes. In 1999, as No. 1 seeds, they defeated Goran Ivanisevic/Jeff Tarango 62 75 to win their first Grand Slam tournament doubles title.

• At 1999 Wimbledon, Bhupathi/Paes won their second Grand Slam tournament title. This was in the middle of a 17-match Grand Slam doubles winning streak which ended in the final of the 1999 US Open. In that year (each time as No. 1 seeds), the pair reached the finals of all four majors, a feat which had not been accomplished within a calendar year since Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman reached all four finals in 1952 (winning three). (The Woodies, from 1996 Wimbledon through 1997 Wimbledon, played in five consecutive Grand Slam tournament doubles finals, winning four.)

• Bhupathi and Paes are appearing in their third final together this year. In 2001, they have already won back-to-back titles during the US clay court season. At Atlanta they defeated top seeds Rick Leach/David Macpherson 63 76 in the final; at Houston they defeated Americans Kevin Kim/Jim Thomas 76 62 in the final.

• The Indian partnership has won 18 titles together, and both have won at least one title with a different partner. Bhupathi teamed up with Andrew Kratzmann to win St Polten last year, while Paes won at 2000 Orlando with Jan Siemerink, and before that won 1999 Newport in partnership with Wayne Arthurs.

• The duo did not play together for eight months last year, missing the 2000 Australian Open, 2000 Roland Garros and 2000 Wimbledon as a partnership. Both had a patchy 2000 separately compared with their previous combined achievements, and this was not helped by injury. Bhupathi spent the first four months of the year recuperating from shoulder surgery, while Paes missed almost three months with a right wrist injury incurred during the mixed doubles at Roland Garros.

• During their eight months apart, Bhupathi had five different partners. He teamed up with David Prinosil for 2000 Roland Garros, losing in the second round to Juan-Ignacio Carrasco/Jaire Velasco Jr. 64 67 61. Bhupathi was more successful with Prinosil at 2000 Wimbledon, reaching the round of 16 before falling to Roger Federer/Andrew Kratzmann 76 64 64. Paes, meanwhile, had seven different partners during this time, losing with Sebastien Lareau in the first round at the 2000 Australian Open to Geoff Grant/Jack Waite 76 26 75, and in the first round at 2000 Roland Garros with Jan Siemerink, falling to wildcards Guy Forget/Guillaume Raoux 76 63.

• Bhupathi and Paes reunited at 2000 Long Island, winning a title together two months later at Tokyo Outdoor. It has taken them slightly longer to get going together again at Grand Slam tournaments, and they have yet to regain the seeding they had at nine consecutive majors through the 1999 US Open. At the 2000 US Open they lost in the opening round to Jaime Oncins/Daniel Orsanic 46 76 62; at the 2001 Australian Open they fell in the first round to No. 10 seeds Joshua Eagle/Andrew Florent 76 64.

• Five of Bhupathi and Paes’ titles together have been won on clay. Each has a sixth clay court title, won with separate partners last year as detailed above.

• Bhupathi/Paes hold an 8-2 doubles record representing India in Davis Cup. They have also competed in two Olympic Games, 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney, losing both times in the second round to Todd Woodbridge/Mark Woodforde.