Sharon Fichmans first memory of the French Open was watching Jennifer Capriati knock off Kim Clijsters to win the 2001 title. Fichman was 10 years old at the time. She printed out a photo of a smiling Capriati holding the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen winners trophy. She then cut out a photo of her own face and pasted it over Capriatis. "That was really funny," Fichman said from Paris on Friday. It was also the beginning of her love affair with Roland Garros that will reach new heights next week when the 23-year-old from Toronto plays in the tournaments main draw -- the first time shes earned a direct entry into a Grand Slam main draw in her career. "I knew after that (Capriati victory) that I wanted to win the French Open, that was the Grand Slam when I was that age, that I really wanted to win," Fichman said on a conference call. "Ever since then, when Ive played (here) as a junior and now as a pro, I just feel more comfortable every single year. I love it here, I love Paris, I love the tournament. I really enjoy going out and competing and playing good tennis and getting better, and winning matches. Just really good memories every time Im here." Fichman, ranked a career-high 77th, faces a tough first-round opponent in sixth-seeded Serb Jelena Jankovic. Fichman is one of four Canadians who earned direct entry. Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., seeded No. 18, will open against Shahar Peer of Israel. On the mens side, eighth-seeded Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., will open against Australian wildcard Nick Krygios, and Vasek Pospisil of Vancouver takes on No. 60 Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia. "Its very cool for me, . . . that this is going to be the first time Ive been in the Grand Slam main draw playing here as a professional," Fichman said. "I worked really hard so Im just happy that the hard work is paying off." Fichman will also play doubles with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the Russian she partnered with to win the junior doubles title at the French Open in 2006. "Its going to be fun, hopefully we can make another good memory," she said. Fichman, who finished 2013 ranked 106th, is enjoying easily the best season of her career. She defeated Peer in the first round at Indian Wells, Calif., in March, before being eliminated by world No. 10 Sara Errani in the second round. She reached her first singles final of the season earlier this month at the $100,000 International Tennis Federation event in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. Her victory over Switzerlands Timea Bacsinszky in the final was the biggest of her career. Fichman credits her switch to coach Larry Jurovich in the summer of 2012 -- and all the changes in her game and in training that came with it -- for her improvement. "I think its a lot of things," she said. "I think mentally Ive changed, Ive definitely gotten stronger. Physically Ive changed. . . and also my game has changed. Were working on different things than Im used to. Its coming close to two years now (with Jurovich) and before that I was focusing on different things. "So honestly I think its a bit of everything. But the most important thing is I really believe in what Im doing, and I believe in myself, so I think thats helping the most out of everything." Fichman knows what shes up against with Jankovic. The Serbian star defeated the Canadian 6-4, 7-6 in the second round of last summers Rogers Cup. "I have a lot of respect for her, shes an accomplished player," she said "It was a close match (at the Rogers Cup), and I know I had some chances, especially in the second set. Its going to be a tough opponent but I also think that Im playing well and I know that I did well last time, so Im just going to focus on my game and I think if I continue to fight and I execute what were working on, I have just as good a chance as any." Bouchard, meanwhile, faces Peer for the fourth time in her career -- Bouchard has won all three previous meetings. At last years French Open, the 20-year-old was defeated by Maria Sharapova in the second round. Raonic faces a rising star in Krygios. The 19-year-old Aussie was crowned champion of the International Junior Tennis Open in Repentigny, Que., in 2012. Raonic is having a strong clay court season, highlighted by a semifinal appearance at the Rome Masters last week. Hell be looking to improve on his third-round showing in Paris last year where he fell to Kevin Anderson of South Africa. Tyler Flowers Jersey . Hazard lasted just 18 minutes in Tuesdays contest before being substituted with the calf problem, and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes he will be without his star winger for at least the next two weeks. Deion Sanders Jersey . 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So he and his Toronto FC teammates say they will have no problem getting up for their Amway Canadian Championship final against rival Montreal Impact, even if the result doesnt count toward Major League Soccer standings.ZANDVOORT, Netherlands -- Defending champion Joost Luiten fired a 5-under-par 65 to take a shared clubhouse lead at the KLM Open after a first round interrupted when Fabrizio Zanotti was hit on the forehead by a wayward tee shot on Thursday. Zanotti was driven off the Kennemer course in an ambulance for checks at a nearby hospital after being hit. The Paraguayan later tweeted he was discharged from the hospital and would be taking "a couple of weeks off." The nearly two-hour suspension caused by Zanottis injury did not faze Luiten, who was even par when play stopped. He shot three birdies and an eagle over his last seven holes. "Thats how I would like to start every tournament," Luiten said. The Dutchman started on the 10th tee and had eight straight pars before birdieing the 18th and giving up the stroke immediately with a bogey on the first. He parred the second before play was halted and then made his move. "I stayed patient aand got my chances," he said.dddddddddddd "I had a few good holes at the end. Holes six, seven and eight are a corner where you can score well, especially today with the wind behind you." Jamie McLeary of Scotland was also at 5 under when his round was suspended by darkness with two holes to finish early Friday. McLeary birdied his final hole of the day, the seventh, to draw level with local favourite Luiten. Former French amateur champion Gary Stal and Italians Edoardo Molinari and Andrea Pavan were a shot back at 4 under. Zanotti was playing the 16th hole, his seventh of the opening round at the Kennemer club, when he was struck by a ball hit from the 14th by Alexandre Kaleka. Players Felipe Aguilar and Ricardo Gonzalez accompanied Zanotti to the hospital. All three players withdrew from the tournament. Zanotti, who won the BMW International Open in June, had one bogey and a birdie to put him at even par when he was hit. ' ' '