Timeout for decency

 They're playing the French Open over in Paris right now, and like it or not it must be said: It's been one ugly show so far on the orange Roland Garros clay. 

Fans booing Novak Djokovic because, well, he is kind of a jerk. Ukrainian players refusing to shake hands with Russian opponents. A Belarusian player all but going into hiding because the media kept badgering her with questions about That War, and she "didn't feel safe."

Now, I won't dispute Aryna Sabalenka's claim that she ducked a presser for her own mental health. Nor will I disparage her for it. None of us know what's going on inside someone else's head, and anyone who sneers that no one had mental health issues back in THEIR day is either a liar or delusional.

I did, however, have to smile a bit at Sabalenka's contention that she didn't feel safe at a previous presser, even if the media was harassing her. As a sportswriter who sat in on untold numbers of pressers across four decades, I can attest to the fact we're really not very scary.

But I'm getting off track here.

("Again?" you're saying)

What I really want to say is a tennis tournament with its share of ugly needed a dose of decency. And so raise a glass to Iga Swiatek, the No. 1 women's player in the world.

On Saturday, see, the 22-year-old Polish star mopped the clay with poor Wang Xinyu to advance to the fourth round, winning in 51 minutes without surrendering a game. It was the second time in a month Swiatek has blitzed an opponent 6-0, 6-0, and so far this year nine of her opponents have lost at least one set by that score.

In tennis parlance, a 6-0 set is called "a bagel." Which means a 6-0, 6-0 win is a double bagel. Which has given rise on social media to the term "Iga's Bakery" to describe the current state of women's tennis.

Bagel ... bakery ... get it?

Swiatek doesn't. Or rather, refuses to.

Because when someone in her post-match presser referenced "Iga's Bakery" yesterday, she immediately pounced on it like a weak return. And then delivered a mini-lecture on sportsmanship a whole lot of folks could learn from these days.

"Look, I don't really want to talk about that," she said. "I really get why people do that because it's fun and tennis is entertainment and everything. But from the players' point of view, I want to be respectful to my opponents.

"You don't see the stuff that is behind the scenes. Sometimes it's not easy to play such matches, and sometimes it's not easy also for the opponents."

Talk about a breath of fresh air for a tournament that needed it.

Also, I think I've found a new favorite tennis player.