Tennis Preview 2009: 10 Players to Watch Out for at the French Open by Nadya Vlassoff
Paris,
France. The clay courts of Roland Garros are being
prepped, swept and watered down for another round
of top tier tennis at the French Open. Although
victory can be all the more elusive on clay, the
top ranked players on both sides of the gender
net, Rafael Nadal and Dinara Safina, are serious
contenders for the French title and trophy. Although
Rafael is coming off of a defeat at the hands
of Roger Federer, there is little doubt in the
minds of many that Nadal is very likely to walk
away with his fifth consecutive title at Rolland
Garros. On the women’s side, Maria Sharapova is
finally back in competitive singles play and looking
to find her game with a new start in Paris. But
after a third round exit in Warsaw this week,
Sharapova is far from stepping into the shoes
of her former Grand Slam self, which Maria has
publicly admitted. Other big names like Roger
Federer, Ana Ivanovic, Novak Djokovic, and Serena
Williams stand at the top of the “must watch out
for” list since all former Slam winners are vying
for titles on one of the tour’s trickiest surfaces.
So which WTA and ATP players are we keeping an eye on at this year’s French Open? Here is a look at the 10 players that could make an on-court splash in Paris:
Rafael Nadal
This is almost too easy to call since all eyes
will be on Rafael Nadal as he battles back from
a loss to Roger Federer in Madrid and on toward
an unprecedented and remarkable 5th consecutive
French Open title. As tennis fans know by now,
Rafael Nadal has all of the on-court weapons
(and more) necessary to dominate the field.
With a clay court record at Rolland Garros of
28-0, there is no bigger threat on clay and
THE man to beat. Nadal’s catlike grace, agility,
and the incredible ability to return even the
most difficult of shots are three major factors
that set Rafael apart from the pack, even when
considering that Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
are nipping at his heels.
Jie Zheng
This
Chinese powerhouse has been subtly climbing
the WTA rankings to become the first female
Chinese player to crack the Top 15. Although
Zheng is seeded 15th at the French Open this
year, in previous years Jie was on a roller
coaster through Slam tournaments, with a first
round exit in Australia and quick bump from
competition last year at Rolland Garros. However,
this year she made it to the 4th round in Melbourne
and is now looking to capitalize on her improved
ranking in order to face fewer seeded players.
Clay is not Zheng’s best surface but the feisty
righty isn’t an easy opponent and she’s one
of the toughest players to take down, especially
in the 3rd or 4th rounds. Look for Zheng to
wear down her opponents even if she does bow
out early. With two Grand Slam doubles titles
under her belt, Zheng is no stranger to victory.
This year Jie Zheng could walk away with at
least one French Open title. If you know the
on-court history of Roland Garros, anything
can happen.
Anabel Medina Garrigues
Perhaps Spain’s best female clay court player and the country’s greatest bid for a double Grand Slam victory for Spanish pride should Rafael Nadal win on the men’s side of the net. If there’s any indication of what could happen on clay in Paris, Anabel Medina Garrigues is only getting better as she comes into her own. The towering Spaniard has set herself apart from an ever-growing crop of Spanish clay court specialists. With a much improved serve and volley game, quicker reflexes and an amplified fitness regime that has helped her speed on the court, Garrigues is out to prove that it’s time for the Spanish women to make their own clay statement. Garrigues is the returning doubles champion and is aiming to have a larger impact in Paris than her disappointing 3rd round exit in 2008. And if anyone knows the surface at Roland Garros well, it’s Anabel Medina Garrigues.
Juan Martin del Potro
Argentina has produced some of the most potent clay court players in recent years. This year it has been all about the towering Juan Martin del Potro as he exploded onto the scene with an incredible array of skill and speed. Don’t be surprised if Juan makes some noise and turns a few heads as he takes to the court to battle for a French Open title.
Dinara Safina
The current #1 and most successful clay court player of the year so far, Dinara Safina is looking to finally capture her first Slam title. A runner-up last year at Roland Garros to Ana Ivanovic, Safina has made it to the finals of the last three clay court tournaments she played in and won two of them. Safina is hungry for her first Slam championship and ready to silence her critics once and for all to prove that her #1 ranking didn’t come by fluke. Expect to see Dinara Safina go deep into the second week and potentially walk away with the best victory of her career.
Fernando Verdasco
A
surprise semi-finalist in Melbourne this year
at the Australian Open, Fernando Verdasco has
quickly established himself as both a formidable
opponent and fan favourite. It was Verdasco
who pushed Rafael Nadal to 5 sets in Melbourne
and almost pulled off the biggest upset of his
career. Verdasco has faired well on clay, but
he has struggled against some of the more experienced
players. Fernando also faces a potential quarterfinal
draw against Nadal, which could be a major French
Open highlight if both get through to the second
week. Verdasco is crafty and a threat to competitors,
but he’ll need to utilize every ounce of skill
in his physical and mental arsenal if he intends
to knock Rafael Nadal off of his Roland Garros
throne.
Svetlana Kuznetsova
The 2004 U.S. Open champion has been one of
the most consistent court competitors ever since
the beginning of her pro career. Svetlana Kuznetsova
has enjoyed a great clay court season so far,
with a title win in Stuttgart, Germany in addition
to a finals appearance. Her powerful ground
game rivals that of any other power hitter on
the tour and Kuznetsova has one of the most
solid service games of any women on the WTA.
Kuznetsova is still in good form and while she
might not be as young as when she won the U.S.
Open in 2004, there’s no doubt that Svetlana
Kuznetsova is a French Open title contender.
Look for Kuznetsova to make it deep into the
second week and possibly the final.
Gilles Simon
If any country were to give Spain a run for its French Open money, it would be France. In the past year alone the French, especially on the men’s side, have spiked in the rankings, as a slew of Frenchmen have broken into the Top 20. Gilles Simon is now the highest seeded Frenchman, entering the French Open as the 7th seed. Although Simon hasn’t found on-court success in a Grand Slam tournament, he has come out the victor over some of the best players on tour, which includes Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. For Simon it will be about controlling the matches from the beginning. He’s not as tall as the majority of the field but his style of play depends mostly on intelligent strokes instead of power. To date that on-court intellect has worked and hopefully the French Open will be Simon’s chance to make it into the second week of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career.
Caroline Wozniacki
The young Dane, Caroline Woznacki, is enjoying the best year of her career. At 18, she is the youngest player in the WTA top ten rankings and the first Danish woman to ever be ranked that high. She has worked very hard over the last year in mental toughness, which, according to most players, is an essential part of the game. Although she has little experience playing in grand slams compared to her big competition, Wozniacki has proven that she deserves to be where she is after making it to the final in Madrid last week and losing to Dinara Safina.
Marin Cilic
The 20 year old Croatian is quickly becoming one of the most feared competitors on the ATP tour after steadily ascending through the rankings. Cilic, one of the tallest players on tour, has an impressive serve and consistently ranks as a player with the most aces in matches played. However, if Cilic is to finally make it past the 4th round at Roland Garros, he will have to defeat Fernando Gonzalez and get through a potential match-up with the 3rd seed Andy Murray. If Cilic can handle his all-around game as well as his service game, Marin may make it into the second round and potentially upset a few key players.
Final French Open Thoughts
and the Serena Factor
On
the ATP side it will most likely come down to
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The only way
Federer will not make it to the final is if
Novak Djokovic can once again defeat the mighty
Fedster. However, Federer is riding a wave of
confidence with a victory over Nadal in Madrid
where he proved to everyone that he’s still
a force to be reckoned with. Last year saw the
two rivals square off against each other, with
Nadal dominating the entire match and claiming
victory in straight sets. Nadal has never lost
and Federer has never won. With those odds we
take Nadal in 4 sets if he can keep the energy
train on the French Open track.
In the WTA final we hope to see Dinara Safina square off against Serena Williams in a carbon copy of the Australian Open final. While Serena steamrolled Safina in that match, Safina is much healthier than last year and ready to win. However, Serena Williams is the epitome of grit and determination, as she has a tendency to win when she needs to while embarrassing her opponents on the international stage. Serena has fuelled reports that she will not be 100% due to an injury, but that has never stopped her before. Williams will have to battle her own difficult road if she hopes to make it to the final with both Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova on her side of the draw. As much as we would like to see Safina win a Slam, this tournament may once again belong to Serena. We say Serena Williams in 3 sets.
Paris,
France. The clay courts of Roland Garros are being
prepped, swept and watered down for another round
of top tier tennis at the French Open. Although
victory can be all the more elusive on clay, the
top ranked players on both sides of the gender
net, Rafael Nadal and Dinara Safina, are serious
contenders for the French title and trophy. Although
Rafael is coming off of a defeat at the hands
of Roger Federer, there is little doubt in the
minds of many that Nadal is very likely to walk
away with his fifth consecutive title at Rolland
Garros. On the women’s side, Maria Sharapova is
finally back in competitive singles play and looking
to find her game with a new start in Paris. But
after a third round exit in Warsaw this week,
Sharapova is far from stepping into the shoes
of her former Grand Slam self, which Maria has
publicly admitted. Other big names like Roger
Federer, Ana Ivanovic, Novak Djokovic, and Serena
Williams stand at the top of the “must watch out
for” list since all former Slam winners are vying
for titles on one of the tour’s trickiest surfaces.
This
Chinese powerhouse has been subtly climbing
the WTA rankings to become the first female
Chinese player to crack the Top 15. Although
Zheng is seeded 15th at the French Open this
year, in previous years Jie was on a roller
coaster through Slam tournaments, with a first
round exit in Australia and quick bump from
competition last year at Rolland Garros. However,
this year she made it to the 4th round in Melbourne
and is now looking to capitalize on her improved
ranking in order to face fewer seeded players.
Clay is not Zheng’s best surface but the feisty
righty isn’t an easy opponent and she’s one
of the toughest players to take down, especially
in the 3rd or 4th rounds. Look for Zheng to
wear down her opponents even if she does bow
out early. With two Grand Slam doubles titles
under her belt, Zheng is no stranger to victory.
This year Jie Zheng could walk away with at
least one French Open title. If you know the
on-court history of Roland Garros, anything
can happen.
A
surprise semi-finalist in Melbourne this year
at the Australian Open, Fernando Verdasco has
quickly established himself as both a formidable
opponent and fan favourite. It was Verdasco
who pushed Rafael Nadal to 5 sets in Melbourne
and almost pulled off the biggest upset of his
career. Verdasco has faired well on clay, but
he has struggled against some of the more experienced
players. Fernando also faces a potential quarterfinal
draw against Nadal, which could be a major French
Open highlight if both get through to the second
week. Verdasco is crafty and a threat to competitors,
but he’ll need to utilize every ounce of skill
in his physical and mental arsenal if he intends
to knock Rafael Nadal off of his Roland Garros
throne.
On
the ATP side it will most likely come down to
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The only way
Federer will not make it to the final is if
Novak Djokovic can once again defeat the mighty
Fedster. However, Federer is riding a wave of
confidence with a victory over Nadal in Madrid
where he proved to everyone that he’s still
a force to be reckoned with. Last year saw the
two rivals square off against each other, with
Nadal dominating the entire match and claiming
victory in straight sets. Nadal has never lost
and Federer has never won. With those odds we
take Nadal in 4 sets if he can keep the energy
train on the French Open track.