Tennis: French Open 2008 Preview

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Over the last few years talk of the men's and women's champions at the French Open began and ended with two ballers: Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin. Rafael Nadal is still part of the conversation in 2008 but with Justine Henin's sudden retirement the women's draw has been blown wide open. Let's take a look at the main contenders for the crown.

The Boys

  Rafael Nadal continued his dominance on the clay this year - no surprise to anyone who follows the game closely. The Spaniard retained his Master Series titles in Monte Carlo and Barcelona and won in Hamburg for the first time, but lost in Rome to compatriot Juan Carlo Ferrero. He faced and defeated two of his main rivals this year: Roger Federer in the finals of Monte Carlo and Hamburg (increasing his head-to-head with the Swiss to 10-6 overall and 8-1 on clay) and Novak Djokovic in Rome (secured no. 2 ranking with the win.) The Mallorcan matatdor will enter Roland Garros with supreme confidence, as if he needed anymore on the clay.

Interestingly, with all the talk of Nadal and the emergence of Novak Djokovic as a contender (more on him later) Roger Federer has been flying under the radar lately - well, as much as a 12-time Grand Slammer can mind you. The world no. 1 has had a sub-Federer kind of year with only one small title, Estoril, to his name. And before the start of the clay season, he had yet to reach even a final. But, Federer has slowly rounded out his ethereal game, winning Estoril and losing the aforementioned finals to Rafa. Pundits and fans alike are quick to downgrade his chances on the red clay since it's his least favorite surface but one can't forget the 26-year old has been the second best player on the surface the last three years; his 2005 semifinal and 2006 and 2007 final appearances at Roland Garros prove his abilities.

The best baller this year has been Novak Djokovic. The sexy Serb began the year in grand style earning his maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open, defeating Federer in the semifinal, and winning Master Series titles at Indian Wells and Rome. He's been very outspoken about his quest for the top ranking by end of year but missed a golden opportunity to steal the no. 2 ranking from Nadal in Rome. But make no mistake, the 21-year old is an all-court player with no apparent weaknesses which makes for a tough day at the office for everyone.

The darkhorse this year has to be Nicolas Almagro. This Spaniard has been quietly building a strong resume on the dirt with wins in Brazil and Mexico, a final appearance in Valencia, Spain, and quarterfinals of Master Series Rome and Hamburg. At only 22, Almagro is still young but already possesses a strong attitude, smooth movement and a sometimes brilliant one-handed slingshot.

The Ladies

With Henin's retirement complete, Maria Sharapova moved into the penthouse of the WTA Tour. The Russian earned her third Grand Slam at the Australian Open and went on a 17-match win streak until she was beaten at Indian Wells. The clay surface, where movement is an ingredient for success, is not a friend to the 6'2" Sharapova who once even described herself as a "cow on ice" when stepping onto the slippery stuff. But she made the semifinals of Roland Garros last year nursing a bum shoulder and won her first ever clay-court title at Amelia Island this year. And with her trademark mental strength and tenacity, never count her out. Plus, a win here would give Sharapova a career Grand Slam at the tender age of 21.

Someone who never counts Sharapova out is Serena Williams (which is probably why she's beaten the Russian the last four times they've met.) She's the only baller left on the women's side who's actually won in Paris so experience, including seven other Grand Slams, is on her side. And, next to Sharapova, Williams has been the best baller on tour winning three titles to date in Bangalore and Tier 1's in Miami and Charleston. The 25-year old owns arguably the best serve on the tour, powerful groundies, and superior strength. Add to the mix her incredible movement and Williams looks to be the favorite now with Henin out of the picture.

Jelena Jankovic is one baller who's probably not sad to see Henin retired: the Serb never beat the Belgian in nine attempts including the semifinals of last year's French Open. However, she's beaten everyone else in big matches including Sharapova and the Williams sisters and possesses the best backhand down-the-line in the women's game. Jankovic is a fluid mover whose counter-punching style will serve her well the next two weeks. Her mental game, however, is still suspect and her serve still soft (though it's not as much of an impediment on the slow clay.) But if she's able to stay mentally tough in the key moments, she'll may very well reach her first ever Grand Slam final.

Jankovic's sister Serb, Ana Ivanovic, is the new pin-up girl on the tour. But this beauty has a beast of a game including a strong, if sometimes inconsistent, serve and blowtorch forehand. Ivanovic made her first Grand Slam final appearance here last year and followed that up with the finals of Australia. That being said, she has struggled with the pressure and expectation recently, falling in the opening round of Rome. But she has the ability to shut out bad matches with brilliant returns-to-form so expect a great showing in Paris.

Ever heard of Vera Zvonareva? If not you may hear more about this darkhorse after the dust settles at Roland Garros. Another baller from the Russian army, this 23-year old has already reached four finals this year, winning one on clay in Prague. She's another great mover that possesses tenacity and gritty determination but prone to mental and emotional letdowns. If she keeps her head on straight, a career-making tournament isn't out of the question for Zvonareva.

Originally posted by Rich Rodriguez

Comments

[Bryan]

Serena and Nadal are my favorites :-)

[The Grayheck]

Not only has Nadal four-peted, but a new scientific discovery has actually proven his advantage on the clay...the missing link! The French Open has never had the global spotlight fixed upon it as brightly as this scientific discovery has proven:

http://www.socoolaz.com/article.cfm?articleID=30219