2008 French Open – Draw Thoughts
Nick’s Picks will have complete coverage of the 2008 French Open, and will be coming to you live from Paris for part of the event!! Also, Nick is teaming with Tennis Week to provide in-depth analysis of the French Open throughout the tournament!
Now that both the men’s and women’s draws are out, it’s time to take a look through and see how they shake down.
Men’s Draw
On the men’s side the first thing that stands out to me is the tough break American’s Sam Querrey, Donald Young and Robby Ginepri got. Querrey has to play Federer, and Young and Ginepri get each other! It’s tough to say, but unless Querrey pulls off a huge upset two of our boys are going down in the first round.
Overall, the men’s draw is fairly even in my estimation. Federer, Davydenko, and Ferrer headline the top while Nadal and Djokovic fill out the bottom. What this means, is that there are going to be some close matches down the road. Let’s take a look at some potential “what-if” matches:
Tsonga vs. Monfils/Clement (2nd Round) - No matter who Tsonga gets in the second round it is going to be a Frenchman vs. Frenchman. I give Monfils a slight edge over Clement, but against Tsonga that’s another story. Tough day for the French fans to pick a favorite if this match comes about.
Federer vs. Ancic (3rd Round) – Ancic has to get by a tough Andreas Seppi in the opening round, but if he does that he will get a qualifier in the second round. Federer is 4-1 against Ancic, but remember, Ancic is the last player to beat Federer on grass. He is very talented, but has been victimized by injuries the last year or so. Could be a good one.
Wawrinka vs. Gonzalez (3rd Round) - This would be a very tough match to call. Both players have the ability to win this match, but Gonzo gets a little edge in my book because of his experience. He is a very good dirt-baller and has been in these situations in the past. Don’t be surprised though if Wawrinka pulls through.
Nadal vs. Djokovic (Semis) – I know this one is a little ways off, but it seems very plausible and possible. Nadal is 7-3 against Djokovic, including a win over him on clay at Hamburg earlier this year. If Djokovic gets the best of Nadal in this match, their may be no stopping him on his rise to the top.
A couple of players to keep your eyes on that could make deep runs: Igor Andreev, Janko Tipsarevic, Fernando Verdasco, and Radek Stepanek.
Women’s Draw
On the women’s side we all know that the absence of Justine Henin is creating a big whole that someone is going to fill. While Maria Sharapova is the top seed, is she the favorite? I don’t know. We have one past winner in the draw, Serena Williams, and four past finalists – Venus Williams, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva, and Ana Ivanovic. Include Jelena Jankovic, and it is difficult to imagine a scenario without one of these girls in the finals.
To me, the bottom half of the draw is a little more stacked than the top half. On the bottom you have Serena and Venus, Jelena Jankovic, and Ana Ivanovic. On the top there is Maria and Svetlana. Yes, Anna Chavketadze and Elena Dementieva are there, but neither of them has been to the finals of a Grand Slam since 2004.
Let’s take a look at those potential “what-if’s”:
Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Alize Cornet (3rd Round) - How about a match-up between two talented teenagers in the 3rd round? Cornet is ranked a career high of #20 in the world, and has broken through this year. She is French, so you know the fans will be behind her but can she get to the second week of a Grand Slam? Only time will tell.
Maria Sharapova vs. Dinara Safina (4th Round) – Safina proved herself to be the queen of Berlin, with wins over Henin, Serena, and Dementieva. Sharapova doesn’t like to lose to fellow Russians, and is 3-2 versus Safina. If Safina wins this match, she could become a favorite.
Serena Williams vs. Ana Ivanovic (Quarterfinals) – Talk about a blockbuster quarterfinal match. Williams is 1-0 against Ivanovic, but that match was back in 2006. Both girls have been to the finals here, but only one will get past this match. If Serena is healthy, she is really, really hard to beat.
Maria Sharapova vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Semis) -This match isn’t too big of a stretch if the seeds hold. Kuznetsova ruined Sharapova’s “perfect” year back at Indian Wells in the semis, and the two are 4-4 against each other. That loss to Kuznetsova was only one of two on the year that Sharapova has. Can you say revenge?
A couple of players to keep your eyes on that could make deep runs: Alona Bondarenko, Vera Zvonareva, Alize Cornet, and Nicole Vaidisova.
Sharapova v Safina would be a FOURTH-round match – but hopefully Maria Kirilenko or Magdaléna Rybáriková will have something to say about that!
And already a big surprise on this RG first day … Vaidisova lost 6/7 1/6… She has no good result since a few month.
Nicole is working hard on her game, and I think in time, the results will come. She is struggling now, but she is on the path back!