The 2007 French Open kicks off on Sunday the 27th in Paris. Draws for both womens and mens singles will be available Friday. And with a slew of able competitors this year vying for that trophy, Claire Mayer from Lawntennisnews will handicap the field for you. The Romantic Favorite
Justine Henin: She has an intimate relationship with Roland Garros, enjoys playing on clay, and is in top form. Unquestionably the ‘queen of clay’, she is also the favorite to win the tournament. She won in Warsaw and had an impressive roll in Berlin, which included coming back from a 0-4 deficit in the third round to win it 6-4. Her history with the tournament gives her an added intrigue. My pick to win.
The Unpredictable Russian
Maria Sharapova: She hasn’t excelled at the French Open but hasn’t exactly failed at it either. Her game isn’t that suited to clay but she’s slowly adapting to it. An injury having kept her off the courts since Miami, her lack of preparation could be an issue, and her actual participation is yet to set in stone. She’ll try to overpower weaker opponents, but as the tournament progresses they will be less forgiving towards her serve. A good draw could see her through to the QF, a bad draw could be a synonym for a R3 exit.
The Talented Baseliner
Svetlana Kutzensova: She got to the final last year, and was beaten by Justine Henin. She beat Henin in Berlin, but the head-to-head between the two still reads 14-2 in Henin’s favor. Impressive in Rome, where she reached the final by beating golden girl Daniela Hantuchova, and lost to Ivanovic in the final in Berlin. A “power player” who can hold her own against so-called ‘pretty players’, she has a game which is suited to clay. QF or SF, depending on her form.
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