The French Open, the second tennis grand slam of the year is just two days away. The event takes place at Roland Garros which is sited on the west of the French capital.
The French Open, the second tennis grand slam of the year is just two days away. The event takes place at Roland Garros which is sited on the west of the French capital.
From crazy outfits to newcomers trying to make a name for themselves, here are the ladies worth keeping an eye on to win the title.
Serena Williams
Predictable I know, but impossible not to consider a Williams as a championship contender in any tennis tournament.
The Williams sisters have dominated the world of tennis for the past fifteen years and while older sister Venus Williams may not be at the top of the game due to illness, Serena is very much the one to beat when fit.
Although the clay court isn’t her best surface, she did win last year’s French Open and seems to be in fine form this year, having just won the Open in Rome. She had a heavily strapped thigh at the Madrid Open and subsequently withdrew mid tournament so bar any injuries or catastrophic incidents like being eliminated in the first round like she did two years ago; it’s difficult to see anyone else taking the trophy away from her.
Li Na
The smiley woman from China is another player to watch. She’s the current world number two and has already won the French Open a few years back. When in form, she is a hard woman to beat.
Na is consistent and has put in solid preparation during the clay court season, getting to the quarters in the Rome Open so she’ll be raring to go.
Sara Errani
Errani is one of those players I call a grinder. She’s hard working and perseveres, traits that have started to produce results in her career. She might be ranked 11 in the world but discard her at your own peril. She’s actually known as a clay court specialist and she got to the 2012 French Open.
I think she’ll do very well this year because her preparation leading up to the tournament has been impeccable. She got to the quarters in the Madrid Open and she was in the final of last week’s Rome Open where she took a set off Serena Williams.
Agnieszka Radwanska
World number 3 Radwanska is an under the radar sort of player. She has an unconventional but effective way of play that gets the job done. Known for constructing points and making intelligent use of the court, she has won thirteen career singles titles.
She reached the quarter finals of the French open last year and she’s one of the players who surprisingly pops up in the latter stages of tournaments and surprises everyone because there’s not a lot of attention on her.
Maria Sharapova
Former champion Sharapova, surprised everyone by winning the French Open in 2012 having been out of the game for over ten months with injury so she’s always a threat.
She won the Madrid Open three weeks ago so will be in the spotlight as one of the
contenders for the 2014 French Open. I however see her as an outsider due to an inconsistent serve. She also hasn’t beaten Serena Williams in over ten years which makes it unlikely for her to win the tournament. You can however never say never.
Final verdict?
It’s difficult to see past Serena Williams winning the French Open but should she slip, I’ll go with China’s Li Na.
The French Open starts on 25 May. Watch it live on ITV4, ESPN, and Eurosports. Who do you think will stand out? Have your say in the comments section below.
Cover photo: Arnaud 25 / Wikimedia Commons
