Roland Garros - The Women's Draw

By Savannah

The Top Half

[1] WILLIAMS, Serena USA vs VOEGELE, Stefanie SUI
CZINK, Melinda HUN vs GOERGES, Julia GER
O’BRIEN, Katie GBR vs CRAYBAS, Jill USA
CORNET, Alize FRA vs [29] PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia RUS

[18] PEER, Shahar ISR vs (Q) QUALIFIER
KING, Vania USA vs PENG, Shuai CHN
PERRY, Shenay USA vs (W) SANCHEZ, Olivia FRA
CAMERIN, Maria Elena ITA vs [13] BARTOLI, Marion FRA

[12] SHARAPOVA, Maria RUS vs (Q) QUALIFIER
MORITA, Ayumi JPN vs FLIPKENS, Kirsten BEL
ZAKOPALOVA, Klara CZE vs SREBOTNIK, Katarina SLO
PIRONKOVA, Tsvetana BUL vs [22] HENIN, Justine BEL

[25] ZHENG, Jie CHN vs BYCHKOVA, Ekaterina RUS
(Q) QUALIFIER vs OLARU, Ioana Raluca ROU
ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA, Barbora CZE vs DE LOS RIOS, Rossana PAR
(Q) QUALIFIER vs [7] STOSUR, Samantha AUS

The biggest surprise in Serena's quarter is that Alize Cornet will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round. With Alize's recent form Anastasia is almost sure to move on to the next round.
With Zheng Jie still playing in Warsaw she may make it to face Samantha Stosur before bowing out. Meanwhile Justine Henin faces giant slayer Tsvetana Pironkova who just loves collecting the scalps of the big girls. Depending on which Pironkova shows up this could be a barn burner, or sleep inducing.
Many are hoping for a Henin vs Maria Sharapova match up. It could happen.

Shahar Pe'er could also surprise people and end up facing Serena Williams. Marion Bartoli has been talking a lot of crap lately but it remains to be seen if she can walk the walk when it comes to doing well on the terre battue. It should be mentioned that American Vania King has had a good clay season.

[4] JANKOVIC, Jelena SRB vs MOLIK, Alicia AUS
(Q) QUALIFIER vs PARMENTIER, Pauline FRA
ARVIDSSON, Sofia SWE vs RYBARIKOVA, Magdalena SVK
DUSHEVINA, Vera RUS vs [27] BONDARENKO, Alona UKR

[23] HANTUCHOVA, Daniela SVK vs TANASUGARN, Tamarine THA
GOVORTSOVA, Olga BLR vs SUAREZ NAVARRO, Carla ESP
DUQUE MARINO, Mariana COL vs BAMMER, Sybille AUT
ZAHLAVOVA, Sandra CZE vs [16] WICKMAYER, Yanina BEL

[9] SAFINA, Dinara RUS vs DATE KRUMM, Kimiko JPN
(W) GROTH, Jarmila AUS vs CHAN, Yung-Jan TPE
RODIONOVA, Anastasia AUS vs MAKAROVA, Ekaterina RUS
BRIANTI, Alberta ITA vs [21] ZVONAREVA, Vera RUS

[28] KLEYBANOVA, Alisa RUS vs KORYTTSEVA, Mariya UKR
CHANG, Kai-Chen TPE vs IVANOVIC, Ana SRB
ERRANI, Sara ITA vs SHVEDOVA, Yaroslava KAZ
BALTACHA, Elena GBR vs [8] RADWANSKA, Agnieszka POL

Former French Open Champion Ana Ivanovic is nicely hidden in the bottom part of the top half of the draw and will face Chang Kai-Chen who started the year off with a bang but has faded of late. I'm keeping my eye on her. Alisa Kleybanova, who is rested coming into this event should have no problem with Ana. Sara Errani against Agnieszka Radwanska will be interesting. It's a toss up as to who will face Kleybanova.

Dinara Safina and Vera Zvonareva anchor a section and should end up facing each other. I'm not sure if Kimiko Date-Krumm is up to the rigors of Grand Slam clay court play.

Daniela Hantuchova and Yanina Wickmayer have a tricky section. Tamarine Tanasugarn and Carla Suarez Navarro are dangerous opponents and Olga Govortsova can rouse herself to play good tennis.

Jelena Jankovic may skate through especially if Vera Dushevina upsets Alona Bondarenko.

Bottom Half

[6] KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana RUS vs CIRSTEA, Sorana ROU
VESNINA, Elena RUS vs PETKOVIC, Andrea GER
MEUSBURGER, Yvonne AUT vs (W) FEUERSTEIN, Claire FRA
SPREM, Karolina CRO vs [30] KIRILENKO, Maria RUS

[17] SCHIAVONE, Francesca ITA vs KULIKOVA, Regina RUS
KVITOVA, Petra CZE vs (Q) QUALIFIER
DUBOIS, Stephanie CAN vs (W) COHEN-ALORO, Stephanie FRA
(W) MLADENOVIC, Kristina FRA vs [11] LI, Na CHN

[14] PENNETTA, Flavia ITA vs KEOTHAVONG, Anne GBR
VINCI, Roberta ITA vs RAZZANO, Virginie FRA
(Q) QUALIFIER vs HERCOG, Polona SLO
DOKIC, Jelena AUS vs [24] SAFAROVA, Lucie CZE

[31] DULGHERU, Alexandra ROU vs HRADECKA, Lucie CZE
BACSINSZKY, Timea SUI vs MALEK, Tatjana GER
BARROIS, Kristina GER vs GARBIN, Tathiana ITA
KUDRYAVTSEVA, Alla RUS vs [3] WOZNIACKI, Caroline DEN

With Svetlana Kuznetsova having a crisis of confidence it looks like the way is clear for Caroline Wozniacki to get through her quarter of the draw with little or no opposition. I said Ivanovic was hidden but Caroline is in plain sight.

[5] DEMENTIEVA, Elena RUS vs MARTIC, Petra CRO
OUDIN, Melanie USA vs MEDINA GARRIGUES, Anabel ESP
WOZNIAK, Aleksandra CAN vs BENESOVA, Iveta CZE
COIN, Julie FRA vs [32] BONDARENKO, Kateryna UKR

[20] MARTINEZ SANCHEZ, Maria Jose ESP vs AMANMURADOVA, Akgul UZB
LARSSON, Johanna SWE vs SEVASTOVA, Anastasija LAT
(W) JOHANSSON, Mathilde FRA vs (Q) QUALIFIER
DULKO, Gisela ARG vs [10] AZARENKA, Victoria BLR

[15] REZAI, Aravane FRA vs (Q) QUALIFIER
CHAKVETADZE, Anna RUS vs KERBER, Angelique GER
SZAVAY, Agnes HUN vs (W) FORETZ, Stephanie FRA
(Q) QUALIFIER vs [19] PETROVA, Nadia RUS

[26] CIBULKOVA, Dominika SVK vs (Q) QUALIFIER
(W) MCHALE, Christina USA vs LEPCHENKO, Varvara USA
PARRA SANTONJA, Arantxa ESP vs (Q) QUALIFIER
SCHNYDER, Patty SUI vs [2] WILLIAMS, Venus USA

Elena Dementieva is also at a crossroads in her career. She hasn't been playing well at all of late. Maybe she's saving it for the terre battue, I don't know. Kateryna Bondarenko is coming back from injury. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez should give Viktoria Azarenka a run for her money.
Aravane Rezai who has declared herself the target for this edition of Roland Garros should have to face Nadia Petrova to show she's up to the task of carrying French hopes.
I'm a Venus Williams fan but on clay, despite Acapulco, my hopes are not high. There is no one in her section she should not be able to defeat. Then again she is capable of losing to any random player on any given day.

End Notes

Unfortunately I don't see either Williams making the final this year. I see a lot of hidden traps for all of the seeds, the hallmark of a good draw. There will be more upsets than usual in Paris this year. I guess we should all fasten our seat belts.