Caroline Wozniacki DEN (1) v Kimiko Date-Krumm JPN
Junri Namigata JPN v Qualifier
Christina McHale USA v Sara Errani ITA
Shuai Zhang CHN v Daniela Hantuchova SVK (28)
Shahar Peer ISR (19) v Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP
Rebecca Marino CAN v Kateryna Bondarenko UKR
Aravane Rezai FRA v Irina-Camelia Begu ROU
Magdalena Rybarikova SVK v Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (13)
Marion Bartoli FRA (11) v Anna Tatishvili GEO
Agnes Szavay HUN v Qualifier
Kirsten Flipkens BEL v Lucie Safarova CZE
Mathilde Johansson FRA v Julia Goerges GER (17)
Tsvetana Pironkova BUL (32) v WC Casey Dellacqua AUS
Gisela Dulko ARG v WC Irina Falconi USA
Alla Kudryavtseva RUS v Simona Halep ROU
Iveta Benesova CZE v Samantha Stosur AUS (8)
Vera Zvonareva RUS (3) v Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP
Qualifier v Akgul Amanmuradova UZB
Angelique Kerber GER v Edina Gallovits-Hall ROU
Anastasia Rodionova AUS v Nadia Petrova RUS (26)
Alisa Kleybanova RUS (23) v Qualifier
Renata Voracova CZE v Alize Cornet FRA
Sybille Bammer AUT v Qualifier
Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS (14)
Jelena Jankovic SRB (10) v Alona Bondarenko UKR
Jelena Dokic AUS v Vera Dushevina RUS
Arantxa Parra Santonja ESP v Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA
Varvara Lepchenko USA v Flavia Pennetta ITA (18)
Shuai Peng CHN (29) v Tamira Paszek AUT
WC Olivia Sanchez FRA v Polona Hercog SLO
Anne Keothavong GBR v Vesna Dolonts RUS
Melanie Oudin USA v Francesca Schiavone ITA (5)
BOTTOM HALF
Na Li CHN (6) v Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE
Qualifier v Elena Vesnina RUS
Patty Schnyder SUI v Sorana Cirstea ROU
Laura Pous-Tio ESP v Alexandra Dulgheru ROU (27)
Dominika Cibulkova SVK (22) v Vania King USA
Elena Baltacha GBR v Qualifier
Sandra Zahlavova CZE v Jie Zheng CHN
Greta Arn HUN v Petra Kvitova CZE (9)
Kaia Kanepi EST (16) v Sofia Arvidsson SWE
WC Stephanie Foretz Gacon FRA v Qualifier
Ekaterina Makarova RUS v Romina Oprandi ITA
Johanna Larsson SWE v Ana Ivanovic SRB (20)
Roberta Vinci ITA (30) v Alberta Brianti ITA
Evgeniya Rodina RUS v WC Iryna Bremond FRA
WC Pauline Parmentier FRA v Ksenia Pervak RUS
Andrea Hlavackova CZE v Victoria Azarenka BLR (4)
Maria Sharapova RUS (7) v Mirjana Lucic CRO
Zuzana Ondraskova CZE v WC Caroline Garcia FRA
Jill Craybas USA v Qualifier
Qualifier v Klara Zakopalova CZE (31)
Yanina Wickmayer BEL (21) v Monica Niculescu ROU
WC Kristina Mladenovic FRA v Ayumi Morita JPN
Sania Mirza IND v Kristina Barrois GER
Patricia Mayr-Achleitner AUT v Agnieszka Radwanska POL (12)
Andrea Petkovic GER (15) v Bojana Jovanovski SRB
Anastasija Sevastova LAT v Lucie Hradecka CZE
Qualifier v A. Medina Garrigues ESP
Virginie Razzano FRA v Jarmila Gajdosova AUS (24)
Maria Kirilenko RUS (25) v Coco Vandeweghe USA
Viktoriya Kutuzova UKR v Chanelle Scheepers RSA
Qualifier v Arantxa Rus NED
Anastasiya Yakimova BLR v Kim Clijsters BEL (2)
Great draw. There are little tricks and traps set for every one of the seeds. Of course some got off easy that's inevitable but two weeks is a long time and there could be some surprises.
Kim Clijsters surprised me. I didn't think she'd come back in time for the French. As it is she's playing with a heavily taped ankle/foot and hasn't played a lick on clay, her least favorite surface despite the splits and all that.
Still a rested Kim is a dangerous Kim. I don't see her making it to the Final but you never know. I say this because this is going to be the biggest test for Andrea Petkovic and Jarmila Gajdosova. We're going to see just how mentally and physically tough these women are over the next two weeks. Virginie Razzano, playing despite the death of her fiance/coach a few days ago, can get hot and emotion could carry her farther than anyone suspects.
The Big Dog in the bottom half is that newly minted clay courter Maria Sharapova. She's coming in confident and while I don't know if she'll win it all if she makes it through to the second week she will be the one to beat.
Li Na vs Petra Kvitova? That can happen. Ana Ivanovic vs Victoria Azarenka? Eh. Maybe. Ana has won it all here before and I'm sure wants to prove that it wasn't a fluke but I don't know. Her collapse was pretty amazing the last time I saw her play and came out of nowhere. Elena Vesnina vs Alexandra Dulgheru is also a distinct possibility. Vesnina could surprise us all.
Moving to the Top Half it's possible that Peng Shuai, who just made the final at Brussels, could take out Francesca Schiavone who is also playing Brussels. Did I ask why the WTA would put a Premier event before a Slam? If I didn't I'm asking now. Really WTA?
Anyone can come out of the Jelena Jankovic/Flavia Pennetta section. Anyone. And whose bright idea was it to put Vera Zvonareva, Nadia Petrova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Alisa Kleybanova in the same quadrant? These four ladies will battle it out on the terre battue.
Without Venus Williams or Serena Willams across the net from her
Tsvetana Pironkova may not show up giving Casey Dellacqua an opportunity to make it to the second round. I don't know what to think about Samantha Stosur.
Marion Bartoli and Svetlana Kuznetsova can wreak havoc in the top half of the draw depending on which of their incarnations shows up. We'll either be saying WTF for their victories or WTF for their bowing out early. Julia Goerges may feel the pressure at a Slam where she is expected to do well and could turn out to be a non factor.
The top seed is playing hard in the semis at Brussels as I type this. She's playing the defending French Open Women's champion. Way to go WTA.
I know people will be stunned that I see this draw as being fair. I think it is. A Grand Slam is not meant to give anyone a cake walk. While some appear to have them there are nice challenges for them built in.
Is it going out on a limb to say there will be a new French Open women's champion this year?
1 comment:
Really good draw on the women's side with some very interesting early round matches. I actually think with both WS out of the FO, it gives fans a chance to see some different players, which is good for the future of the Tour. I can tell you right now that neither of the women who participated in last year's final will be in the final this year. I think we will have a new Grand Slam champion, not just FO champion on the women's side. I also think Nadal will repeat, or is 6 peat at the French this year. Who can really stop him on Chartier?
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