Top 5 Men Seeds

The ATP field at the French Open usually has the same narrative year after year, with some minor unscripted changes here and there. This year the plot thickens with the addition of a focused an energized Novak Djokovic. The top five men’s seed remain the same as last year with a bit of re-ordering. With so much history at stake, will the two-man race of the 2011 ATP collide yet again on the red clay of Roland Garros?

Robin Soderling will have to pull up his socks if he wants to make it three finals in a row at the French Open. His 2011 results show that this will be quite a daunting task. I am doubtful that Soderling will even make it to the semis this year.

Even though clay is Murray’s least productive surface, he has posted some good results that suggest that he can break through at the French Open and make it to the semis. This year he went toe-to-toe with both Nadal and Djokovic in two big clay tournaments. If he can take that momentum into the French Open he might pose a serious threat to the clay duo of Nadal and Djokovic.

Are the rumors true? Is Federer on a downward slid? Is the end near? These are some of the questions that will accompany Roger Federer to the French Open. The aura of invincibility is gone for good. Federer has lost that edge that saw him dominate the ATP from 2003-2009. His resume suggests that he should not be taken out of contention that easily. No matter the current results, you can be sure this champion still has some good tennis in him, and with so much to prove you can expect a semifinal showing from the man who has amassed 16 Grand Slam titles in less than ten years.

This year Novak Djokovic has shown this he is no Djoke when it comes to slam contenders. Djokovic, who is currently enjoying an unbeaten streak this year, has become a completely different player right in front of our eyes. He dominated the hard-court season and even imposed himself on Nadal’s home turf by twice beating the latter in consecutive clay Masters. With such momentum coming into the French Open, Djokovic is definitely positioned to capture his first French Open title.

The King of Clay, Rafael Nadal is facing a serious dethroning. With the enemy making inroads through the fortress that Nadal has created over the past six years, the King will have to use every weapon he owns to prove why he has ruled Roland Garros for so long. Even though Djokovic has been on such a roll recently, Nadal still remains the favorite to win the title. If both players reach the final Nadal will have the advantage of a 5-0 record in French Open finals. Only time will tell whether the regicide Djokovic is planning will happen…

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Top 5 Women Seeds

With the 2011 French Open less than a day away, it is time to take stock of the WTA field in Paris. With the absence of the Williams sisters, the pundits are saying this is the most open field ever at Roland Garros. Will the current tradition- at least for the past three years- of crowning a new champion continue? Will this be the year where the defending champion finally bucks the trend and actually do her job- defend her title? These are all the questions that we hope at least one of the top five seeds will provide answers to. Here is the breakdown;

Francesca Schiavone has her work cut out for her at Roland Garros this year. The little-engine-that-could faces the heavy task of having to defend her Roland Garros title. Unlike last year when Schiavone seemingly came out of nowhere to win the title, this year she will be marked as a player to beat by all the other women in her part of the draw. Her current record suggest she will not go far, she has only reached one semifinal this year, but you can bet that her passion will go quite a distance.

With Victoria Azarenka you can seldom be sure which player is gonna step into the court on any given day. Will it be the hard-hitting steamroller that can blast any opponent off the court or will it be the error-prone volatile player who is the architect of her own demise? The game is there, and so are the shots. My gut tells me that this French Open could be the slam she goes deep into the final weekend.

Vera, Vera, Vera. After a great run last year that saw Zvonareva reach back-to-back Grand Slam finals in Wimbledon and the US Open, she has fallen back from the top pack. In the absence of both Williams sisters as well as an ailing Clijsters, I expected Zvonareva to use that momentum to do good things this season. Alas Zvonareva still needs to develop that crucial killer instinct that could mean the difference between consistent semifinal showings and dominating the title matches.

This is shaping up to be the year that Kim Clijsters will reign supreme at the majors; with her biggest foe, Serena Williams, out of contention. Clijsters has done her part by distancing herself from the rest of the back and rising to the occasion at the majors. Even though she will go into the French Open with a lot of rust and an ankle injury, she has the best chance to add the French Open to her rapidly growing major resume.

This slam could just about be the best chance, this year, that Wozniacki adds that first Grand Slam to her already impressive resume.Even though her defensive game leaves her vulnerable to hard-hitters on a good run, her ability to get a lot of balls back should serve her well on the clay of Roland Garros. If Wozniacki hopes to end the fortnight the French Open, she will have to add more offence to her counter-punching game.

5 Other Players to Watch

v Maria Sharapova

v Jelena Jankovic (and Ana Ivanovic)

v Sam Stosur

v Svetlana Kuznetsova

v Li Na

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