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Who is best place to make a run at the French Open Women’s title? I have named the top-five contenders to take out the prize on clay.
1) Serena Williams
World number one Serena Williams is the main contender for this year’s tournament. Serena is coming to Paris as the top seed and the defending champion for the first time in 11 years. Williams won her first French Open title in 2002 beating her sister Venus, but couldn’t defend her title in 2003 as she faltered against Justin Henin in the controversial semi-final encounter.
However last year the American repeated what she did in 2002, winning the title over Maria Sharapova. Williams lost to Virginie Razzano year before that in the opening round. Since then Williams is unbeaten on red clay.
She won all three major tournaments on red clay last season. A thigh injury disrupted Williams’ clay campaign this season as she pulled out just before her quarter-final match in Madrid.
On the way to her third Rome title Williams only surrendered one set in semi-finals to Ana Ivanovic. She has to eb the favourite to take out back-to-back titles in France.
2) Maria Sharapova
After struggling to find her form in the early part of the season, Sharapova began the clay season with huge ranking points to defend. After an epic first round victory in Stuttgart against Lucie Safarova, the Russian started to glitter on mud, winning twelve matches in a row en-route to back to back titles in Stuttgart and Madrid.
Sharapova’s three-peat in Stuttgart is the first ever three-peat in her career and the title in Madrid over Simona Halep marks her first title in Spain soil. Sharapova came to Rome as an overwhelming favourite, having won the title in 2011 and 2012.
Going into her third-round match against Ana Ivanovic, Sharapova hadn’t lost on clay to anyone other than Serena Williams in almost three years – she was 47-0 on clay against the other players.
Later Ivanovic snapped Sharapova’s 12-match winning streak on clay. Despite the result in Rome, Sharapova, winner of 2012 French Open, is still a contender for this year’s title and coming to Paris to clinch her second Roland Garros title.
3) Li Na
Li Na became the first Asian male or female player to win a grand slam in 2011, taking out the title at Roland Garros. She created history again early in this season by winning her second grand slam title – the Australian Open.
The 2011 champion is the point leader of the WTA year end championships rankings and one of the major contenders for the title as well. She might not be having her best clay season at the moment; losing in quarter finals to Sharapova in Madrid.
Li also pulled out of Stuttgart, where she was supposed to begin her clay season this year. She also had a shocking loss in the second round of the French Open last year. However with so much confidence, she is a good chance of winning.
4) Simona Halep
Last year the Romanian Simona Halep was an unseeded player coming to French Open – but the story is different this time. Halep finished the last year with six titles and became WTA’s most-improved player.
She clinched her biggest title in Doha this year and now she has made into the top four as well. Halep reached semi-finals of Rome as a qualifier and won two titles on clay.
The Romanian promisingly started the clay season this year as well, reaching the final in Madrid but losing to Sharapova after winning the opening set.
Halep had to pull out from Rome after her second round match due to an injury. Halep should be coming to Paris healthy, full of confidence, and playing on her favourite surface. For the record Halep has won the French open as a junior in 2008.
5) Ana Ivanovic
Ana Ivanovic is coming to Roland Garros as a former champion of the tournament. After winning the French Open, Ivanovic had to face a painful downfall in her career. She was outside the top 60 in 2010.
However the Serbian had shown some improvements in her game since then and she has made it into the top 20 in the last couple of seasons.
Ivanovic is having a resurgent year in 2014 as well. The Serbian is seeded 11th for French Open this year and will enjoy the highest seeding she’s received since 2009 US Open. She is currently seventh in the year end championship rankings and has beaten five top-10 players this year, including Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
She won couple of international titles on hard surface and reached her first final on clay in Stuttgart since 2008 French Open. The Serbian also reached semi-finals in Rome falling to the eventual champion Serena Williams.
With the powering forehand and the consistency shown in this year, Ivanovic should be someone to look out for.
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