With the hard courts of the Oceania are conquered and the masters of Rome and Monte Carlo accomplished,the tennis fraternity is all set for the the clay court season.
Les internationaux de France de Roland-Garros or the French Open is already underway.It is one of the four majors or grand slams known in the tennis world and attracts all the top men and women players across the planet.The premier clay court tournament has always held a place of prestige in the hearts of the players and fans alike.
Touted by many as the most difficult slam to win, given the treacherous winds and the disconcerting bounce on the red soil, the French Open has always tested the endurance and dexterity of the tennis pros.
The elite tournament, which began in 1891, has indeed come a long way with close to $7 million in the prize money.
An overview of the French Open makes us pretty sure of the fact that this year there are certainly no favourites.In the men's draw, leading the pack is the six-time defending champion Rafael Nadal who is bidding for his seventh French Open crown in the city of Paris.Novak Djokovic would be eager to spoil Rafa's plans as the former is having an impeccable 2011 with 37 wins in as many encounters.To add to the excitement, there is a certain Roger Federer, regarded as the greatest player in Open Era.The swiss maestro would dearly like to add another grand slam to his existing tally of 16 and enhance what has been but an illustrious career.Roland Garros stands testimony to the unseeded and seemingly innocuous players who have gone on to win the championship, hence, ignore Robin Soderling, Andy Murray and Jo Wilfred Tsonga at your your own peril.
The women's draw is even more volatile with the sabbatical of the William sisters-Venus and Serena.With the top seed Caroline Wozniacki already ousted and Kim Clijsters defeated, the defending champion from Italy, Fransesca Schiavone is the favourite.But Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Victoria Azarenka might have something to say about that.
The Indian representation at the French Open has already suffered a hiccup when Sania Mirza lost her second round encounter against her polish opponent but the veteran duo of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes are going smoothly until now.Here in India, we earnestly hope that the break the jinx and bring more glory to the nation.
As a tennis buff, I hope to catch some of the nerve biting matches and hope to see a Rafa-Roger finale.
With figers crossed and happiness in my heart I can certainly say Viva la France...chemin a parcourir!
Les internationaux de France de Roland-Garros or the French Open is already underway.It is one of the four majors or grand slams known in the tennis world and attracts all the top men and women players across the planet.The premier clay court tournament has always held a place of prestige in the hearts of the players and fans alike.
Touted by many as the most difficult slam to win, given the treacherous winds and the disconcerting bounce on the red soil, the French Open has always tested the endurance and dexterity of the tennis pros.
The elite tournament, which began in 1891, has indeed come a long way with close to $7 million in the prize money.
An overview of the French Open makes us pretty sure of the fact that this year there are certainly no favourites.In the men's draw, leading the pack is the six-time defending champion Rafael Nadal who is bidding for his seventh French Open crown in the city of Paris.Novak Djokovic would be eager to spoil Rafa's plans as the former is having an impeccable 2011 with 37 wins in as many encounters.To add to the excitement, there is a certain Roger Federer, regarded as the greatest player in Open Era.The swiss maestro would dearly like to add another grand slam to his existing tally of 16 and enhance what has been but an illustrious career.Roland Garros stands testimony to the unseeded and seemingly innocuous players who have gone on to win the championship, hence, ignore Robin Soderling, Andy Murray and Jo Wilfred Tsonga at your your own peril.The women's draw is even more volatile with the sabbatical of the William sisters-Venus and Serena.With the top seed Caroline Wozniacki already ousted and Kim Clijsters defeated, the defending champion from Italy, Fransesca Schiavone is the favourite.But Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Victoria Azarenka might have something to say about that.
The Indian representation at the French Open has already suffered a hiccup when Sania Mirza lost her second round encounter against her polish opponent but the veteran duo of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes are going smoothly until now.Here in India, we earnestly hope that the break the jinx and bring more glory to the nation.
As a tennis buff, I hope to catch some of the nerve biting matches and hope to see a Rafa-Roger finale.
With figers crossed and happiness in my heart I can certainly say Viva la France...chemin a parcourir!
