French Open Tennis - Women`s Singles Contenders

The French Open at Roland Garros is on the horizon, even though there is still one warm-up tournament still to be played in Rome ahead of the second Grand Slam of the season. How are the major contenders for the women’s singles looking ahead of this major tournament? Let’s take a look:

Serena Williams

Unquestionably the American veteran world number one will start favourite. But Williams has struggled with her fitness this year, doesn’t play to quite the same level on clay as fast surfaces, and could be vulnerable in Paris.

Maria Sharapova

Sharapova showed some of her legendary toughness and competitiveness when defeating Simona Halep from a set behind in the recent Madrid final. Always a tough player with devastating ground strokes and an immense will to win. If Serena Williams is not at her best in Roland Garros then the Russian must be the most likely winner.

Victoria Azarenka

Azarenka, the former world number one, is not favoured as being one of the fancied players by the bookmakers at Roland Garros as she doesn’t really get on all that well with the crushed brick favoured in Paris. Azarenka has also been well short of form this year and has missed numerous tournaments through injury, so the odds are certainly against her winning in Paris.

Li Na

The Chinese player is a previous winner at Roland Garros in 2011, and has the quality required to win major titles. Given her appalling record against Serena Williams, she must hope that she avoids the American, though. But if some of the other big hitters aren’t at their best then she has as good a chance on the red dirt as anyone.

Simona Halep

The Romanian player has developed superbly in the last couple of years, and has shown by reaching the Madrid final and giving Maria Sharapova a very good run for her money that she is ready to compete at the very highest level. One of the most in-form players on tour, and definitely one to keep an eye on in Paris.

Agnieszka Radwanska

Radwanska is one of the canniest players in the world on either the men or women’s tours. Court craft is her greatest weapons as a tennis player, and there are very few occasions on which Radwanska self-destructs. One might expect clay to be her best surface, but in fact her results have been moderate on the red dirt, and she is unlikely to go all the way at Roland Garros. But a tough match for anyone on her day.

Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic will always get her fair share of attention on a tennis court due to her smouldering looks, but recently she has refound some of the form that saw her win the French Open as a 20 year-old back in 2008. A loss of form after that meant that Ivanovic didn’t really fulfil her early potential, but she might have an outside chance of the title this year after some encouraging results and performances.

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13/05/2014     © Frixo 2026