Roland Garros Preview

 

The Contenders

 

Rafael Nadal

Current Rank : 1
Previous Year Result : Winner

The King of Clay returns to his domain and is the favourite again for an unprecedented 9th overall and 5th consecutive Roland Garros Championship win. He’ll be looking to make up for his loss in the finals of the Australian Open and has his No.1 status on line. Building up to the Grand Slam the Spaniard has been on the end of some unexpected outcomes with defeats to David Ferrer and Nicolas Almargo , concluding with a loss to Novak Djokovic at the finals of the Italian Open this past week. But this is only expected to spur the world renowned fighting spirit of the reigning champion.

 

Novak Djokovic

Current Rank : 2
Previous Year Result : Semi Final 

World Number 2 Novak Djokovic will enter the French Open on back of an emotional and nation-inspiring win at the Italian Open. The Serb is firm favorite to regain his number one spot after his rejuvenated form following the disappointing loss at the QF stages of the Australian Open. Following the Australian Open only Roger Federer has been able to halt the winning streak of the Serb this season with the Swiss maestro prevailing at Dubai then at Monte Carlo, coincidentally both being at the SF stages. Djokovic looks ready and more hungry than ever to finally join the Career Grand Slam elites.

The Probables

 

Roger Federer

Current Rank :  4
Previous Year Result : Quarter Final 

Following an almost disastrous 2013 tennis season, many experts expected Roger Federer to fade away in 2014 as the Swiss Great enters the twilight of his majestic career. However this season has turned out to be anything but for Federer as he has failed only twice to reach the SF or better of the seven Tournaments he’s participated in. Supreme dedication and focus have defined the former world number 1 throughout his career, however the Italian Open was a reminder Roger Federer after all his legendary status is just a man as he appeared distracted following the birth of his twins. The Swiss Maestro however is expected to be focused and ready as he looks to build on his impressive 2014 tennis campaign.

 

Andy Murray

Current Rank : 8
Previous Year Result : NA

Andy Murray has enjoyed the least productive 2014 of the “Big Four”. The current Wimbledon champion’s decline in form has been reciprocated by the decline in his ATP Ranking as he has dropped out of the top five and is currently ranked 8th. Building up to the French Open, Murray showed glimpses of the form that made him a consistent figure challenging for the summit of the ATP, most noticeably in his QF showdown at the Italian Open where he fell short thanks to a resurgent Rafael Nadal. Murray wont be carrying much expectations to go all the way, especially comparing to his previous Roland Garros outings and he can use this to showcase his ability and establish himself back among the elites.

The Underdogs

 

Stanislas Wawrinka

Current Rank : 3
Previous Year Result : Quarter Final

One player that has shocked the ATP circuit this year has been the Australian Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka. While his sublime skills were apparent to the whole world, hardly anybody could`ve predicted he would take the big leap to be a GS winner. Currently ranked as the world number 3, Wawrinka is an ideal ATP professional , mixing skills and his humble nature with grace. He`ll be looking to better his career best performance at the Roland Garros of reaching the QF.

 

Kei Nishikori

Current Rank : 10
Previous Year Result : 4R

Making his way into the list ahead of several higher ranked players is world number 10 Kei Nishikori. The Japanese number 1 has shown an astute array of talent as he has gathered momentum building up to the Roland Garros. This momentum has been showcased by his win at Barcelona before succumbing to an injury and a retirement during the Final of the Madrid Open. Injury permitting Kei Nishikori is again expected to come out fighting and make life hard for the seasoned pros.

 

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