With the men moving out, the women now move in to take center stage at the Foro Italico in Rome. Six of the Top 10 and 13 of the Top 20 made the trip.
While Maria Sharapova is top seed and will have another crack at the No. 1 ranking, Serena Williams will be the big story as she returns after injuring her ankle last month at Amelia Island. Williams is seeded third and would likely meet No. 2 seed and defending champion Amelia Mauresmo in the semifinals of the bottom half.
The top half is littered with Russians – okay, what draw isn’t. Sharapova could meet US Open champ Svetlana “The Kewz” Kuznetsova in the quarters with Elena Dementieva possibly in the semifinals.
For Sharapova to overtake Lindsay Davenport at No. 1 next Monday, she must win the title outright. Unfortunately for the “Cell Phone Mannequin”, she’s only reached two career clay quarterfinals in six events.
