French Open 2006 - Top 5 Mens Biggest Upsets

Posted on May 28, 2006

By Tennis-X Staff

Al Martin d. (5) Andy Roddick

This will be a shocker as Roddick has dismissed Al in all four of their career meetings, one even on clay. In Miami this year Roddick allotted the Spaniard only four games. But Martin has found his footing somewhat during this dirt season with wins over Ivo Karlovic (read: getting big serves back), Nicolas Kiefer, and stretching former French Open champ Gaston Gaudio to three sets in a loss. Gaudio himself has been a loss this year, but it still looks good on the resume. Roddick hit yesterday for the first time in a few days after a twisted ankle at the World Team Cup. Roddick has not won back-to-match matches at the French since 2001. It's the perfect storm for the 5'9" scampering Spaniard, especially if they put the match on Monday.

Marat Safin d. (9) Fernando Gonzalez

Safin has won both his career meetings with Gonzo, albeit on hardcourts. Gonzo is coming off a middling performance at the World Team Cup, while Safin is coming off a knee injury but has looked good in practice over the weekend. Look for someone's arm to come flying out of their socket as two of the tour's hardest-hitting players go out to prove who has the biggest pocket rocket.

Jan Hernych d. (14) Lleyton Hewitt

Little Lleyton is 3-0 career versus the Czech, including a three-setter this year in Adelaide and a 6-3, 6-3 win for the Aussie in Las Vegas. Hernych hasn't had a great claycourt season outside of a win over Nikolay Davydenko, but is rub is that Hewitt has had literally no claycourt season, entering Roland Garros with an 0-1 record after injuries have kept him sidelined. Not known for storming back after sitting out with injury, Hewitt also doesn't like creating his own pace on clay. If the hard-hitting Hernych can sit down with his coach and figure how to properly mix it up against the Aussie, this one should be a lay-up.

Al Montanes d. (17) Robby Ginepri

The confidence-challenged Ginepri goes into this one with the memory of losing to Montanes in straight sets last month at Houston in their only career meeting. Unless Ginepri can somehow forget his miserable 2006 and channel his play from last year when he was ripping the ball without second-guessing himself at the US Open, this could be a straight-setter.

Juan Martin Del Potro d. (24) Juan Carlos Ferrero

Juan Martin Del Who? The 17-year-old Argentine has spent this year knocking between challenger and tour events, winning the Aguascalientes Challenger in Mexico, but at the tour level recording his only win over Al Portas and stretching Ferrero to three sets in a loss at Buenos Aires. Look for Del Potro to apply some knowledge from the loss in a four- to five-set shocker over the former French Open champ, who nowadays has trouble even putting away sitters.