French Open Women’s Preview: Serena Williams Tough Draw Could Mean No Final

by Jeremy Davis | May 22nd, 2015, 10:45 am
  • 5 Comments

The top players have rounded out their games in the lead-up tournaments to Roland Garros, leaving the Top 4 seeds as the clear favorites: Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova.

But a number of floaters emerged during the 2015 claycourt season and will attempt to make their mark over the fortnight on the red dirt. Here is a look at the four sections of the draw for the 2015 French Open:

Top Quarter


Top 4 seeds: (1) Serena Williams, (5) Caroline Wozniacki, (10) Andrea Petkovic, (15) Venus Williams
Floaters: Sloane Stephens
Notes: Tough start for (11) Venus vs. Stephens, with the winner likely to meet (1) Serena in the 4th rd…Serena starts against a qualifier, then the winner of qualifier-Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany, then (27) Victoria Azarenka, then (15) Venus…Possible (5) Woz vs. (25) Jelena Jankovic in the 3rd rd., with Serena looming two rounds later. All in all a potential tough road for the world No. 1 through possibly three former No. 1s in her quarter.

2nd Quarter

Top 4 Seeds: (4) Petra Kvitova, (6) Genie Bouchard, (12) Karolina Pliskova, (16) Madison Keys
Floaters: Francesca Schiavone
Notes: (16) Keys comes in with an elbow injury, facing fellow America Varvara Lepchenko…A no-floater quarter practically and the lightest of the draw — all of France will be rooting for homegirl Kristina Mladenovic in her opener against the slumping (6) Bouchard…(18) Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Schiavone looming 2nd rd…Real soft draw for Kvitova to the quarters where she will likely meet (18) Kuznetsova or a breakthrough unseeded player.

3rd Quarter

Top 4 Seeds: (3) Simona Halep, (7) Ana Ivanovic, (9) Ekaterina Makarova, (14) Aggie Radwanska
Floaters: Donna Vekic, Annika Beck, Mona Barthel, Yanina Wickmayer
Notes: Tough quarter in terms of seeds and floaters, also throwing in France’s (31) Caroline Garcia and (29) Alize Cornet…Tough starts for (31) Garcia vs. Vekic, the slumping (14) Radwanska vs. the comer Beck, and (19) Svitolina vs. the resurgent Wickmayer…(3) Halep vs. (29) Cornet looming in the 3rd rd., and (3) Halep vs. (14) Radwanska the following round, winner to likely meet (7) Ivanovic in quarters.

Bottom Quarter

Top 4 Seeds: (2) Maria Sharapova, (8) Carla Suarez Navarro, (11) Angie Kerber, (13) Lucie Safarova
Floaters: Camila Giorgi, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Monica Puig
Notes: Not a super-easy road for (2) Sharapova starting against the veteran Kaia Kanepi, with (28) Stosur in the 3rd rd…Tough starts for (13) Safarova against the hard-hitting Pavlyuchenkova, and (20) Lisicki on her worst surface against the scrapper Puig…The draw is a moderate tester for the breakout player (8) Suarez Navarro to see if she can handle the pressure, starting against Monica Niculescu, with the upset specialist Virginie Razzano in the 2nd rd., then (28) Flavia Pennetta. Another meeting to look for is (11) Kerber vs. (21) Garbine Muguruza in the 3rd rd.

The way the draw shakes out, I think we’re looking at:

SEMIFINALS: Kvitova d. Serena, Sharapova d. Halep
FINAL: Kvitova d. Sharapova

What is your call?


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5 Comments for French Open Women’s Preview: Serena Williams Tough Draw Could Mean No Final

leo Says:

Poor Petra. She’s jinxed now!


leo Says:

Serena d. Kuzy
Halep d. Maria

Serena d. Halep


MIKE Says:

Kuznetsova is playing great, don’t count her out for a deep run in the second week.
Kerber bowed out today with an injury so she won’t make it very far i think.
Schiovone seriously? Won’t make it to R2.
Watching Bouchard fall in R1 will be a pleasure for sure !


Rich Says:

Jelena Jankovic hasn’t been a serious threat to the top players in years, actually since she bought her $20 million mansion outside of San Diego. Sloane Stephens ever. Radwanska looks way off form, plus coming off of Navratilova coaching debacle.

Halep also looks to be off form, and good luck to her vs. the hot Garcia and Cornet, both outstanding players. I’d be shocked if Halep made the SF, even though she’s one of my current favorite players.

Kvitova on clay??? She has two career clay titles, one recently in Madrid. The clay blunts her power, and the longer points accentuate her inconsistencies. Perhaps the world’s most talented player, but tough for me to bet on her at the French.

Schiavone is 34 years old and 5 years washed up.

I don’t trust the improving Azarenka on poor-footing clay surface. Watch out for her during American hard court season, however.

Wide open field – best guesses are the Siberian/Floridian with the candy company, or some Schiavone/Stosur out-of-left-fielder like Pliskova, Makarova, Cornet.


jalep Says:

If anyone likes following their picks by putting them down on a bracket challenge, Tennis Channel is using Tournytopia and both WTA and ATP French Open brackets up for a few more hours, anyway.

But I wasn’t very creative, sad to say, in doing my WTA one.

Serena d Sharapova Final

Serena d Petra semi :(
Sharapova d Simona semi :(

Simona does have a tough draw, but she’s had a little time to rest and be fit. Hoping anyway that she can make the semi’s but doubt when she gets there she can beat Sharapova.

And Serena…just have to pick her. Petra’s chance is if, for some reason, Serena isn’t at her top level.

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