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