Muguruza v Schiavone 1st Rd., Kvitova Returns; French Open Preview

Defending runner-up Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are sidelined, but Petra Kvitova makes her 2017 tour debut, and a number of other surprises lie in wait in the first round of the 2017 French Open.
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Here’s a look at the four quarters of the draw:

1ST QUARTER

Top 4 Seeds: (1) Angie Kerber, (8) Svetlana Kuznetsova, (11) Carolina Wozniacki, (15) Petra Kvitova

Floaters: (18) Kiki Bertens, Ekaterina Makarova, Monica Puig, Donna Vekic, Camila Giorgi, Oceane Dodin, Christine McHale

Notes: It’s not the most high-powered quarter but it’s the one that will be most fun to watch between the struggling world No. 1, the comebacker Kvitova, the former champ Kuzy and the former No. 1 Woz…Interesting starts for (1) Kerber vs. Makarova who won their most recent meeting, (31) Roberta Vinci vs. Puig, (32) Shuai Zhang vs. Vekic, and (8) Kuznetsova vs. the grinder McHale (winner to face the Giorgi-Dodin winner)…(15) Kvitova starts against American Julia Boserup…4th round possible Kuzy vs. Woz and Kerber vs. Kvitova or Stosur.

2ND QUARTER

Top 4 Seeds: (4) Garbine Muguruza, (6) Dominika Cibulkova, (10) Venus Williams, (13) Kristina Mladenovic

Floaters: Francesca Schiavone, Jelena Jankovic, Laura Arruabarrena, (24) Daria Gavrilova

Notes: Are you kidding? Defending champion (4) Muguruza vs. former champ Schiavone first round? Well water our mouths…Watch for (6) Cibulkova vs. the Spanish grinder Arruabarrena in a first-ever meeting…(10) Venus looking at an interesting potential second-round meeting against American (WC) Amanda Anisimova. Venus also looking at (24) Daria Gavrilova third round, a nice draw overall and potential for the elder Williams sister…Muguruza should also cruise if she can get by some early mental hurdles.

3RD QUARTER

Top 4 Seeds: (3) Simona Halep, (5) Elina Svitolina, (12) Madison Keys, (14) Elena Vesnina

Floaters: (29) Ana Konjuh, (21) Carla Suarez Navarro, Annika Beck, Genie Bouchard

Notes: A quarter led by two players who have done a lot of damage this claycourt season in Halep and Svitolina…Tough start for (17) Anastajila Sevastova vs. Beck (winner to meet Bouchard)…Unless Keys emerges from her funk or someone else steps up, this quarter just awaits Halep vs. Svitolina in the quarterfinals.

4TH QUARTER

Top 4 Seeds: (2) Karolina Pliskova, (7) Johanna Konta, (9) Aggie Radwanska, (16) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Floaters: Alison Riske, Alize Cornet, Lucie Safarova, Magdalena Rybarikova, Saisai Zheng

Notes: Upset alert for (2) Pliskov vs. Zheng, who upset Svitolina in Madrid…Other tough starts for (20) Barbora Strycova vs. Riske (winner to meet the French upset specialist Cornet), and (19) Vandeweghe vs. Rybarikova who the American lost her last meeting against…(9) Radwanska has been almost invisible this year…Could be a quarter for (16) Pavlyuchenkova to sneak out of.

Muguruza is the defending champion, defeating Serena Williams in last year’s final. Serena Williams (pregnancy), Laura Siegemund (knee) and Vania King withdrew from the field.

Wildcards were given to American Amanda Anisimova, Aussie Jaimee Fourlis, and France’s Tessah Andrianjafitrimo, Fiona Ferro, Myrtille Georges, Amandine Hesse, Alize Lim and Chloe Paquet.

Former champions in the field are Muguruza (2016), Schiavone (2010), and Kuznetsova (2009).