Roland Garros – The 2012 French Open

The French Open (French: Les internationaux de France de Roland-Garros or Tournoi de Roland-Garros,  named after the famous French aviator Roland Garros) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are the Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon. Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam held on clay and ends the spring clay court season.

Yesterday I discussed this upcoming tennis tournament with some my friends: Who will be winners, how Americans will perform on Roland Garros in Paris? I’d like to share some our thoughts about what may happen and who have chances to become heroes in France.

Serena Williams has shown in this year that she can still dominate, so we have to assume that, as usual, it is her tournament to lose. Maria Sharapova’s movement and flat strokes don’t help her on clay. Carolina Wozniacki has the game, but maybe not the guts. There are probably five-six more women with a chance to win, like Petra Kvitova, Vika Azarenko, Samantha Stosur and Agnieszka Radwanska.

In our opinion that Rafael Nadal should dominate in Paris. David Ferrer can give him a fight but he can’t beat him. It’s not the best surface for Novak  Djokovic, Roger Federer, or Andy Murray. French tennis players Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gaël Monfils are very good on clay, but they are not able to win seven straight matches for two weeks marathon.

About American men players, we think that only John Isner has a chance among the Americans to be in the second week, probably he can reach a quarter final of The 2012 French Open.