The potential to win on ‘Clay’ Battle for the French Open
View(s):The French national championships started as a closed event for the French nationals in 1891. Only in 1925 it allowed foreign player participation and from then on it was called the French-Open. Today, of the four Grand-Slams, French-Open is the only oneplayed on red clay courts. The Grand-Slam in Tennis refers to the championships of the ‘original four countries’ which won the inter-nation challenge cup for men – the Davis-Cup. It is the effort of these four countries over one hundred years that has brought the game of Tennis to the present esteemed global status.
The first of the four countries to conduct Tennis championships is England and it’s the Wimbledon, first played in 1887. The name comes from its location in London. Other two Grand Slams are the Australian-Open and the US-Open. Qualifying and playing in any Grand-Slam event places a player among the eternal elites and winning any one of them will make the player immortal in Tennis. This should show how Tennis players and the Tennis world see the French-Open of 2015 which begins tomorrow.
Longest in top ten
In the analysis of the players and the evaluation of their potential to perform, two aspects will have to be given weight. First, it is the ‘performing excellence’ which gives the player to be the top of the pack- that is being the number ‘one’. Many make it to the top ten but only a few reach the number one position. The second is getting into the top ten and staying there. It is one of the most respected achievements of the open-era and is a real test of personality, ability and skill. The length of time a player staying in the top ten is counted in weeks.
Maria Sharapova
Clocking 215 weeks, Maria Sharapova is the longest survivor in the top ten positions among the women. She played a WTA event for first time in 2001 and became number one in 2005 at the age of 18. A position she held in five different occasions. Again, she re-entered the top ten in 2011. Sharapova in 2015 performed well to reach good many final rounds of events and also bagged titles. She regained her current ranking of 2 pushing Romania’s Simona Halep down one position. The 215 weeks mark and reaching number one position in five occasions shows how much she has endured coming from an obscure Russian township. In Rome Sharapova showed how good she still is when she beat spirited Spanish clay specialist Suarez Navarro in three sets in the finals for the Italian Title. Sharapova is also the reigning French-Open champion. Full of surprises, small made Navarro from Spain always seem to say ‘try me for size’. Reaching the finals in Rome last week places Navarro in the top ten for the first time in her career.
With 162 weeks in the top ten ranking and the current number one among women is Serena Williams. This is her ‘third decade’ in the ‘elite ten’ of Tennis. Only the mighty Martina Navratilova has matched this feat. Serena has the ability to accommodate every challenge on the tennis court regardless what the surface is, she cannot be discounted for the Paris title.
Other women players with impressive weeks clocked in the top ten are Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova who has been there for 85 weeks and pulled off the title in Madrid last month; Simona Halep having some issues to win at the moment is firmly at three and has been in the top ten for 68 weeks; former world’s number one Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki re-entered the top ten in September 2014 and has been there for 36 weeks and has been showing a sharp upward trend since last year.
Roger Federer
I do not remember when Roger Federer came into the top ten. It must be around 2002. This is his second decade in the top ten. He held the number one position for an amazing 302 weeks and his last appearance in a final was just last week in Rome. The only other player to impress me in this manner, is USA’s Pete Sampras. Although in his thirties, Federer still has the capacity to win the French-Open this year.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic is fast over taking everyone in the record book. He entered the top ten around 2007 and currently he is the best player among men. Most of the critics say he would leave the best record when he retires. He will start the French-Open as the favourite. I see Scotsman Andy Murray could be a challenge to Djokovic on clay if he plays as well as he did in the Madrid finals against Nadal.
Murray was developed on Barcelona clay and showed how much he has come along with his current coach French woman and former Grand Slam winner Amelie Mauresmo. Murray has been in the top ten for the past eight years and is currently ranked three. Murray selecting Mauresmo as his coach made many feel uncomfortable and according to Murray the comments about that has not died down yet. She is the only woman in the men’s realm and what more she has not only kept him in the top ten but taken Murray up to be three in the world ranking. Murray must have given weight to Mauresmo’s playing experience in selecting her.
The man with the best clay court record is Spain’s Rafael Nadal. Suffering recurring injuries and with the loss he registered against Murray in Madrid this month, his ranking has come down to 7. It is difficult to remember when he was this low last. Nadal was number one for 141 weeks and has been in the top ten well over five years. He can still shape up and win the French-Open. It would not surprise me.
Others who could win the French title in include Japan’s Kei Nishikori, Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych, Frances Gael Monfils who surprised Federer recently, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Australia’s Nick Krygios.
The French Clay
The last Grand-Slam winner Rod Laver coming from fast grass courts of Australia in the sixties is supposed to have said that he could play with a cup of tea on the red clay courts of Paris. It will not be so now. New racquet technology and super athletes of the open-era is making clay Tennis as fast as any hard court game. Tennis evolved in England on grass and in fact for a long time the game was known as ‘Lawn Tennis’.
In France the Tennis gathered momentum with the presence of the four great players Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet, Jean Borotta and Rene Lacoste in the 1920 and 30’s. They were called the ‘four musketeers’. The French-Open venue in Roland Garros, have their statues on display. In all, they won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and 23 doubles titles and won the Davis Cup six times for France. Rene Lacoste is the founder of the ‘Crocodile’ brand sports shirt.
Even with all the modernity of the game, clay court Tennis is not only unique but also most interesting to watch because of the slower speed and the comfort it gives to the players. This in turn reduces injury levels in players. Clay court permits the players to exhibit the best of their ability making Tennis attractive to the world. The ball bounce on the court can take away up to 50% of the speed and reduce half the height. This makes it difficult to hit an outright winner on clay unless the player is a good tactician and an accomplished stroke maker.
French-Open will be interesting but tough on players because of the challenge from so many very good players in the 128 draw. Being a Grand-slam event the matches are best of five for men. Many players in the draw have been in the top ten of the ranking at one time or other for weeks in both genders. Any one of them has the ability to win the title. Their day’s form will decide the player’s fate when it comes to the outcome of matches in the next two weeks in Paris.
George Paldano, former international player; Accredited Coach of Germany, National coach, Davis Cup and Federation Cup Coach; ITF and USPTR; –gptennis.ceylon@gmail.com-