Home > Tennis > Can Maria Sharapova be a smash at Roland Garros?
Can Maria Sharapova be a smash at Roland Garros?
It's anybody's title at the French Open as rising stars like Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Anna Chakvetadze and Nicole Vaidisova pose a threat to the big names.
by connor harper on 21 April 2008
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Women's tennis is impossible to predict.
You don't have to be an ex-tennis player, junior wizard with the racket or a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the game to know almost any of the big names on the circuit have a shot at winning the next Grand Slam.
Every year, a certain player is expected to come through the draw and lift the crown – only to fail miserably and see someone completely different become champion.
This year, everything seems perfect for some real shocks in the women's game – and for some superb tennis as well.
In fact, it will take a brave man – or woman – to predict what will happen in the French Open at Roland Garros. The form of Justine Henin doesn’t seem to be formidable enough to claim the title for a third time in a row. And as for the other contenders, it's anybody's guess.
There are a whole host of women who seem to be playing with more confidence – which is clearly evident from the way the women’s rankings have changed in recent times. In particular, more and more youngsters are emerging and becoming a force to be reckoned with – players such as Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Anna Chakvetadze and Nicole Vaidisova.
All of them have the credentials to prove they have a serious shout for Roland Garros, but most of them don’t have the experience on the clay service and they haven’t achieved a huge amount on the slippery surface.
There are three players who have all been around longer and who all have something to scream about in the countdown to the French Open – Svetlana Kuznetsova, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
These women have everything to go all the way, and records to prove they have the mettle as well. So if you want a prediction I will have to put my money on Sharapova for the title. She has yet to win in Paris but at the moment she has the game to beat anyone, on any surface.
But I want to find out what everyone else thinks. So if you have the time, don't hesitate to ask me anything, any questions, or just give your view on my article, because I'm really interested in what people are thinking about this tournament.
Hopefully, the conditions at Roland Garros will be as good as the tennis, something that would elevate everything about the tournament, make everything more relaxing and enjoyable. There is nothing else anyone could want – great weather, great food and, most importantly, spectacular tennis in both the men's and women's singles. Everything is in place for something special, and by God do I hope this is the year that we will see some of the most amazing tennis ever played at a Grand Slam.
So who will become the next Grand Slam winner this year, after Sharapova’s overwhelming tennis at Melbourne. There is everything is to play for and I hope this is one that will stick with us for a long time. It has all the ingredients to become something special – now let's just sit back and relax and see what happens!
Comments (14)
by mihir kumar on April 21, 2008
she do not smash at ronald garres
by Justin on April 21, 2008
I still think Justine will win Roland Garros. She's a GENIUS on Clay and I can see her winning it for the FOURTH time in a row and the fifth time in her career. However, I think this year will be very close and not as lopsided as last years crapola final. Sharapova doesn't have the goods on Clay, 1 Tier 2 title? Pathetic. So I'm going to say it'll be Henin vs S. Williams with Justine winning in 3.
by J.R. Williams on April 21, 2008
I enjoyed the way you wrote the article, but I have to respectfully disagree. Serena Williams is the CLEAR favorite to take the French Open this year. Henin's knee is crap, and even if it's okay for her to begin play, something tells me it will hamper her the rest of the season. Heck, who knows...she might not even be able to play. Her grinding style of play...is breaking her knees down. I said this back in 2005 when it first happened. And Henin is only playing this way so that she has a prayer against the three power players on the WTA...S.Williams, V. Williams and Sharapova. Those 3 have the power naturally...Henin doesn't. She has to work very hard for it, and it's costing her. Henin may get to Quarters by just her brilliance on clay, but when she hits the big guns, they...especially Serena will out last and out blast her. Serena is baaaccckkk people. She's back in top form, she's quick as all get out and she is DOMINATING even when she's not playing her best. And when a match goes to 3 sets, Serena just shrugs it off. She's so fit, that it doesn't even matter anymore. She's 8-0 this year for three set matches. So to me and all the commentators who watched the Family Circle Cup...I'm sure Henin will be brilliant, but her game and not to mention her body...are falling apart against these much stronger women. And she will not win this year. By the way, Sharapova is NOT a clay courter. She won a Tier II title, and got BLASTED by Serena in the Quarters at the Family Circle. Maria will probably never win the French because she's not NEARLY fast enough. Sorry, but Serena's everyone's heavy favorite, or at least tied with Henin.
by Kumar on April 21, 2008
Firstly, Justine is going for her FOURTH straight, she has won in '05,'06, '07 in a row. In 2005, no one expected her to do much, coming off an injury break, but she impressively beat Kuznetsova, Sharapova, Petrova and Pierce to win. I think the same will happen this year as well, though it will not be easy. Serena had a good run at the start of last year too, but she collapsed when she met Justine. The way she has been stretched to 3 sets often even on green clay(by good players no doubt, in Sharapova, Srebotnik and Zvonareva), does not qualify her for favorite status. Sharapova might go deep on pure desire alone, but shell fall short. As usual, I have to like Kuznetsova's chances, but Justine will prevail again. It might be inteersting to watch the German Open and Italian Open to see how the top players are shaping up on the red clay.
by Zak Soithongsuk on April 21, 2008
By the way, Sharapova is NOT a clay courter. She won a Tier II title, and got BLASTED by Serena in the Quarters at the Family Circle. Maria will probably never win the French because she's not NEARLY fast enough.
by connor harper on April 21, 2008
by Silverstein on April 22, 2008
I don't want to see Henin triumph anymore, she's a cold sore, period. Serena? There should be a special draw just for her, she's special. Masha? I figure she can just go down early and then fly back to New York for some more shopping and rubbin shoulders with neocon globalists. May the quietest, most feminine contender triumph.
by nirbhay nishant anand on April 22, 2008
i really want sharapova to win.i am a die hard fan of sharapova. shes tshe is glamourous too.
by FADI SABBAGH on April 22, 2008
junt normal
by ramya on April 24, 2008
Sorry friend...justine already won this title 3 times in a row not tow times and overall fourtimes in the past five years...this year it's really very hard to predict..that 2 becoz of current form of justine..if she is in full gear...no other players in the world can stop her...acccording to me serena is the real contender for the title...every thing is depending upon the form of justine in coming days...
by Big V on April 24, 2008
Anyone but Henin. I'm getting tired of her. And speaking of tired, Maria had so many chances to down Serena without a hitch. But it's most likely because she's tired. She had several 3-set matches in Amelia Island and playing against a powerhouse like Serena is just killer. Maria actually had set point at 5-3 in the first set and a a TRIPLE set point in the second set leading 5-2. But then she crumbled and started making errors and Serena hitting much better. Kudos to Serena for showing us that experience really counts in addition to athleticism and skill which she already both has. She's vastly more experienced than Maria and she easily capitalized on that. I'm hoping to see a rejuvenated Maria battle with Serena once more to see who's really this year's boss. To me it's still Maria, judging by her gameplay this year, is clearly killer. But I'm afraid she's still 'fragile' and is requires more frequent breaks as compared to players like Serena who are built to last and take a beating. My takes for this year's French Open are the following: Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, and Svetlana Kuznetsova. Until Henin's knee heals, she's vulnerable this clay court season. I still wish the Nadia Petrova from 2006 was still here. She'd really cause a commotion in the FO.
Sorry for the double post. My bad.
by bogdan alexandru on April 24, 2008
i can say that MARIA is on course for all the 4 grand slam titles he has already won AO and i think that her ambition and talent will make her the 2008 french open winner
by Jasmine on April 25, 2008
Serena is determined to win FO. Sharapova can no longer beat Serena on any surface. Her coach made that obvious at Family Circle when he had to keep coaching her and trying to convince her that she has to believe that she can beat Serena. If your coach has to remind you that you can beat Serena, that says it all.....she can't. She has not beat Serena in years and she probably never will. I will not count Justine out because she is one of the very best on clay. As for Sharapova, I am sure she will end up in the easy draw like she normally does and that may give her the opportunity of beating some of the less talented players but not the top players. She is truly intimidated by Serena and it had nothing to do with playing several tournaments in a row. So, Sharapova is one of the most over-rated players on the tour. She is a good player but not a great player. However, she is a better player than Ivanovic and Jankovic but no better than Serena, Venus nor Justine.
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