Free-for-all French Open
Pundits have figured the French Open ladies’ singles tournament to be up for grabs, and with reason. Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, claimants to four of the last five titles, are out. So is Victoria Azarenka, two-time major winner. And, just yesterday, top seed Angelique Kerber bowed to an unheralded challenger, two and two, the result of poor form that first manifested itself at the start of the year.
Needless to say, the field is giddy with anticipation. Heading into any Grand Slam event, the biggest question for those casting moist eyes on the hardware is invariably their capacity to take the measure of Williams, long the sport’s acknowledged yardstick. And with the other usual suspects unable to take advantage of the development for causes beyond their control, names not otherwise found gracing the marquee aim to pick up the slack.
There is, to be sure, defending champion Garbine Muguruza to consider; assuming she exhibits the required consistency, far from certain in the face of her noted struggles, her talent may well enable her to retain the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. There is likewise Simona Halep, tagged as the favorite by default in the absence of the usual top guns; while recently battling ankle issues, she possesses grace on relatively slow clay and could finally break through — if her confidence doesn’t abandon her under pressure, that is. And for sentimental quarters, there is Venus Williams, fresh off a stint in the final of the Australian Open; never mind that she suffers from Sjogren’s Syndrome and hasn’t contended for the crown at Roland Garros since 2002.
The list goes on, and that the likes of Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elina Svitolina, and Kristina Mladenovic are also seen to be in the mix reflects the free-for-all nature of the French Open draw this year. Petra Kvitova was clearly relieved to be in the mix, and not simply because she saw her 2016 campaign end via a dangerous home invasion that required her to go under the knife. Unpredictable? Yes. Good? Of course. Memorable? It remains to be seen.
Needless to say, the field is giddy with anticipation. Heading into any Grand Slam event, the biggest question for those casting moist eyes on the hardware is invariably their capacity to take the measure of Williams, long the sport’s acknowledged yardstick. And with the other usual suspects unable to take advantage of the development for causes beyond their control, names not otherwise found gracing the marquee aim to pick up the slack.