Murray, Kerber to rebound in France?

Rafael Nadal does not have the monopoly of attention when the French Open gets going starting May 28.

While Nadal has been always installed as the heavy favorite to rule the year’s second tennis major—the Spaniard being the perennial King of Clay—it cannot be denied that grabbing a piece of the French Open spotlight are Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber. Alas, in a rather weird manner.

Briton Murray and German Kerber were both No. 1 in 2016 in men’s and women’s tennis, respectively, only to suffer shocking setbacks this year and face imminent ouster from their respective perches this early.

Their unforgettable Italian Open exits were screaming screeching slips further.

In Rome last week, Murray bowed in straight sets to 29th-ranked Fabio Fognini, who got a tremendous lift from an eager-beaver hometown crowd. Kerber followed suit, losing to unknown Anette Kontaveit in a similar ugly straight-set exit.

The 68th-seeded Kontaveit from Estonia won by a 6-4, 6-0 masterpiece, embarrassing Kerber in 56 minutes.

The two top seeds had an almost identical description of their shameful showing.

“I just feel like I’m not playing well,” Murray said.

“I’m not playing my best tennis right now,” said Kerber.

What a gristly turnaround for both topnotch players last year.

In 2016, Murray, 30, won Wimbledon and was finalist in both the Australian and French Opens.

Kerber, 29, took an almost similar route, winning the Australian Open and the US Open and got to the Wimbledon final.

Murray went on to win five tournament in seven weeks in a marathon ending of the year, with Kerber admitting not having “enough time being in the moment” following a fruitful 2016 season.

In January, Murray and Kerber, starting out the year as Numbers 1, both lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

And then in March, Murray absorbed his worst loss when he bowed to 129th-ranked and a mere rabbit Vasek Pospisil.

“The last couple of weeks, they have been tough and I haven’t played well,” said Murray.

As for Kerber, this: “I need one good match to get my confidence back.”

If they falter again in the French Open firing off shortly, there’s always the NBA Finals to turn to.