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The French Open got underway today and the top seeds cruised through into the second round, leaving the first day lacking drama but full with showcasing displays.

In the women’s game, Radwanska and Serena Williams took to Court Phillipe Chatrier and dismantled their opponents Zhang and Lim for the loss of three games each. On other courts, Kerber came through, dropping just four games against Piter, while Venus Williams dropped five versus up-and-comer Bencic.

There was some competitive tennis going on at Roland Garros though. Former top tenner Daniela Hantuchova, who had one of her finest career moments at the French when she knocked out top seed Wozniacki in 2010,  battled for three sets before making it through against Jaksic. And Carlos Suarez Navarro came through a tough two setter versus Beygelzimer.

The men’s matches were as clear cut as the women’s. Federer beat Lacko in straights, and Tsonga, Berdych, Dolgopolov, Raonic, Isner and Tursunov all cruised through without dropping a set. Raonic had the toughest battle on his hands; the second set could have gone the way of Krygios as the Canadian struggled with his game and favorite status, but you know it is a drama-free day when the most high profile struggle is a straight setter.

In fact, all the matches on the show courts were straight affairs, leaving the French Open somewhat devoid of headline making dramatic epics.

There were some battles though. Youzhny was taken to five by Busta but won the fifth set 6-0. Nieminen got past Pryzysieszy in four tough sets, Janowicz beat Burgos in four, and Stepanek beat Arguello in five.

So, the tennis world, while no doubt impressed by the showcase performances put on,  awaits to see if the second day of the French will give the infamously vocal crowd an epic to scream about.

 

 

The French Open starts tomorrow and so the tennis review looks ahead at some of the more intriguing clashes.

Court Philip Chatrier:

Serena Williams Vs Alize Lim.

The battle between these friends looks easy on paper for Williams with Lim being a wild card, but Williams will not take any French woman for granted at Roland Garros after being knocked out of the first round in 2012 by Virginie Razzano, then ranked 111. The French crowd will do all they can to give an edge to Lim and Serena will have to be at her serene best to come through this unscathed.

Court Suzanne Lenglen:

Nick Kyrgios Vs Milos Raonic

This is a match up between generation now and future. Raonic has been impressive on clay this season, and Kyrgios has won two challengers on clay this season. While Raonic is the favorite, expect Krygios to play like he has nothing to lose and for Raonic to feel the pressure of being the number 8 seed for the first time in his career at a slam.

Belinda Bencic vs Venus Williams

This match is the marquee veterans versus newbie clash. The 2002 finalist versus a player making her French Open debut. Bencic is one of the most highly touted of WTA youngsters and she will look to replicate Ula Radwanska’s 2013 achievement of knocking Venus out in the first round of the French Open. Williams has gone out in the early rounds of her last seven of eight Majors so if Bencic is going to claim a top scalp, Suzanne Lenglen today is the time and place.

Court 3:

Goffin vs Melzer

Goffin was the lucky loser who made it to the fourth round against Federer in 2012; Melzer is a tour veteran and the 2010 semi-finalist. Whoever wins could have a chance against a vulnerable Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round so with the stakes high, a tough contest should ensue.

Court 6:

Dolgopolov versus Ramos
Dolgopolov made a lot of noise this season at Indian Wells and Miami only to have a whimper of a clay season. But the Ukrainian can play on the dirt, and he will need to be at his best to get past Ramos. The Spaniard has been a runner-up at a clay court event (Casablanca ’12) and won four challengers on the red stuff so he knows his way around a clay court.

This year’s French Open is not all about Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Wawrinka. Here are some of the faces who will be hoping to hit the headlines the next two weeks at Roland Garros.

Grigor Dimtrov

Dimitrov has gone from strength to strength since making the third round of last year’s French Open. The Bucharest winner did not set the Clay Masters 1000 alight this season like he did when he knocked Djokovic out of Madrid in 2013, but he did make the Rome semis and we all know he has the game to play on Clay. Considering the steady progress he has been making the last year, a last eight or last four showing at this year’s French Open would not be a surprise.

Kei Nishikori

Nishikori had Nadal on the ropes in the Madrid final before his injury got the better of him. If Nishikori can stay injury free, then he could go further than his projected last sixteen seeding. Last year he made the fourth round of the French Open, expect him to go at least one or two rounds further.

Dominic Thiem

Beating Warinka in Madrid was a break through for the Austrian youngster. At times in that match he looked every bit the future star he is touted to be. No one will want to face him in the opening rounds, and Nadal may come up against him in the second round. If Nadal is not at his best, things could get ugly early at Roland Garros.

Milos Raonic

Few knew how well Raonic could play on Clay before his last four meeting against Djokovic in Rome. But his gorundstrokes had the pundits purring and when teamed with that formidable serve, Raonic could surprise us even further the next two weeks.

Federico Delbonis

Last year he beat Federer on clay in Hamburg and he had a good week in Nice, beating Isner in a final set tiebreaker, no mean feat, and then thrashing Simon to make the final.

Santiago Giraldo

The Barcelona finalist has the tools and the support in Fernando Gonzales, the 2009 Roland Garros semi-finalist, to knock out a few seeds on his way to the second week. And at a tournament that has seen the likes of Verkerk in the final, who is to say Giraldo could not raise a few eyebrows in three Sundays time.

Nick Kyrgios

The next big thing is getting more and more press time as he progresses, and as his profile rises, he raises his game. Could this be the slam he announces himself as a major player on the pro tour? He will face Milos Raonic in the first round.

Ernests Gulbis

The Nice champion and a player who on his day can compete with the likes of Nadal and Federer on Clay at Masters events. He can also go out to anyone in the first round. What he will do in Paris will be intriguing to say the least, especially if he makes it through to a possible fourth round encounter with Roger Federer.

The lead up to the French Open is nearly complete. Three Masters events and a handful of ATP 500 and 250 tournaments are done or nearly there and there is nowhere else to go now but Roland Garros itself. For some the run up proved invaluable, giving some much needed match play and confidence. For others, one high profile clay legend in particular, it was less than satisfactory, if not potentially disastrous. The tennis review looks at the winners and losers of the French Open lead-up 2014.

Winners:

Novak Djokovic

Up until his wrist injury in the semis of Monte Carlo, Djokovic was the player to beat this season. The injury meant he sat out Madrid but he came back at Rome to beat Nadal in the final. That win will reassure fans that the wrist should not be a problem come Roland Garros. More importantly, it also demonstrates Djokovic’s mental state and the state of his game. Having only played 4 clay matches all season, to come and grab the Italian Open out the hands of 7 time champ Nadal is nothing less than the stuff of a future Roland Garros champion. How soon in the future that will be depends on how Djokovic copes with the pressure of winning his first French Open crown in a few weeks time.

Martin Klizan

Klizan came back from being ranked in the 100s to winning the ATP250 event in Munich as a qualifier, and beating ATP 250 clay court event king Fognini in the final. The 24 year old Slovak has threatened to break through for a while now. Could this be his time?

Nicolas Amalgro

Amalgro grabbed his first win over Nadal and at home, too, in Barcelona. That victory took it out of him as he won only one more match this clay season, but the win over Nadal was progress for the world no.22 and it will be interesting to see what confidence he takes from it in Paris.

David Ferrer

Another player who got a victory over Nadal on Clay-his first since 2004, and in Monte carlo, too. Ferrer also challenged Djokovic in Rome and looked every bit the French Open 2013 runner up. Can he go one better this season?

Dominic Thiem

The ATP’s most promising youngster turned it on against Monte Carlo champion Stan Wawrinka in Madrid. It was a big win for the youngster and further proof he has what it takes to be a contender on the ATP tour.

Milos Raonic

Raonic made the semis of Rome and was a breaker away from knocking out Djokovic. Critics purred about his improved backcourt game. Could that big serve and better back-court play bring Canada something special at Roland Garros?

Andy Murray

The highlight of an underwhelming season was Murray’s aggressive play which took Nadal to 7-5 in the third in their Rome encounter. The sight of Murray moving forward and taking on the net to push Nadal all the way was worth seeing, and something we hope to see once more at Roland Garros.

Kei Nishikori

For a set and much of the next one, Nishikori looked every bit an ATP 1000 champion in Madrid. A groin injury got the better of him, and Nadal had a say in things, too, but expect Nishikori to make a statement well worth listening to at the French.

Losers:

Rafael Nadal

Only 1 title for Nadal this clay court season. For the king of clay that is something of a disaster. Low on confidence and beaten by Alamgro, Ferrer, Djokovic and oh so nearly by Nishikori, the Mallorcan has not been so vulnerable on red clay since 2004. That year he failed to win the French-will this year be the same?

Roger Federer

Federer came up short in the Monte Carlo final. He then missed Madrid to be at the birth of his twins and was angry and frustrated as he lost to Chardy in Rome in a third set breaker. This year saw Federer as  loser only on the courts though, but a winner when it came to fatherhood, and which one was more important to the Swiss, who was ready to miss the French for the birth of his sons, was never in doubt.

Stanislas Wawrinka

It seemed in Monte Carlo, Wawrinka had what it took to put together something of a run in the clay season. But the Swiss flopped in Madrid and Rome and his lack of consistency is worrying as the French Open looms.

Fabio Fognini

Fognini proved himself to be quite the clay-courter last season but in the lead up to the French his best result was making the Munich final. The Italian went out early in his other events, a sad state of affairs for the tour as few players are as easy on the eye as when the Fog is on.

Grigor Dimitrov

Dimitrov made the Rome semis but more was expected of him this clay season. He may go under the radar at Roland Garros though after his underwhelming display, which may prove to be something of a blessing for the ATP’s most marketable star.