2016 WTA FRENCH OPEN PREVIEW

This Week In Tennis
Vol. 20a

Serena Williams is about to begin her third attempt at capturing a 22nd Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros. That is likely to be the biggest WTA storylines you will read about during the course of her stay in Paris. While she has the best chance of any to win the title, the field possesses a host of other players who could make a deep run. This French Open preview will not predict a winner, but rather take a look at the form and concerns of some of the more prominent contenders, and offer some other players to keep an eye on over the next fortnight of Grand Slam tennis. 

Clickhere for the ATP French Open preview.

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​SEEDS (Click for the full women's draw)

(1) Serena Williams

Best Result: W - 2002, 2013, 2015

2016 Clay Results: W - Rome 

What can be said about Serena Williams at this point that hasn't already been said? Her title last week in Rome was yet another reminder that she is the best the WTA has to offer and you should bet against her at your own peril.

(2) Agnieszka Radwanska

Best Result: QF - 2013

2016 Clay Results: SF - Stuttgart, 1R - Madrid

The French Open has not been kind to Radwanska historically. In nine attempts, she's made it to the fourth round only four times, and only once has she made it as far as the quarterfinals. Last week, she wrote a piece for The Straits Times documenting her struggles on clay, the causes, and the efforts she's made to overcome them. After losing her opener in Madrid, she opted to skip Rome to work on her clay court game. We shall see if her efforts pay off in Paris.  

(3) Angelique Kerber

Best Result: QF - 2012

2016 Clay Results: W- Stuttgart, 1R - Madrid, 2R - Rome

The Australian Open champion backed up her stellar start to the year with a title run in Stuttgart. However, she enters Roland Garros with underwhelming results in Madrid and Rome, before withdrawing from Nurnberg citing shoulder trouble. Still, she's now a very big name in women's tennis and one to watch regardless of form. She's drawn in the top half with Serena Williams and could face Madison Keys in the fourth round and Timea Bacsinszky in the quarterfinals.

(4) Garbine Muguruza

Best Result: QF - 2014, 2015

2016 Clay Results: QF - Stuttgart, 2R - Madrid, SF - Rome

Muguruza has been the presumptive next best on the WTA Tour for a couple years, and now boasts a #4 ranking to justify the hype. Buyukakcay and Kuznetsova lurk in her section before she might have to square off against Kvitova in the quarterfinals, the final stop for her in Paris the last two years. If she is healthy, and able to build off a semifinal showing in Rome last week, the draw sets up nicely for her to go at least one round further this time around. 

​(5) Victoria Azarenka

Best Result: SF - 2013

2016 Clay Results: R16 - Madrid, 2R - Rome

After sweeping through Indian Wells and Miami, Azarenka was poised to transfer that momentum into the clay court season and seriously challenge for the title in Paris. Unfortunately for the fifth seed, a back issue flared up in Madrid forcing her to issue a walkover to Chirico, before losing her opening match to Begu at the Italian Open. Azarenka owns only one clay title in her career (from 10 finals), and her best showing in Paris is a semifinal in 2013. With her preparation for Roland Garros being less than ideal, and Serena Williams lurking as her potential quarterfinal opponent, a deep run might not be in the cards this time around either.
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(6) Simona Halep

Best Result: F - 2014

2016 Clay Results: R16 - Stuttgart, W - Madrid, 2R - Rome

The good news for Halep: her title run in Madrid should give her a boost of confidence after a relatively sub-par 2016. The bad news for Halep: Mirjana Lucic-Baroni is a potential third round opponent. If you recall, Halep has played her twice before, and lost both matches in early rounds at Slams, one of those being at last year's French Open.

(7) Roberta Vinci

Best Result: 4R - 2013

2016 Clay Results: QF - Stuttgart, 1R - Madrid, 2R - Rome, 2R - Nurnberg

After her big run to the U.S. Open finals last year, Vinci has followed up with a win in St. Petersburg and a further three quarterfinals in 2016. Not a bad return for the 33-year-old. Unfortunately, most of her best results this year have come on hard or indoor courts. Yes, she made the quarterfinals in Stuttgart, but she also lost both of her Fed Cup matches against Spain, as well as her first matches in Madrid and Rome. Looking for a bit more practice in Nurnberg this week, she lost in the second round to Kiki Bertens. In 14 tries at Roland Garros, she's made the fourth round only once. 

(8) Timea Bacsinszky

​Best Result: SF - 2015
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2016 Clay Results: W - Rabat, R16 - Madrid, QF - Rome

Bacsinszky is one of the only players on the WTA Tour who's managed to avoid early round losses since the Australian Open. Save for losing all four of her Fed Cup matches, Bacsinszky's consistency has seen her make at least the round of 16 in every tournament she's entered since Australia. If she gets through Siegemund or Bouchard in the second round, she stands a good shot at meeting Kerber or Keys in the quarterfinals, and possibly matching her semifinal from a year ago against Serena in the semifinals. 

​OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH

​Francesca Schiavone 
​Svetlana Kuznetsova
Dominika Cibulkova
Madison Keys
Cagla Buyukakcay
Louisa Chirico
​Irina-Camelia Begu

​EARLY ROUND INTRIGUE

​Gibbs vs Watson
Lucic-Baroni vs Hantuchova
Stosur vs Doi
Mladenovic vs Schiavone
Svitolina vs Cirstea
Kasatkina vs Friedsam
Chirico vs Davis
​Bouchard vs Siegemund

TOURNAMENT NOTES
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• ​There are only four former champions in the draw: S. Williams, Kuznetsova, Ivanovic, and Schiavone.
• Serena Williams will look to break her record from a year ago as the tournament's oldest champion. 
• Williams is also attempting to win her 22nd Grand Slam singles title and tie Steffi Graf for 2nd all-time.
• Schiavone (#17 in 2010) is the lowest ranked woman in the Open Era to win Roland Garros. 

​​2015 Champions: 

Singles: Serena Williams
Doubles: Mattek-Sands/Safarova
Mixed Doubles: Mattek-Sands/M. Bryan
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Withdrawals: Belinda Bencic, Caroline Wozniacki 

Unfortunately my ankle still isn't 100%, so I'm gonna take my time,work hard &come back stronger!Thank you so much for the get well messages

— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) May 18, 2016

I am so sorry , but due to medical Problems at my shoulder I had to withdraw from Nuremberg....

— Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) May 13, 2016

Bonjour à tous □□ □□□ pic.twitter.com/wcyvAK7RQU

— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) May 18, 2016

□ @rolandgarros pic.twitter.com/bJUbmiZmCY

— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) May 16, 2016

Next stop ✈️ Paris and @rolandgarros #RG16

— Ana Ivanovic (@AnaIvanovic) May 18, 2016

Oh la la París!! Bonjour @rolandgarros!! □□□ pic.twitter.com/Xd31b2C0lL

— Carla Suarez Navarro (@CarlaSuarezNava) May 18, 2016

Paris from a different view. First time in Montmartre. pic.twitter.com/m2AwxNBWih

— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) May 17, 2016

Literally □□ #teamneverleaveroom https://t.co/SDojgV74Q8

— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) May 18, 2016

ON THE WEB

WTA Signs TV Deal with Bein
Evert: Time Running out on Sharapova
WTA Clay Court Power Rankings
Graf Named Zhuhai Tournament Ambassador
Who Will Have Paris
Wertheim: French Open Women's Seed Report
2016 French Open Preview Roundtable: Predictions, Dark Horses
After a String of Ailments, an Upbeat Safarova Returns to Paris
​WTA Tour CEO Steve Simon Calls for Equal Pay Expansion
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