By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, May 22, 2015
Reigning Roland Garros champion Maria Sharapova has reached three consecutive French Open finals.
Photo credit: FFT
Part-time Paris resident Serena Williams knows navigating through the terre battue can be a challenge under the best conditions.
Playing for a 20th Grand Slam championship, the world No. 1 faces a French Open draw that, on paper, looks as daunting as a hurdling the Arc de Triomphe.
In reality, if the reigning U.S. Open and Australian Open champion works her way through the first week, she should be strengthened for another title run.
More: Roland Garros Men's Draw Preview
Two-time champion Serena plays a qualifier in her opener. The degree of difficulty could rise dramatically in a possible third-round clash against former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, who held three match points over Williams in Madrid before the Belarusian's serve completely collapsed sparking the top seed's rally. Should Williams prevail in the rematch, she could face 15th-seeded sister Venus Williams or compatriot Sloane Stephens in a potential all-American fourth-round match.
Since storming to the Indian Wells final, Jelena Jankovic has managed to make just one quarterfinal, retiring against Stephens in Strasbourg, But if Jankovic can regain full health, defend her suspect second serve and play with positive energy rather than delve into the drama queen antics she sometimes produces under pressure, the three-time French Open semifinalist could surprise in this quarter that features fellow former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki as a possible third-round opponent for the Serbian, former finalist Sara Errani and No. 10 seed Andrea Petkovic.
First Quarterfinal Prediction: (1) Serena Williams vs. (25) Jelena Jankovic
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova can veer from explosive to erratic, but she showed her clay-court skills beating a pair of former French Open champions — world No. 1 Serena and Svetlana Kuznetsova — en route to the Madrid title. The 2012 French Open semifinalist is one of the few women aside from Williams who can dictate play on both serve and return and she enjoys a favorable draw.
Kuznetsova, who beat Kvitova in Paris last year, can emotionally implode under pressure, but the 2009 champion has been a fervent competitor in the City of Light reaching at least the quarters in seven of her last nine appearances. Sveta is a threat in a section of the draw that includes some talented young players in No. 6 Eugenie Bouchard, No. 12 Karolina Pliskova and No. 16 Madison Keys.
Second Quarterfinal Prediction: (4) Petra Kvitova vs. (18) Svetlana Kuznetsova
Simona Halep came within a set of winning Roland Garros last June, but the Indian Wells champion has not advanced to a clay-court final this season. Still, the Romanian is the class of this quarter and has reached at least the quarterfinals in four of her last five Grand Slam starts.
Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic will be pumped to recapture the magic in Paris, but could run into nemesis Caroline Garcia in a third-round rematch of their 2014 French Open first-round clash. The 31st-seeded Frenchwoman is 3-0 against Ivanovic this season.
Third Quarterfinal Prediction: (31) Caroline Garcia vs. (3) Simona Halep
Sharapova's opening opponent, Kaia Kanepi, is a powerful baseliner who can be dangerous. However Sharapova swept Kanepi, 6-2, 6-3, in the 2012 Roland Garros quarterfinals and has won eight of the nine sets they've played.
Rome runner-up Carla Suarez Navarro is a two-time French Open quarterfinalist, who has reached at least the quarters in 10 of her 11 tournaments this season.
Fourth Quarterfinal Prediction: (2) Maria Sharapova vs. (8) Carla Suarez Navarro
First-Round Matches to Watch
(15) Venus Williams vs. Sloane Stephens
The first meeting between the Americans could be riveting. The 41st-ranked Stephens has reached the Roland Garros fourth round three times in a row; 2002 finalist Venus is 2-2 in tournament play on clay this year.
Kristina Mladenovic vs. (6) Eugenie Bouchard
The powerful Frenchwoman is better known for doubles achievement, but she upset then world No. 2 Li Na in the 2014 French Open first round. Bouchard, who has been mired in a horrific sophomore slump losing seven of her last eight matches, could feel the pressure of defending her semifinal points from last year.
(13) Lucie Safarova vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
The hard-hitting Pavlyuchenkova has beaten the Czech left-hander in four of their prior five meetings and is a 2011 French Open quarterfinalist. Safarova has failed to survive the second round in eight of 10 prior appearances, but her curling lefty serve is a weapon: She leads the WTA in service games won (83 percent) and break points saved (70 percent) in 2015.