By Erik Gudris | Friday, May 23, 2014

 

Maria Sharapova was among the top women seeds who talked about their expectations heading into this year's French Open.

Photo Credit: Christopher Levy

The French Open started early for several of the women's top seeds as they spoke at pre-event press conferences on Friday.

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Top seed Serena Williams enters embracing the fact she is the defending champion having won the event last year for the first time in over a decade.

"It feels good for me," Williams said. "I don't remember the last time I was defending champ, so it feels really good that I'm here as defending champion. I'm really excited. Like I said, it's been a while, but I think I have had a really long, great career, hopefully. It just feels really good to be at this point in my career and playing as defending champion."

Williams' improvement on clay in recent years was more built on a desire not to lose early than any overall changes in her game, according to the World No. 1.

"I think it was more I don't want to lose. I want to be in the tournament," Williams said. "Not that I didn't have that feeling before, but it was even deeper to a point of I don't…I just want to be here. I want to play more. I want to do better."

For Maria Sharapova, a potential quarterfinal meeting against Williams is not something she is focusing on at the moment.

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"I look at the whole draw. You know, I don't look at certain matchups, I don't look too far ahead, but I'm not scared to see like who I would play, you know, later down the line or things like that."

Sharapova, who won titles in Stuttgart and Madrid, suffered an earlier than expected loss in Rome to Ana Ivanovic. But Sharapova views her whole clay court season heading into Paris as a positive one.

"Of course I would have loved to have done well in Rome, as well. I had great preparation. I had two great tournaments and had really tough matches, easier matches. I think a lot has been thrown at me in the last few weeks in all the matches I have played, and I think that's great for, you know, coming into a big tournament like this."

Reigning Australian Open champion Li Na enters as this year's No. 2 seed. Though she has fond memories of her 2011 title run in Paris, Li knows this is a whole new event.

"Of course it's good memory, you know. Even after five or ten years you always cannot forget. Even you saw your picture in the wall, you cannot forget always," Li said. "Of course you cannot do exactly the same like 2011. You know, every year is different."

France's No. 1 Alize Cornet, now competing in her 10th main draw at her home major, admits that she will feel the pressure as she tries to reach the second week.

"It's very special, very different. The atmosphere is different. The French crowd is expecting us a lot. Sometimes they are kind of judging us," Cornet said. "But when you have them in your pocket they are just behind you one hundred precent and they can give you wings. That's my goal. Trying to have wings with them on the court and fly over my matches. That would be the best scenario possible."

Opening round play will commence on Sunday, May 25th.