Roland Garros, Paris, France, WTA GRAND SLAM

[Moxie]

DATE: 22 May 2016 - June 5 2016
SURFACE: Clay
PRIZE MONEY: €16,008,750
FIELD SIZE: 128
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Serena Williams

Seeds:
1.WILLIAMS, Serena
2.RADWANSKA, Agnieszka
3.KERBER, Angelique
4.MUGURUZA, Garbine
5.AZARENKA, Victoria
6.HALEP, Simona
7.VINCI, Roberta
8.BACSINSZKY, Timea
9.WILLIAMS, Venus
10.KVITOVA, Petra
11.SAFAROVA, Lucie
12.SUAREZ NAVARRO, Carla
13.KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana
14.IVANOVIC, Ana
15.KEYS, Madison
16.ERRANI, Sara
17.PLISKOVA, Karolina
18.SVITOLINA, Elina
19.STEPHENS, Sloane
20.KONTA, Johanna
21.STOSUR, Samantha
22.CIBULKOVA, Dominika
23.JANKOVIC, Jelena
24.PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia
25.BEGU, Irina-Camelia
26.MLADENOVIC, Kristina
27.MAKAROVA, Ekaterina
28.PETKOVIC, Andrea
29.KASATKINA, Daria
30.STRYCOVA, Barbora
31.NICULESCU, Monica
32.OSTAPENKO, Jelena






Roland Garros 2006 by The Tennis Guru, on Flickr



Roland Garros day - tennis by Galdric Pons, on Flickr


The Tournament:

A French national tournament has been held since 1891. For some time it was open only to French citizens, or members of French clubs. In 1925, it was opened to international amateurs, and in 1968 it was the first Grand Slam event to go "open," allowing amateurs and professionals to compete. It has always been played on clay. In recent years there has been great controversy over plans to either expand the current facilities, or relocate the event. Relocation seems to be off the cards, but the expansion plans are still being debated and fought in the courts.

The Players:

Serena Williams is still #1 and defending champ. Kerber, Radwanska and Muguruza round out the top 4. Halep, at #5 is the dangerous floater. Azarenka is an unknown at #6, still suffering injuries.

Madison Keys has been having a good run. Is Bouchard staged for a comeback? Keep an eye on Ivanovic, who has won this tournament.

About City

Paris is the chicest of cities. No city is more casually or aggressively fashionable. But put on your scarf and gird yourself for an argument, because no place likes to talk philosophy, film, wine like Paris. It's both intimidating and invigorating.

Tourism Guide:

 

[britbox]

The Draw:

 

[Billie]

Kvitova had a little scare in her 1st match in Paris. Was leading comfortably but then Danka turned the things around and was serving for the match at 5:4 in the 3rd. But Kvitova prevailed and moves on.

 

[britbox]

Petra worries me a bit here. I've actually got her to go pretty far on the Draw Challenge but she's so inconsistent and I'm also never surprised when she loses. Good that she toughed this one out.

 

[britbox]

Who's everyone picking to win the tournament?

I've ended up going with Serena. I think the top half of the draw is less loaded and she's going to end up meeting a stool pigeon like Halep in the final dance. I think Serena ties Steffi here.

 

[Tennis Fan]

I'm picking Serena because she's faltered twice in going for 22. I hope she gets it this time. The suspense is too much.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

azarenka can't seem to stay fit. gets her rank up, wins stuff..then boom. back aggro.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Clay is not Petra's best surface,look out for Petra in the grass season.Serena had a good lead up tournament at Rome,lets face it she needed it,she is the defending champion at Roland Garos.Safarova also has to defend points being runner up last year,poor Lucie has had a horrid time trying to get her fitness level's back so far this year and was sick in Madrid.Halep's game to me is meant for clay,though she is too inconsistent to me.Sveta has a great clay game and she is my Dark Horse for this year at RG.I am still out on Vika,hopefully her injury has healed,clay is not her best surface though she has shown in the past she is quite adaptable on clay.

I will pick Serena to tie with Graf 22 GS titles.

 

[Tennis Fan]

azarenka can't seem to stay fit. gets her rank up, wins stuff..then boom. back aggro.

Bad luck. I'm sure she's in excellent shape. She works out hard, but good health is a blessing. It's not granted to everyone.

 

[Tennis Fan]

Clay is not Petra's best surface,look out for Petra in the grass season.Serena had a good lead up tournament at Rome,lets face it she needed it,she is the defending champion at Roland Garos.Safarova also has to defend points being runner up last year,poor Lucie has had a horrid time trying to get her fitness level's back so far this year and was sick in Madrid.Halep's game to me is meant for clay,though she is too inconsistent to me.Sveta has a great clay game and she is my Dark Horse for this year at RG.I am still out on Vika,hopefully her injury has healed,clay is not her best surface though she has shown in the past she is quite adaptable on clay.

I will pick Serena to tie with Graf 22 GS titles.

I hope Lucie does well. A huge drop in rankings would be horrible. She had a good start today, 0-2.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Interesting stat.....if Serena wins RG and joins Graf with 22 Grand Slam titles.Serena would also join Graf as the only players,WTA or ATP,t o win each of the four Grand Slam at least four times.

 

[britbox]

Interesting stat.....if Serena wins RG and joins Graf with 22 Grand Slam titles.Serena would also join Graf as the only players,WTA or ATP,t o win each of the four Grand Slam at least four times.

I was thinking Margaret Court might have been in that club too, but checked and "only" three Wimbledon titles.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I was thinking Margaret Court might have been in that club too, but checked and "only" three Wimbledon titles.

When I attended a luncheon at NSW Tennis a few years ago,Margaret Court was guest speaker.Court said she never felt comfortable on the main court at Wimbledon,thus her only 3 titles there.

 

[britbox]

Some good battles going on out there

Garbine a break up but also a set down to Schmiedlova... McHale in trouble and into a deciding set, Ostapenko a set down and Kuznetsova into a decider.

 

[britbox]

Garbine ties it up. Game on!

 

[britbox]

Garbine survives...

 

[britbox]

Results from the French Open Women's Singles Round 1 matches on Monday
25-Irina Begu (Romania) beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands (U.S.) 5-7 6-1 6-3
CoCo Vandeweghe (U.S.) beat Naomi Broady (Britain) 6-4 3-6 6-3
Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) beat Carina Witthoeft (Germany) 2-6 6-4 6-2
Johanna Larsson (Sweden) beat Magda Linette (Poland) 6-3 4-6 7-5
Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat 7-Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-1 6-3
2-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia) 6-0 6-2
Caroline Garcia (France) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-3 7-5
Annika Beck (Germany) beat Maryna Zanevska (Ukraine) 6-1 6-2
Elena Vesnina (Russia) beat Madison Brengle (U.S.) 6-2 6-3
Shelby Rogers (U.S.) beat 17-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) 3-6 6-4 6-3
Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) beat 16-Sara Errani (Italy) 6-3 6-2
Heather Watson (Britain) beat Nicole Gibbs (U.S.) 5-7 6-2 6-2
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Alexandra Dulgheru (Romania) 6-1 6-3
6-Simona Halep (Romania) beat Nao Hibino (Japan) 6-2 6-0
13-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) 4-6 6-1 6-4
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Croatia) beat Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-1 6-2
Cagla Buyukakcay (Turkey) beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Belarus) 5-7 7-6(2) 6-2
4-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Slovakia) 3-6 6-3 6-3
Myrtille Georges (France) beat Christina McHale (U.S.) 6-7(7) 6-0 6-3
Polona Hercog (Slovenia) beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) 6-4 7-6(4)
Naomi Osaka (Japan) beat 32-Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) 6-4 7-5
30-Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) beat Lucie Hradecka (Czech Republic) 6-4 7-5
19-Sloane Stephens (U.S.) beat Margarita Gasparyan (Russia) 6-4 6-3
Veronica Cepede Royg (Paraguay) beat Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 6-2 6-2

 

[britbox]

Women's Highlights

 

[britbox]

4-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Slovakia) 3-6 6-3 6-3

 

[britbox]

6-Simona Halep (Romania) beat Nao Hibino (Japan) 6-2 6-0