Road to Rolland Garos

[RocknRolla]

Just found this and thought that PL should have it too! It may be interesting and useful for the ATP punters here. The Road to Roland Garros - Preview of the 2009 Clay Court Season Part I – Schedule week 15: Casablanca (250)/Houston (250) week 16: Monte-Carlo (1000) week 17: Barcelona (500) week 18: Rome (1000) week 19: Estoril (250)/Munich (250)/Belgrade (250) week 20: Madrid (1000) week 21: Kitzbühel (250)/Düsseldorf WTC (250) weeks 22-23: Roland Garros (2000) The schedule has gone through quite a few changes from previous years. First of all the clay court season is back to its normal length of nine weeks. The madness of last year hopefully won’t be repeated again. Secondly there are three new tournaments and three of the old tournaments have been either re-scheduled or cancelled. Madrid and its shiny new ‘Magic Box’ replaces Hamburg as the third Masters 1000, the Djokovic family bought the rights to organize a tournament in Belgrade and the scenic Kitzbühel event returns to the tour in the place of Pörtschach. Also some tournaments have been moved forward/back. The Ferrero owned Valencia event has changed surfaces and been added to the fall indoor swing. Estoril and Munich together with the new Belgrade event have moved to the week between Rome and Madrid (formerly Hamburg), so this year none of the clay Masters are played in back to back weeks. Monte-Carlo retained its Masters status, although it no longer is a mandatory tournament and this has given certain players the option to skip it without any penalties. Casablanca is now the first stop for many clay lovers, though most of the big names start their clay season in Monte-Carlo. Also for the first time in history the World Team Cup in Düsseldorf offers ranking points in an effort to make the event more appealing to the players. Overall the schedule is healthier than in previous years and the players have more freedom to plan their clay schedules. For a player like Nadal, the chance to win all three clay Masters during the same year is better than ever. Here's a look at where the top players are scheduled to play during the clay season: Nadal \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome\_/Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Federer \_/Monte-Carlo\_/Rome\_/Madrid\_/Roland Garros (4) (edit) Djokovic \_/Monte-Carlo\_/Rome-Belgrade-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Murray \_/Monte-Carlo\_/Rome\_/Madrid\_/Roland Garros (4) Del Potro \_/Monte-Carlo\_/Rome\_/Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (5) Roddick \_/\_/\_/Rome\_/Madrid\_/Roland Garros (3) Simon \_/Monte-Carlo\_/Rome\_/Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (5) Verdasco \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome\_/Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Davydenko \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Estoril-Madrid-Kitzbühel-Roland Garros (7) Monfils \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome\_/Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Tsonga \_/\_/Barcelona-Rome\_/Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (5) Ferrer \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Estoril-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (6) Gonzalez \_/\_/Barcelona-Rome-Munich-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Robredo \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome\_/Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Nalbandian \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Estoril-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (6) Wawrinka \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome\_/Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Blake Houston\_/\_/Rome-Estoril-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Cilic \_/Monte-Carlo\_/Rome-Munich-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Stepanek \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Belgrade-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (6) Almagro \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Munich-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (6) Safin \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome\_/Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Andreev Casablanca-Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Belgrade-Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (8) Gasquet \_/\_/Barcelona-Rome-Estoril-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Soderling \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome\_/Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (6) Berdych \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Munich-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (6) Karlovic \_/Monte-Carlo\_/Rome-Belgrade-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Tursunov \_/\_/\_/Rome\_/Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (4) Fish Houston\_/\_/Rome-Estoril-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Schuettler Casablanca-Monte-Carlo\_/Rome-Munich-Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (7) Kiefer \_/Monte-Carlo\_/Rome-Munich-Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (6) Melzer Houston-Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome\_/Madrid-Kitzbühel-Roland Garros (7) Lopez \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome\_/Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Ancic \_/\_/\_/Rome-Munich-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (4) Kohlschreiber \_/Monte-Carlo\_/Rome-Munich-Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (6) Montanes Casablanca-Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Estoril-Madrid-Kitzbühel-Roland Garros (8) Troicki \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Belgrade-Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (7) Kunitsyn \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Munich-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (6) Mathieu \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Munich-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (6) Hanescu Casablanca-Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Belgrade-Madrid-Kitzbühel-Roland Garros (8) Seppi \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Belgrade-Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (7) Bolelli \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Munich-Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (7) Gulbis \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Munich-Madrid\_/Roland Garros (6) Chardy Houston-Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Munich-Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (8) Querrey \_/\_/\_/Rome-Belgrade-Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (5) Acasuso \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome\_/Madrid\_/Roland Garros (5) Vassallo Arguello \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Munich-Madrid-Kitzbühel-Roland Garros (7) Nieminen \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Tunis-Munich-Madrid-Kitzbühel-Roland Garros (7) Monaco \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Estoril-Madrid-Düsseldorf-Roland Garros (7) Ljubicic Casablanca-Monte-Carlo\_/Rome-Belgrade-Madrid-Kitzbühel-Roland Garros (7) Youzhny \_/Monte-Carlo-Barcelona-Rome-Munich-Madrid-Kitzbühel-Roland Garros (7) \_/ = week not playing Part II – Player analysis Rafael Nadal -09 form: 24-3 on the season, AO and IW champ, Nadal is enjoying his best ever start to the season and has already beaten all the Top 10 players this year. Has further improved his serve and backhand (the slice in particular). last year during this time: 22-1 (lost only to Ferrero in Rome) Won MC, Barcelona, Hamburg and RG what to expect? On clay Nadal is expected to win every tournament he enters, that hasn’t been questioned. I think he’s taking a risk by playing Barcelona, the tournament needs him more than he needs it. Now it’s possible that he will be tired in Rome or Madrid and the chance to win all three clay Masters is smaller. I reckon he wins (just) 2 out of 3. At RG, Nadal is a huge favorite again. Roger Federer -09 form: 17-4 on the season, AO finalist, Federer is again without a title and has suffered painful losses to all his main rivals Nadal, Djokovic and Murray (twice). Still has had a better start to the season than in 2008. last year during this time: 21-4 (three losses to Nadal) Won Estoril, runner-up at MC, Hamburg and RG what to expect? It’s difficult to predict how Federer will rebound in Rome after that horrible match in Miami. He’s still the second best player on clay, but playing only two events before RG can’t be good (Edit: Federer accepted a WC to MC). I think he’ll make the final in either Rome or Madrid, but you get the feeling we might not see another Nadal-Federer final at RG this year. Novak Djokovic -09 form: 22-8 on the season, Dubai winner, Djokovic has been struggling with his game (especially on the forehand side) and fitness. Not nearly as confident as 12 months ago, but showed signs of improvement in Miami. last year during this time: 16-3 (lost only to Nadal and Federer) Won Rome, SF at MC, Hamburg and RG what to expect? Djokovic is currently not the same player he was 12 months ago (confidence, fitness), so it’s hard to see him repeating last year’s results. He’s still good enough to make the quarters/semis at the big events and will probably win his home event in Belgrade. Andy Murray -09 form: 26-2 on the season, only player with 3 titles already (Doha, Rotterdam, Miami), Murray has kept up his great form and consistency from the second half of 2008. Has matured nicely during the past year (better body language, stamina, etc.) and is full of confidence. last year during this time: 7-5 (no wins against Top 30 players) 3rd round at RG what to expect? Murray will surely do better than last year. He’s fitter, mentally stronger, more confident and seeded much higher (byes at Masters) this time. It’s hard to judge how much better he will do, but quarters and semis at Masters should be possible. And atleast the 4th round at RG. Juan Martin Del Potro -09 form: 19-5 on the season, winner in Auckland, Del Potro has been a model of consistency reaching QF or better in all of his tournaments this year. Showed great mental strength in the win over Nadal in Miami, which must give him belief in future matches against the big boys. last year during this time: 3-3 (was suffering from a back injury) QF in Munich, 2nd round at RG what to expect? Del Potro won two titles on clay last year, so he’s definitely a threat on this surface. With the added confidence from Miami, I wouldn’t be surprised if he made a run to the final of one the Masters events. And he’s the guy nobody wants in their quarter at RG, including Nadal. Andy Roddick -09 form: 26-5 on the season, Memphis winner and SF at AO, Roddick’s start to the season has been excellent under the guidance of new coach Stefanki. Has improved his fitness and movement, which has led to better success in the longer baseline rallies. Still struggles with his approach shots and can be too passive at times. last year during this time: 3-1 (could only play Rome due to a shoulder injury) SF in Rome what to expect? Roddick can play well on clay, that’s not the problem. In fact, his current patient style of play and improved fitness/movement make him quite well suited to clay. The main question is how well he will prepare as the grass court season is just around the corner. Playing exho’s in South America and possibly getting married might not be the ideal way. If he’s serious about doing well on clay, QF at RG is not impossible. Gilles Simon -09 form: 14-9 on the season, quarterfinalist at AO, Simon hasn’t been able to keep up the superb form of last fall. Lost both of his matches in Davis Cup debut against the Czechs, which was a big blow to his confidence. last year during this time: 7-5 (won just 7 games vs. Stepanek at RG) Won Casablanca, 1st round at RG what to expect? Simon seems a bit lost at the moment and clay is not his best surface (although he has won titles on it). I don’t see him making any big runs beyond the quarters this year. Fernando Verdasco -09 form: 15-4 on the season, semifinalist at AO, Verdasco has broken into the Top 10 for the first time and is playing the best tennis of his career. Has improved all aspects of his game (physical, mental, tactical) and is finally living up to his big potential. last year during this time: 10-6 (went 8-3 in his last three events) QF in Hamburg, 4th round at RG what to expect? The new and improved Verdasco is definitely a guy to watch out for on clay. The big question is if he can keep it together over a longer period of time. If he gets to a good start in Monte-Carlo, he could become a contender for one of the bigger titles and a possible threat even to Nadal. I’m not quite sure that will happen though, but time will tell… Nikolay Davydenko -09 form: 2-1 on the season, Davydenko injured his left heel during the Chennai tournament and has had to miss AO, IW and Miami. Tried to make a comeback at Rotterdam, but it was too soon. Current fitness and form totally unknown. last year during this time: 16-5 (shock RG loss to Ljubicic) Won Pörtschach, SF at MC, 3rd round at RG what to expect? It’s impossible to predict what Davydenko is able to do after the long injury break. If he’s back to full fitness, he can be dangerous again. He has signed-up to play every week from Monte-Carlo to Roland Garros, so he should be getting enough match practice before RG. Gael Monfils -09 form: 15-7 on the season, runner-up in Acapulco, Monfils has had a solid start to the season and made his Top 10 debut in late February. Beat Nadal in Doha playing more aggressive tennis, but is still struggling with consistency and falls too easily to the old negative style of playing. last year during this time: 9-5 (found his confidence by winning the Marrakech challenger) SF at RG what to expect? Monfils is the joker card in the deck during the clay season. He’s got all the tools to play great on clay, but struggles to put it together in matches. If he can do that, he should be able to make deep runs into tournaments on a consistent basis. One of the few guys that could beat Nadal on clay (even at RG). Jo-Wilfried Tsonga -09 form: 25-5 on the season, winner in Johannesburg and Marseille, Tsonga has been in fine form so far this season. These days able to win matches more often when not playing his best tennis. Did look jaded during IW and Miami. last year during this time: 4-2 (injured his knee in Casablanca) SF in Casablanca, did not play RG what to expect? Tsonga has had very little experience on clay during his career, so it’s hard to expect much from him during this time. Can pull off a few good victories, but can also lose to almost anybody on this surface. Could make a decent run (with the home crowd support) at RG, especially if the weather is hot. Probably not beyond the 4th round though. David Ferrer -09 form: 17-7 on the season, finalist in Dubai, Ferrer is slowly starting to get back to his best shape. The game that lifted him into Top 5 is still there, but the confidence is not at the same level. Has struggled to win tight matches this year. last year during this time: 18-6 (missed a big chance at RG losing to Monfils) Won Valencia, finalist in Barcelona, QF at RG what to expect? Ferrer should have a very good clay court season again as his form has been on the rise lately. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in one or two finals, but winning the title would probably require beating Nadal (which I don’t see happening). Fernando Gonzalez -09 form: 10-3 on the season, Viña del Mar winner, Gonzalez has played very sparingly this year. Had to miss Davis Cup tie vs. Croatia due to a back injury. Form hasn’t been bad when opting to play, played really well on clay in Viña. last year during this time: 11-1 (had to give a walkover to Almagro in Rome) Won Munich, QF at RG what to expect? Gonzalez won’t start his clay season until Rome, which is kinda strange since he hasn’t played much tennis so far this season (Edit: just saw that Gonzo took a WC to Barcelona). Always dangerous on this surface, but the form book doesn’t point to great successes in the bigger events. Tommy Robredo -09 form: 21-6 on the season (14-2 on clay), won back to back titles in Costa do Sauipe and Buenos Aires, Robredo has been one of the form players of 2009. Hard work during the off-season has payed off, physically in very good shape. last year during this time: 13-6 (humbled by Stepanek at RG) SF in Valencia, 3rd round at RG what to expect? Robredo should be very hard to beat on clay, if he keeps up his current form. Will make the quarters in many places, but won’t beat the big boys. One of the guys that could take advantage, if the top players slip up early in a tournament. David Nalbandian -09 form: 10-5 on the season, winner in Sydney, Nalbandian’s start to the season has been fairly disappointing. Too much inconsistency and lack of fitness has been evident once again. Blew 5 match points against Nadal at IW. last year during this time: 4-4 (lost a 2-0 set lead to Chardy at RG) QF at MC, 2nd round at RG what to expect? If Nalbandian doesn’t get into shape, it’s pointless to expect any great results from him. When fit, he’s a real contender for titles and a possible threat to Nadal. Somehow I get the feeling Nalbandian will take his time to get over the loss to Nadal at IW and sulk through most of the clay season. Hopefully I’m wrong… Stanislas Wawrinka -09 form: 7-5 on the season, 3rd round at AO, Wawrinka has only played 12 matches during the first 3 months of the season. Didn’t start well in Australia, but showed improvement during IW and Miami. Dedicated the whole month of February solely to intensive training. last year during this time: 12-5 (lost a 2-0 set lead to Gonzalez at RG) Finalist in Rome, 3rd round at RG what to expect? To me it seems clear that Wawrinka has focused on doing well in this part of the season. All the fitness training in February should be rewarded now when other players might not be as fresh as Stan. Wawrinka is going to be a danger man for the higher seeds and looks to make some good runs in the Masters. James Blake -09 form: 9-6 on the season, semifinalist at San Jose, Blake has started the season poorly and is slipping down the rankings. Is struggling for confidence. This has led to really poor shot selection during many matches this year (especially on the backhand side). last year during this time: 8-6 (4-5 on European red clay) F in Houston, QF in Rome, 2nd round at RG what to expect? It’s hard to improve your form and confidence while playing on your worst surface. Blake’s struggles are set to continue during the clay season. Marin Cilic -09 form: 18-4 on the season, winner in Chennai and Zagreb, Cilic has had an excellent start to the season. Has become a really consistent performer, the only losses have come against top players. Still needs to work on improving his net game. Is on his way to the Top 10. last year during this time: 3-5 (didn’t win a match in Masters Series) QF in Munich, 2nd round at RG what to expect? Cilic didn’t do well on clay last year, but has shown in the past that he can play on the surface. He won’t lose to the lower ranked players anymore, but I don’t see him troubling the best players on this surface. Could make a couple of quarters in the Masters with the right kind of draw. Radek Stepanek -09 form: 19-6 on the season, Brisbane and San Jose champion, Stepanek is playing his best tennis and has beaten three Top 10 players already this year. Physically in very good shape. Led the Czechs (together with Berdych) to a victory over France in Davis Cup. last year during this time: 7-3 (defeated Federer in Rome QF) SF in Rome, 4th round at RG what to expect? Stepanek likes to play on clay even though it’s not his best surface. He should continue making good results during this period and cause a few upsets over higher ranked players. Another guy to avoid having in your part of the draw for most players. Nicolas Almagro -09 form: 10-5 on the season (7-2 on clay), winner in Acapulco, Almagro hasn’t started the year as strongly as last year. Found his form in Acapulco, but has been struggling with minor injury niggles (back, wrist) since then. Is not in the best physical condition. last year during this time: 15-5 (suffered a wrist injury in Rome) Finalist in Valencia, QF at RG, Rome and Barcelona what to expect? Almagro will have a hard time defending his results from last year, if his form and fitness don’t improve quickly. Still he is one of the best claycourters around and has loads of weapons to rely on. Almagro needs to have a good start in Monte-Carlo now that Valencia is not there. Has the potential to go far, but there’s a big question mark hanging over his head at the moment. Part III – Impact on the rankings (the big four) The battle for the #2 & #3 spots behind Nadal is developing nicely for the clay court season. Djokovic has a lot of points to defend during this time, so the heat is on the Serb to produce excellent results on clay again. Federer also has plenty of points to defend and his decision to only play two tournaments before RG is going to give the challengers (especially Murray) a good opportunity to close the gap. Murray on the other hand has a lot to gain during this period, if he can improve his clay court game. Nadal obviously has the most to defend during this period, but he’s miles ahead of others and not in any danger of losing the top spot. Points to defend during clay season 1. Nadal 4610 (1000+600+10+1000+2000) 2. Federer 3400 (350+700+250+700+1400) 3. Djokovic 2800 (450+1000+450+900) 4. Murray 520 (150+70+150+150) Points without clay season 1. Nadal 9860 (14470-4610) 2. Murray 8320 (8840-520) 3. Federer 7620 (11020-3400) 4. Djokovic 6210 (9010-2800) Predicted points before RG* 1. Nadal 14720 (11860+1000+500+360+1000) 2. Federer 9980 (9020+360+600) 3. Murray 9190 (8470+180+360+180) 4. Djokovic 8260 (7110+360+180+250+360) Predicted points after RG* 1. Nadal 12720 +RG points 2. Murray 9040 +RG points 3. Federer 8580 +RG points 4. Djokovic 7360 +RG points (Edit: Federer will play in Monte-Carlo after all and could add some points from there) Verdict: Djokovic is almost certain to drop to #4 very soon and stay there atleast until Wimbledon. Nadal is also safe at #1 for quite a while. The most interesting battle will be for the #2 spot between Federer and Murray. Things are not likely to change before RG as Murray would have to outscore Federer by 700 points in just three events. The roles are likely to be reversed at RG, where Federer probably has to outscore Murray by some 400-500 points to stay at #2. That means making the final is required from Federer, if Murray reaches the QF. If Murray falls before the QF’s, Federer could also stay at #2 with a SF. *= the numbers might not be 100% accurate due to complicated ranking system Part IV – Predictions This is the fun part. Casablanca: The Casachallenger is underway and the field is very even this year. We can expect plenty of surprises and tight matches, which makes the predicting job hard. Houston: The Houston event has also started and the players there make a quite interesting mix. High ranked American clay clowns vs. low ranked Latino dirtballers. The courts are playing fast again, so guessing the winner is pure lottery at this point. Monte-Carlo: With Federer skipping the event this year, it’s going to be interesting to see who will face Rafa in the final? (Edit: Federer accepted a WC to MC) Barcelona: The Spaniards always do well here on their home court, another all Spanish final beckons. Rome: The first event where all the top players are present. Nadal might be tired, Federer could be rusty, Djokovic under pressure to defend. It could be two surprise finalists here. Munich: The Munich field has good strength in depth, but no clear favorites. Very difficult to predict, especially at this point. Estoril: Estoril has managed to gather a decent field of players considering its position in the calendar. Top players motivation will heavily depend on the results of previous week(s). Belgrade: The new Belgrade event is tailor-made for Djokovic to win. Mediocre player field, byes for the top seeds, plenty of support from the crowd…what could go wrong? Madrid: The new Masters event should have all the top players eager to become the first champion. The conditions should be excellent in the Magic Box with the added option of closing the roof. Kitzbühel: The beautiful Kitzi event is back and it has gathered a decent field despite the bad calendar position. The high altitude makes things more interesting, which requires adjustments from the players. WTC Düsseldorf: Düsseldorf is awarding ranking points for the first time and they have attracted good teams this year. Roland Garros: too early to make this one Comment, discuss, make your own predictions! :ok

[IAmGooner]

Re: Road to Rolland Garos Fantastic work RePunt. My only hope for the clay court season is that nadal at least gets some competition.The players who I see as troubling him are federer,djokovic and nalbandian.Fed has the all-round game but never plays aggressive enough or uses any variation in his game.Start coming to the net a bit more and take your break point chances.Novak has a good clay court game and Nalbandian is one of those guys that can outplay anyone on his day. Then theres the usual clay courters like almagro who are good but not good enough to trouble the big boys.Not sure about murray,looking forward to seeing him against Hanescu which could be a tricky match

[heret0win]

Re: Road to Rolland Garos

Fantastic work RePunt. My only hope for the clay court season is that nadal at least gets some competition.The players who I see as troubling him are federer,djokovic and nalbandian.Fed has the all-round game but never plays aggressive enough or uses any variation in his game.Start coming to the net a bit more and take your break point chances.Novak has a good clay court game and Nalbandian is one of those guys that can outplay anyone on his day. Then theres the usual clay courters like almagro who are good but not good enough to trouble the big boys.Not sure about murray,looking forward to seeing him against Hanescu which could be a tricky match

almagro is a rubbish clay courter he really is. i see nadal killing everyone on the clay courts with the only challenge more then likely coming from a player in verdasco or mabye even cilic . Will be a interesting month or 2 of tennis :)

[IAmGooner]

Re: Road to Rolland Garos meant to re-phrase it as so-called good claycourters who really only achieve results on the surface but fall short against the top players.verdasco might do well,cilic doesnt move well enough to hurt nadal or fed for me just seen simon got walloped by beck,disgraceful serve percentages

[RocknRolla]

Re: Road to Rolland Garos

Fantastic work RePunt.

It's not my work,but it's really good:ok

[IAmGooner]

Re: Road to Rolland Garos

It's not my work' date='but it's really good:ok[/quote'] I would never have known.should have taken the credit for it:D

[bakrac]

Re: Road to Rolland Garos

It's not my work' date='but it's really good:ok[/quote'] [ edit ] :clap:clap:clap:clap

[Messiexpert]

Re: Road to Rolland Garos Could u possibly tell from which person you copied it, or which website? I d like to look for of them. It s a great piece of work obviously. Thanks for the post. Best regards

[RocknRolla]

Re: Road to Rolland Garos Labamba at menstennisforumsdotcom did that great piece of work..:ok

[IAmGooner]

Re: Road to Rolland Garos Rolland Garros starting tomorrow...:clap Time to look at some selections for the overall winners: 1. Rafa Almost certain to get to the final. Has a few tough players in his draw like Ferrer, Davydenko and Verdasco but any of these are just likely to make a few sets competitive(Nando being the exception IMO - playing some good stuff recently and could push Rafa if everything clicks, the other two are not on form). Murray is also in his half but may not even get to play Rafa in the semis in my view.His price is not really worth backing though - 1/3! 2. Federer Finally beat Rafa again on clay in Madrid - was quite a long time. Federer should have no problems in his half with players like Martin,Acasuso with Roddick the only real big name test and he cant match Fed on clay(or any other surface:D).The big test likely to be semi-final meeting with Novak and Rafa awaiting in the final.Would love nothing more than to see him win it - who knows? 3. Djokovic As I said above,potential meeting with Fed in the semi's to decide who meets Rafa.Del Potro and Monaco are also in his half and are playing well but shouldnt beat Novak. 4. Murray and the rest Cant see Murray getting to the semi's tbh.Has some tricky players like Stepanek and Gonzalez in his quarter.Verdasco and Del Potro will be hoping to have good tournaments. In the womens: 1. Safina Big chance to win her first slam here. Reached the final last year and has dominated the clay season this year.One of the biggest fighters on the womens tour and the fittest,will surely go deep into the tournament.The dangers in her half are Venus and Ivanovic but the former is not good on clay and the latter is off form.Serena, Dementieva and Jankovic are in the other half but Dinara is in top form now. My winners: Rafa and Safina Personally wont be backing Rafa but will have some money on Safina at 7/2 Is it possible to open a thread for match selections?

[Crouch Potato]

Re: Road to Rolland Garos The one that interests me is Carla Suarrez Navarro. Made the Quarters here last year and had a very impressive Australian Open too. Her game is suited to clay (she is Spanish after all) and although she has a fairly tough draw I think she's a chance. Certainly at odds in excess of 150 she's a must back IMO.

[wiibet1]

Re: Road to Rolland Garos i have placed my bet for this years french open, i have gone for, name the finalists - federer and nadal £200 @ 6/4 with coral thanks yours views will be appreiated