Enough of the annual Sunday start whine, it’s time to talk about the event. As for the usual faces more on them later, they get enough space in more prestigious blogs or media outlets than this.
Roland Garros
It’s good to have Slams on natural surfaces and as for how the clay will play. It comes down to a few things, how much clay is on the top surface, are they using the Babolat lighter ball again and the most important part the climatic conditions. Yes, these impact on how the surface plays, the warmer & drier the faster and more slippery. Bit of rain, cool and cloudy makes it heavy, just have to get the right
From a personal point of view the draw wasn’t great but there will be some good 1st round matches and in most cases these will be followed through a live scoreboard as in the first 2 rounds. The best matches are on the outside courts that aren’t streamed.
Seppi vs. Giraldo : This match is a tough one to call but thankfully someone I like will make the next round. Seppi hasn’t been in great form this season but he’s a tough guy to beat. Giraldo was just outside the seedings and he’s a player who doesn’t have a great Grand Slam record.
Seppi
Giraldo
Santi is in better form, the final in Barcelona in spite of the result has given him confidence and yes he’s moving better which is one of his big weaknesses. Giraldo when he’s set hits some fine shots but defensively or when on the move he struggles. Second serve is another area where both guys struggle, there will be some power puff serves with hit me written all over it.
In spite of Giraldo being in better form than the South Tyrolean Sex Machine. I think Seppi will struggle though this in 4 sets.
Rosol vs. Vesely: Don’t think this one will be televised, this one could be the sleeper match of the 1st round. Vesely the new kid on the block, still coming to terms with playing on the main tour made the semis last week. Rosol hasn’t done much since losing in Bucharest but he’s that kind of player who when on his game can be dangerous.
Last year in the prestigious Prostějov Challenger Vesely won in a 3rd set tiebreaker in an entertaining match. This is the best surface for both guys and matches between countrymen have a different dynamic. Both will fancy their chances against Raonic, who can play well on clay but is vulnerable on the surface as well, though a match with Kyrgios would be more entertaining.
Rosol
Vesely will have to use his serve to expose Rosol on the backhand side and Rosol might have to step up further to return to cut that off. As for a winner I hope Rosol but that means Vesely will win,
Odds and Ends
Young Austrian Domi Thiem has continued on the solid form from Melbourne. For all of Gunther Bresnik’s manner he has a good record of getting players into the top 20 he achieved it with Horsti Skoff, Stefan Koubek, plus he is working well with Gulbis.
Thiem, will have the experience of being on a big court playing Paul Henri Mathieu while he is past his best can get inspired in Paris with some huge ballbashing. It’ll be interesting to see how Thiem handles the experience, if he gets through then Nadal awaits.
Stephane Robert the down to earth and likable Frenchman plays the South African tree Kevin Anderson. Robert has chances in this one, though with Robert anything is possible channelling the last 3 sets against Berdych which was the best tennis he has ever played. Some players love playing in front of the home crowds and others can’t.
Oh yes! It wouldn’t be Roland Garros without Fabio Fognini. The Italian Stallion is one of the great tennis trolls, whenever he is involved there are some form of antics. Not sure if he’ll be able to top the ones against Albert Montañes in the 4th round where he was legit injured and withdrew from the QF. The Fog had no right to win that, still one of the funniest matches I’ve seen and Montañes must still have nightmares.
Fog and Monfils
Fog vs. Monfils darkness
Best of all the victim of the epic troll Gael Monfils is in the same section of the draw. Not that I’m religious, but it would be poetic if they met in the 3rd round. Monfils or in this case “”Clownfils: was up 2 sets & a double break in the 3rd set, he loses the 3rd set. Clownfils up a double break in 4th somehow loses this. The light conditions were hilarious they should have donned mining helmets at the end. Monfils up a break in the 5th and loses. It needs a rematch.
Charly Berlocq and Hewitt, too bad Hewitt is so well past it that you need to put the meat in the slow cooker for 10 hours, (no I don’t support cannibalism). This somewhere near Hewitt’s peak would be a proper grindfest like the 2 underrated Roland Garros matches he had with Cañas. Now, Berlocq should be able to wear Hewitt it down, it won’t be easy but Charly shouldn’t lose.
Pablo Cuevas got the present of playing Matthew Ebden who is the best draw you can have on a clay court. As solid as Ebden is on hardcourt & good on grass, the guy is a claycourt clown. At the same time it’s not a bad payday and some fitness work if one were to be cynical.
Another intriguing match is between Dustin “Dreddy Brown” against Marinko Matosevic. For one thing this match won’t be played quietly both guys believe in the value of showing emotion. Brown with the flamboyant game, net rushing, slice forehands, big forehand winners, huge serves and drop shots whereas Matosevic is definitely more workmanlike which makes the contrast greater.
Both guys are interesting stories. The Brown one is well known with him falling out with the Jamaican federation and representing Germany, yes he swears in German on court and doesn’t forget his Jamaican roots at the same time. Matosevic born in Bosnia was a very short kid who just worked so hard to make it as a pro, he was definitely not one of the chosen children by Tennis Australia in his early years. Now, they are helping him with funding and coaching but it was a struggle.
Matosevic is 0-12 in Slam matches to be fair most of his matches at GS level he wasn’t expected to win. Cheech Juan Antonio Marin a man who pushed Pete Sampras to 5 sets at RG, well so did the maestro Cedric “Andy” Kauffman has the record of 0-16 in Slam matches. I’d be happy if Matosevic broke the duck here, it’ll depend on how well he returns Brown’s service and how he handles the unorthodox game. Tennis will win here.
Qualifiers
For the good of the tennis world the “Steve Buscemi” of tennis Paolo Lorenzi qualified for the main draw. He’s 0-11 at Grand Slam level and didn’t draw the easiest 1st round opponent in the former Villarreal football youth product Roberto Bautista Agut aka “Bautigol” who has had a career best year so far.
Lorenzi
Diego Sebastian Schwartzmann is about the same height as Christophe Rochus but is much more aggressive. He was very impressive in qualies after losing the first set to Millot, he won the last 2 sets 6-1 6-1. Against Alund and former Roland Garros junior champion Kimmer Coppejans he won 6-2 6-2 in both matches. Unlike say Marcos Daniel and Pablo Carreño who when they qualified in style got drawn against the top players. Schwartzmann has a very winnable match against Elias, then gets to play Federer as a reward.
James Duckworth repeated the feat of qualifying for Roland Garros, he defeated his old mate Kavčič in the 2nd round and made it through as Berankis gave him a walkover. He has a winnable match against Leo ‘’Aligator’’ Mayer with the winner taking on more than likely Gabashvili who should defeat the tourist Vasek Pospisil. Potito Starace an experienced campaigner who has been better at doubles lately plays clay god Tursunov.
James Ward won a huge match with Blaz Rola 12-10 in the 3rd, he served for it at 5-4 in the 3rd but sure Wardy is limited as a player but he doesn’t mind the clay and fights very hard which is all one can ask. Dzuhmur, the Bosnian qualified for his second Slam in a row playing LaLo and with the floods in Bosnia maybe he can use them as an inspiration.
The Claycourt Clown Classic
Yes, I love claycourt clowns they are an important part of the circuit, just as much as the grasscourt gimps are during the short grass season.
Donald Young vs. Sela: This match has the potential for epic claycourt clownage. Yes, not getting the movement on the surface and sliding for metres after the ball has been hit. Poor tactics, awful shots, both looking as clueless as a teenage boy taking a bra off for the first time. The only bad thing about this match is that it won’t be streamed.
Hopefully this can live up to the claycourt clown clinic in Barcelona between Paradorn Srichaphan vs. Kenneth Carlsen. If I said these guys had less than no idea I’d have been kind. It was so bad that the fans were jeering both players.
Lu and Mannarino are both awful on clay though Lu has beaten some decent players it doesn’t have the troll potential that Young and Sela has.
As for who will win the title Nadal hasn’t been playing well during the clay season but this is the business end and he’ll be ready. Yes, he is more vulnerable now but I could only see either Djokovic or Wawrinka being able to do it. On that note I’ll pick the Serb to win his first Roland Garros title.
