French Open Men's Singles Draw

[Tchocky]

Federer has Benneteau, Ferrero, Youzhny, Robredo, Safin, Volandri, Ljubicic, Davydenko, Almagro, Chela, Nalbandian, Gasquet, Canas, Melzer and Gonzalez on his side of the draw. I would love to see Roger play both Volandri & Canas and beat them in straight sets. Nalbandian could pose a problem for Roger but David has been pretty inactive this year. Davydenko could be a real test for Roger. Gonzo & Almagro could pose problems as well. I don't see Roger beating those guys in straight sets especially if his 1st serve percentage is below 60% and he's making more unforced errors versus winners.

Nadal has Djokovic, Calleri, Tursunov, Ferrer, Baghdatis, Hrbaty, Mayer, Roddick, Blake, Kohlschreiber, Moya, Berdych, Hewitt, Niemien and Soderling on his side of the draw. I would love to see Nadal play Blake on clay and finally get a win against James. Novak, Carlos, David, Lleyton & Jarkko could all cause trouble for Nadal.

Here is the link for the draw: http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/draws/ms/index.html

 

[LarougeNY]

Fed definitely has the harder draw, The only person I can see nadal losing to on his side is hewitt, maybe nalbandian (if he's healthy) and possibly nieminen.

 

[federerfanatic]

Fed's draw is a piece of cake. The only guys who could give him trouble he cant play until the semis. Those only guys would be Davydenko and Canas. Canas wont make the semis so it is moot, and Davydenko would have a much better chance vs Fed if he played him before the semis, he does not have the mental strength to beat Federer that deep in a major event. Gonzalez will be crushed by Fed if they play in the semis, just look at their head to head. Nalbandian would also be comfortably beaten on his current form, but he wont make it that far either. Gasquet is overrated and wont make the semis, but if he does he will be roadkill for Fed.

 

[croatian sensation]

Fed definitely has the harder draw, The only person I can see nadal losing to on his side is hewitt, maybe nalbandian (if he's healthy) and possibly nieminen.

Nieminen? Ok, he took Nole to 3 sets in Hamburg. But got beaten by Berdych in Rome, and Kolschreiber in Munich. He may pull off a good win over a claycourter...but Nadal? C'mon.

 

[navratilovafan]

Nieminen? Ok, he took Nole to 3 sets in Hamburg. But got beaten by Berdych in Rome, and Kolschreiber in Munich. He may pull off a good win over a claycourter...but Nadal? C'mon.

Nieminen will definitely not take Nadal out of the French Open, but he does play pretty well vs Nadal because he is another lefty. Their match at Wimbledon was much tougher then the score indicated as well.

 

[ilovecarlos]

Glad to see that Carlos is seeded now that his ranking is back...think he's 26 now due to some good runs late into recent tourneys He gets Andreas Seppi in the first round...so I don't know...vamos Carlos!!!!!

 

[circusmouse]

I like both Nadal's and Fed's chances of making to the finals. I doubt Volandri can take out Robredo, and Fed can't meet Davydenko or Canas until the semis. I think Nadal's biggest challenge may be Djokovic. Of course, you just never know who will show up on fire. Does anyone remember Kuerten's rise from obscurity at the French? I recall seeing him play Malavia Washington in Davis Cup a month or so before the French (I forget who won, but it was close), and everyone was saying that he was playing well but would probably never make it to the top of the game. They changed their tunes fast.

 

[LarougeNY]

Nieminen? Ok, he took Nole to 3 sets in Hamburg. But got beaten by Berdych in Rome, and Kolschreiber in Munich. He may pull off a good win over a claycourter...but Nadal? C'mon.

Well thats why I said possibly, I remember last year he was on fire for a couple of tournaments, he did well against Nadal in wimbledon (he kept it close at least), and he can be a good player when he's there with his A-game. Plus he has that counterpuncher game that Nadal struggles against, he almost lost to hewitt in Hamburg.

Fed does have an easier draw upto the quarters, but then its much harder from there. And nadal may have the harder earlier rounds, but from the quarters on he should have no trouble really (If he's the same nadal we saw at the FO last year)

 

[Mr. Sean]

Oh man bummer for the Americans. First round roddick has to play igor andreev on clay. Going to be a very tough match for roddick. Blake has to play big serving karlovic on clay. Ughh I wouldnt be surprised if they lost in the first round.

 

[fastdunn]

Where are Monfils and Monaco ?

The kind of wheels Monfils has is always advantage at clay.

Actually Nadal has tricky matches in a few early rounds: Del Potro, Soderling and maybe Hewitt....

 

[federerfanatic]

Where are Monfils and Monaco ?

Monaco is in Gonzalez's little section and could play Gonzo in the 3rd round. Whoever gets out of that section would probably play either Canas or Gasquet in the 4th round. That whole quarter is by far the toughest.

Monfils is in Nalbandian's little section. He has Rochus in the 1st round, who I personally think will probably take him out and end his tournament right away. If he gets past Rochus he has Chela or Santoro. If he get past that too he probably has Nalbandian. Whoever survives that section probably has either Davydenko or Almagro. It is the same brutal quarter of the draw as Monaco, although a different eighth of it.

 

[bluedevil]

Tough is an understatement

Oh man bummer for the Americans. First round roddick has to play igor andreev on clay. Going to be a very tough match for roddick. Blake has to play big serving karlovic on clay. Ughh I wouldnt be surprised if they lost in the first round.

Roddick is going home in the 1st round, guaranteed!

 

[federerfanatic]

Roddick is going home in the 1st round, guaranteed!

I agree. I dont get why American transcripts keep reporting his losing to lower ranked players on clay as if it somehow grand news. The day Federer lost to Volandri at the Italian Open, Roddick lost on the same day and it was reported as it was a similar kind of major news. That really annoyed me.

 

[Roger_Federer.]

I think Nadal's biggest challenge may be Djokovic.

I seriously hope you're kidding

 

[circusmouse]

I seriously hope you're kidding

I should have qualified that statement: I think Djokovic is the biggest threat in Nadal's half. But what do I know? My point before about Kuerten's Cinderella run was that the French Open is tough to predict. You never know when someone might become a contender before your eyes.

 

[fastdunn]

My point before about Kuerten's Cinderella run was that the French Open is tough to predict. You never know when someone might become a contender before your eyes.

Tell me about it. I've followed tennis about 20 years.
I've had Chang, Gomez, Kuerten,Verkek(in the final)....
while Becker was one and only true surprise in Wimbledon
when he won it 1st time unseeded.

Clay is a great neutralizer and the ball might bouce in a very strange way(not 100 % literally).

 

[drakulie]

Nadal definitely has a problem. If, and I say IF he makes it the finals he will have to face Fed and more bagels.

 

[Nadal_Freak]

Nadal definitely has a problem. If, and I say IF he makes it the finals he will have to face Fed and more bagels.

The next bagel will be Nadal 3 sets Federer 0 sets. 64 63 76

 

[fastdunn]

Safin is my wildest pick for a surprise quarter-finalists !

He is now old enough to finally grow up, I think...

 

[Zaragoza]

The next bagel will be Nadal 3 sets Federer 0 sets. 64 63 76

Indeed Federer is bageled at the FO against Nadal: 0-2

 

[drakulie]

The next bagel will be Nadal 3 sets Federer 0 sets. 64 63 76

He would have to get tot the final first. Judging form your lame excuses that he was tired after playing a best of 3 set tournament in a one week period, there is no way he makes it to the second week of a tournament that is best of 5. Remember, you said it, I didn't.

 

[Nadal_Freak]

He would have to get tot the final first. Judging form your lame excuses that he was tired after playing a best of 3 set tournament in a one week period, there is no way he makes it to the second week of a tournament that is best of 5. Remember, you said it, I didn't.

It's amazing what a weeks worth of rest can do. Nadal will return to his form of Monte Carlo and Barcelona now.

 

[drakulie]

I hope so for your sake. I can't even imagine how intolerable you would be if he didn't make it to the second week.

 

[Nadal_Freak]

I hope so for your sake. I can't even imagine how intolerable you would be if he didn't make it to the second week.

I would be shocked but I'm happy Nadal already has 2 French Open championships. Hopefully Nadal isn't satisfied though.

 

[federerfanatic]

I hope so for your sake. I can't even imagine how intolerable you would be if he didn't make it to the second week.

He would probably then dissapear for a year, until the clay court season of next year started and try his luck again.

 

[croatian sensation]

Oh man bummer for the Americans. First round roddick has to play igor andreev on clay. Going to be a very tough match for roddick. Blake has to play big serving karlovic on clay. Ughh I wouldnt be surprised if they lost in the first round.

Yup. Karlovic already upset Blake on clay this year, and unbelievably pulls good claycourt runs sometimes. So, if that's the case this time...Blake will have a tough job.

 

[okdude1992]

good rd.1 matches

A. Clement – I. Ljubicic (No.7)
F. Santoro – J. I. Chela (No.18)
G. Monfils – O. Rochus
R. Stepanek – F. Gonzalez (No.5)
S. Grosjean – M. Baghdatis (No.16)
I. Andreev – A. Roddick (No.3)
I. Karlovic – J. Blake (No.8)
M. Mirnyi – L. Hewitt (No.14)
J. M. Del Potro – R. Nadal (No.2)

good rd.2 matches

winner of Santoro – Chela vs winner of Monfils - Rochus