Paris Conundrum as Serena, Serbians and Sharapova top the field in the French Open

With Justine Henin out the picture, the bid for this year’s French Open is wide open. Maria Sharapova’s much improved clay court game will be put to the test as she leads the pack as the no.1 seed, with feisty opposition behind.
 
Can Serena keep it up to conquest?                
In a rich vein of form Serena created a winning streak which rolled over to one claycourt crown this year in Charleston. Since then she lost a tight encounter against Dinara Safina in Berlin and had to pull out in the middle of her Rome campaign with a back injury. Serena clay court game as been extremely impressive this year as her rhythm and clear shooting has dominated, with impressive wins over most of the top players this year Serena seems to have all the weaponry to win her second Roland Garros crown. In her defeat in Berlin she committed to numerous errors, but Serena’s focus should keep her from slacking at the French. As for her injury a good week preparation to the French should shake it off.
 
Located in the bottom half, Serena Williams will square off with fellow American Ashley Harkleroad in the first round. The no.5 seed is projected to have a potentially dangerous encounter with Ana Ivanovic in the quarter final and a possibly semi final against Sister Venus or an inform Jelena Jankovic.
 
Newly improved Sharapova looks to conquer all four Slams:
The current Australian Open champion has finally scored her first title on the clay as she battled hard to dominate in Amelia Island. Since then she fell to Serena in Charleston and had to pull out in Rome with injury. It’s quite clear that Maria isn’t the best claycourt player in the field, however her consistency at an impressive level gives her more then hope but a good chance. Can she really pull off the very Slam so many people excluded her from?
 
As the no.1 seed Maria is in the easier top half, she plays against Evgeniya Rodina in the first round. However the Russian has a potential fourth round match with giant killer Dinara Safina who inflicted the only clay court loses to Justine Henin and Serena Williams this year. Also the no.7 seed Elena Dementieva could await her in the quarters, who also hit high form this year. Not to mention possibly Russian semi final with Anna Chakvetadze or Svetlana Kuznetsova. It all seems to be piling up for Maria as her first major challenge is a Russian slaughter fest!
 
Can Ana Ivanovic regain her best form to capture last year’s form?  
Last year nerves got the better of her, since then she has learned from her mistakes and put in a serious bid in her second Slam final. However Ana’s problem is her form as she has been less the excellent this clay court season, a complete contrast to last year’s display of beauty. But the Serbian no.1 has grown up a lot and is capable of building up her form as she goes through the draw. By capturing so many hearts last year, she won’t be short of support.
 
The no.2 seed will face Sofia Arvidsson in the first round and may have to pitch big against Nicole Vaidisova later on in preparation with a blockbuster encounter with Serena Williams in the quarter-final. Given take she can reach the semi finals she may have to face Venus Williams or fellow Serbian Jelena Jankovic. 
Jelena Jankovic is topping up her promise:
With the most recent success of sweet victory, Jelena’s successful title defence in Rome gives her tons of confidence. She has not only a real chance to make her first Grand slam final, but a great shot of winning one. Jankovic’s fierce movement and brutal shots equipped with a never give up attitude makes her a real contender.
 
Jelena will start proceedings off against a qualifier. Things will start to heat up for her with a possible encounter against Venus Williams in the quarter finals. But she is ready for that as in Venus’ return on the clay in Rome; Jelena had the pleasure of booting her out in a tough three setter. Her potential semi final opponents may be Serena Williams who down Jankovic in Miami or fellow Serbian Ana Ivanovic.
 
Others to watch out for:
Venus Williams has just returned on the clay and made a great start in Rome, losing to Jelena Jankovic, with great focus the no.8 seed has the opportunity to once again turn the odds on its head and go far in Roland Garros. Elena Dementieva has made great clay court season so far, she has made the final in Berlin and downed Ana Ivanovic as well as Jelena Jankovic. She lurks in Sharapova’s half and wishes to redeem her threat to the Grandslams as the last time that happened was all the way back into 2006. Dinara Safina could potentially score yet another big win this time against Sharapova if she can find the form that took her to the Berlin title. In last year’s French Open Alize Cornet had nothing to lose and played a good match against Venus Williams in the first round, she was down. But not out as she produced magnificence this clay court season with a final appearance in Rome and semi final appearances on the green clay. Can she make those big triumphs again in front of her home crowd?
 
So can Maria Sharapova rise above her fellow Russians? Ultimately who will conquer the second half the Williams sisters or the Serbians? It’s open but which one will conquer Paris?     
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