French Open 2011

It is the time of the year when the ladies and gentlemen with nimble feet on clay become the God's of clay. It is the time for the French Open 2011.

It is summer time in Europe and across all of the northern hemisphere. And in this hot summer, in the beautiful city of Paris, the professional tennis players will fight it out to win the French Open 2011. This is the second Grand Slam of the year.

French Open 2011

When and where is the French Open 2011?

It is supposed to commence the coming Monday, on 24th May 2011. It will be played over the course of two weeks between 24th May to 5th June. In sync with the name, it will be played in France. It will be played in Paris, on the hallowed turf of Rolland Garros.

Rolland Garros Paris, The French Open

A total of 128 men and women each will be fighting it out on the clay courts of Rolland Garros to win the Championships. The men and women's draw will have 4 quarters each, having 32 players each, battling it out for the supremacy and entry into week 2 of the Championships.

How does the men's draw look this year?

The favorite of the last few years - Rafael Nadal - is the top seed. He will start the Open on Monday.

Rafael Nadal At The French Open

In his Quarter, you have the Russian stalwart - Nikolay Davydenko - who is seeded 28th. They can meet as early as the 3rd round and Davydenko has the capability to knocking out Nadal. 

In the other half of his Quarter, Robin Soderling - seeded 5th - will be attempting to move into the second week of the Open. Then you also have Marcos Baghdatis from Cyprus, who is seeded 28th, in the same section. All these players have the capability to derail Nadal's dream of winning yet another French Open.

Robin Soderling At The French Open

Andy Murray is seeded 4th. He should have an unhindered run in his part of the Quarter into the second week. 

The third Quarter has more champions. Roger Federer will be playing in this section and is seeded third. He would look to conquer his fears of playing on clay and try to win the Open. David Ferrer of Spain is seeded 7th and can give Federer a run for his money.

Roger Federer At The French Open

It is disappointing to see a very few Spanish players in the top seedings at the French open. For long, the Spaniards were considered as masters of clay. Today, only a few players are upto the mark.

In the last Quarter, you have the second seed Novak Djokvic of Serbia. Going by his good form, he can give Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal a tough run.

Novak Djokovic At The French Open

However, going by the form book, Nadal looks all set to with the French Open again. Frederer and Djokovic are the men who can give him a tough challenge.

Moving onto the Women's Draw.

The women's draw is equally tough. My eternal favorite - Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark - is seeded first. However, in her Quarter, you have Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia seeded 28th, Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia seeded 13th and Samantha Stosur of Australia seeded 8th. Svetlana can be a giant killer although she is seeded 13th.

Caroline Wozniacki

In the second Quarter, Vera Zvonareva of Russia (seeded 3rd), Jelena Jankovic of Serbia (seeded 10th) and Francesca Schiavone and Italy (seeded 5th) will be battling it out. Vera seems all set to win this Quarter. Yet on any of the day, Jelena or Francesca can give her a run for her money.

The third Quarter looks to be devoid of stalwarts. This gives the former World Number One - Ana Ivanovic from Serbia - a chance to prove her mettle. If she plays her game nicely, she can move into the quarters. Who wouldn't love a stylish player in the second week?

Ana Ivanovic At The French Open

In the last quarter, you have two former champions. Kim Clijsters of Belgium is seeded second. A full time mother and a champion at the previous two U.S. Opens, she is likely to gather steam as the Championship progresses. 

Importantly, you have the Russian devushka in her quarter, Maria Sharapova, seeded 7th. Just a week back, she won the Italian Open. Like Ana, she is also on the comeback trail and has the potential to win the championships.

Maria Sharapova At The French Open

All in all, the women's draw promises to be exciting. The William's sisters are absent. While Clijsters can give Caroline Wozniacki a run for her money, Caroline has the potential to win the French Open 2011. She just has to do one thing - play with a big heart in the biggest of the matches.

Apart from tennis, the ladies have the capabilities to set the pulse racing with their elegant dressing. And these girls can become showstoppers - both on the court and off the court. As an example, Maria Sharapova can give a run to the actresses and divas on the red carpet at Cannes.

Maria Sharapova Style Icon

Uma Thurman

Coming back to tennis, the next two week promise to be very exciting. The surface of clay is always known to be slow. The ball spins a lot. The heat saps your energy.

All of this make the game more exciting. The players with the best talent and the strongest perseverance will make it to the finals and be crowned as the Champions.

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Article first published as French Open 2011 on Technorati.

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