Main Draws Announced for 2012 French Open
On May 25, 2011 French Open Champion Rafael Nadal announced the 2012 women’s singles draw for this year’s event. As expected, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova are the respective number one and two seeds, only potentially meeting each other in the finals. Azarenka should be pleased with her draw. Her first potential challenge comes in the quarters where she could face prior French Open champion Sam Stosur. On the road to her first French Open title and career Grand Slam, Sharapova could also be faced with a potentially challenging quarterfinal match-up against the number five seed, American Serena Williams. However, if the cards play right, Serena will face former world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, before even getting a crack at Maria.
To continue on the American end of things, the young hopeful Christina McHale is the next in line behind Serena, reaching a career high of 35 earlier this year. The 20-year-old from New Jersey will face a qualifier in the first round, with her first real challenge potentially being China’s Li Na, the number seven seed. Another young American, Melanie Oudin, who has been training at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, has been given a wild card entry after her ranking dropped outside the top 200. Oudin will play Johanna Larsson of Sweden in the first round. Other notable American hopefuls are Irina Falconi and Sloane Stephens who continue to climb up the ranks. As a former Georgia Tech yellow jacket, Falconi has the potential to face Stosur in the second round. Vania King, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Venus Williams, Varvara Lepchenko and Jamie Hampton are the other American women to be on the lookout for in the draw.
Also on Friday, the 2011 French Open champion Na Li, drew out the seeds on for this year’s French Open men’s singles draw. World number one and top seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia could potentially face Switzerland’s Roger Federer in the semifinals for a rematch of last year’s epic U.S. Open semifinal. Reigning champion and number two seed Nadal has Andy Murray for company in his half of the men’s draw.
Djokovic is looking to complete his career Grand Slam by winning his first French Open title this year. However, he is not the only player in the running to make history. Currently tied with Bjorn Borg’s six French Open titles, Nadal will look to surpass that record with by taking his seventh title this year. Nadal should be relatively pleased with his side of the draw, with his first challenge potentially being young Canadian Milos Roanic in the fourth round. The same cannot be said for Murray, who seems to have the worst draw in terms of “The Big Four. " Murray has really struggled throughout the European clay season and this draw provides no sympathy. After the third round, he could potentially face Bernard Tomic, Richard Gasquet and then the winner of David Ferrer and John Isner just to set up a semifinal date with Nadal.
After suffering from numerous injuries preventing him from rising to the ranks of the professional tour as a top-ranked junior, American Brian Baker is making a remarkable comeback. Earlier this week, he defeated France’s Gael Monfils and Nikolay Davydenko in Nice. He will face veteran Xavier Malisse in the first round. Unfortunately for young up and comer Ryan Harrison, he will face Frenchman Gilles Simon in the first round, who has had an exceptional clay court season thus far. Out with an injury, the top-ranked American, Mardy Fish, will not be taking part in this year’s French open. Andy Roddick, James Blake, John Isner, Donald Young and Sam Querrey are the other American players who have qualified for the main men’s singles draw.
