Home » An Early Look at a Murky French Open Ladies Field

An Early Look at a Murky French Open Ladies Field

Publish Date: May 11, 2017

As a Grand Slam in tennis gets closer, a clearer picture of the favorites to lift the big trophy is supposed to emerge. However, the exact opposite is occurring on the women’s tour with the French Open fast approaching.

With Serena Williams out due to pregnancy, there is a case to be made for 15-20 players to capture glory in Paris. It seems like every realistic contender has some sort of major red flag attached to them. Here is a look at four of those contenders.

Maria Sharapova

Why She Has a Shot: Any five-time Grand Slam winner is a threat in any tournament she enters. Her well-documented mental toughness also cannot be overlooked. Grade champions do not forget how to win, and Sharapova has done that twice at Roland Garros.

Maria Sharapova

Photo: cnnedition.com.

Red Flag: This is the most glaring red flag possible. The 30-year-old Russian may not be given the chance to play. After falling victim to the rebirth of Eugenie Bouchard in Madrid earlier this week, Sharapova’s ranking guarantees that she will necessitate a wildcard to play.

Understandably, there is more than a little doubt as to whether a player returning from a doping suspension will/should receive such a luxury. There is also speculation that Sharapova may get a qualifying wildcard. This would bring her total number of matches needed to win the tournament from seven to ten.

Sharapova will learn her fate later this month. If she gets to a point where a return to Grand Slam glory is within touching distance, it would be hard to bet against her.

Even so, getting to such a point is a massive task. The fact that Sharapova has been installed as a the betting favorite despite eligibility concerns and playing just six matches in 15 months tells you all you need to know about how wide open things really are at the moment.

Garbiñe Muguruza

Why She Has a Shot: The defending champion has all the shots and firepower to beat anyone on any given day.

Red Flag: There is nothing about the Spaniard’s current form that would suggest she is ready for a successful title defense. Since her breakthrough in Paris last year, she has failed to even reach a final. For her sake, let’s hope that an opening-round loss after winning just four games on home soil this week was rock bottom.

The pressure of expectations has eaten Muguruza alive for the past year. The only silver lining is that she was in similar form before coming from seemingly nowhere to win the title last year.

Angelique Kerber

 

Angelique Kerber

Photo: hindutimes.com

Why She Has a Shot: Any current World No. 1 and title holder of a Grand Slam has to be included in any conversation when it comes to a big event. Her defensive skills make her a difficult out for any opponent.

 

Red Flag: She is the World No. 1 in name only at the moment. As her 17-10 record suggests, 2017 has been a disappointment for the German. The root of her issues is similar to that of Muguruza. Throw in a dislike for the clay court surface and an injury scare that popped up in Madrid, and Kerber has a tall order ahead.

Simona Halep

Why She Has a Shot: The 2014 Roland Garros runner-up is one of the very few big names playing well right now. After struggling with injuries early in the year, the Romanian reached the semifinals in Stuttgart and is the highest seed remaining in Madrid.

Red Flag: Prior to the last couple weeks, Halep was in total disarray as she piled up bad losses and withdrawals at the start of the year. The sudden uptick in form is not long-lasting enough for me to be a 100-percent believer yet, but in a year where no one is separating themselves, she certainly belongs in the conversation.

Simona Halep

Photo: gsp.ro

With the French Open starting on May 28 and just one more full significant warm-up event remaining in Rome next week, your best bet when it comes to picking a ladies winner may be throwing Scrabble tiles up against the wall.

Right now, I am leaning towards Halep, but of course a lot depends on the draw. Even veterans like Svetlana Kuznetsova and Samantha Stosur are worth keeping tabs on.

It is cliché when it comes to sporting events, but true in regards to this year’s ladies French Open. Anything can happen.

 

 

Featured Image by thestar.com

You can ‘Like’ The Game Haus on Facebook and ‘Follow’ us on Twitter for more sports and eSports articles from other great TGH writers along with Dylan!

“From Our Haus to Yours”

Leave A Reply

* required
Read Also
All NBA 2K24 Dribble Animation Requirements
Ever wanted to dribble like Lebron or even...J Cole? How about pulling ...
2018 French Open ladies preview: Opportunity knocks
The singles draws for the 2018 French Open are out. As has ...
The Road to Roland Garros: What we learned on the way to Paris
The dust has settled in Madrid and Rome. The French Open is ...
Venus and Serena: Never before never again
On Monday in Indian Wells, California, Venus Williams defeated her younger sister ...
Endless Intrigue: 2017 U.S. Open Women’s Preview
The U.S. Open draws are out. An astonishing eight women could leave ...
The Game Haus aims to bring unbiased, factually sound opinions to audiences across a range of mediums that are not readily accessible in the day-to-day media outlets. We cover the latest news in Gaming, Call of Duty, CS:GO, League of Legends, Dota 2, Fighting Games, NBA 2K, Halo, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Pokemon, Rocket League, Smite, Starcraft II, Fantasy Sports, MLS, EPL, MLB, NASCAR, NBA, NCAAB, NCAAF, NFL, NHL, and PGA.


Next to our unbiased coverage for esports and sports, have a look at our iGaming content. If you are looking for the most recommended Esports Betting Sites or Best Sports Betting Sites, look no further. We also cover the Best Sweepstakes Casinos in our free 2 play section and have a closer look at the Best DFS Sites out there. If you are looking for some real money options, check how we ranked the Best Online Casinos.


Follow us on Social Media for updates!
Sports: Facebook | Twitter
Esports: Facebook | Twitter

Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.

×
Your Promo Code:
The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Play now