French Open

The 2011 French Open action begin with a low-key start on Sunday, with most of the world’s leading players not in action on day one at Roland Garros.

The new rivals Nadal and Djokovic on the circuit along with Federer looking for great start in French Open. After stunning clay king Nadal on the Spaniard’s home soil to win the Madrid Masters title, Novak Djokovic will begin his French Open quest feeling “invincible” for now, 39-match winning streak is only the sixth best of the Open era, although he can reach – Guillermo Vilas’s run of 46 by winning the French Open. At 39-0 for the year, Djokovic is also within range here of John McEnroe’s 42-0 of an Open era best in 1984. Novak Djokovic bids to maintain his unbeaten start to the season against Thiemo de Bakker. Rafael Nadal begins his quest for a record-equalling sixth Roland Garros title against John Isner.

Federer has had a subdued season since winning in Doha in January, failing to add another title and losing to Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the third round at the Rome Masters earlier this month and Austria’s Juergen Melzer in Monte Carlo. Lleyton Hewitt has withdrawn from the French Open because of an injury to his left ankle. The 30-year-old Australian former world number one Hewitt has been increasingly troubled by injuries in recent years, chiefly hip problems.

Defending Women’s champion Francesca Schiavone bounced back to her winning ways at the French Open, beating Melanie Oudin of the United States 6-2, 6-0 in the first round. Kim Clijsters, meanwhile, will start her tournament as favourite on the women’s side of the draw despite having only played one tournament on clay in the last five years.

For India, this year too Somdev and Sania will represent India in the men’s and women’s singles in the French Open tennis which got off to a low-pitch start on Sunday. It is the doubles which remains the best bet for the Indians, especially after the reunion of old veterans Leander Peas and Mahesh Bhupathi and the rise of Rohan Bopanna with Pakistani partner Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi.

Paes and Bhupathi joined hands for the Australian Open this year in a bid to achieve a career Grand Slam and went on to reach the final. The two entered in only one tournament, the Rome Masters, but crashed out in the second round after receiving a bye. History, though, favours the former World No. 1 pair. Their first Grand Slam win came in 1999 and they repeated the feat in 2001, after which they decided to part ways.

Tags: French Open, French Open 2011, Leander Peas, Mahesh Bhupathi, Roland Garros, Tennis