French Open 2012: 12 Bold Predictions for the Next Grand Slam

The French Open has been dominated by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer since 2005.

Despite Novak Djokovic's recent coronation as the best active player, the two have denied him the chance even to appear in a final.

This is the only Slam he has yet to win, and he would make a huge statement by getting it under his belt.

On the other hand, Roger Federer and Andy Murray have been playing sublime tennis since the end of last year.

Can Rafa continue his eternal run at Roland Garros? Will Roger, Andy, or Novak grant him his second loss ever? Or can somebody else step up to the plate?

Here are 12 bold predictions for the French event.

Bernard Tomic Will Make the Fourth Round

Even though he has proven himself to be a threat, people still doubt his abilities on clay because of his somewhat lackadaisical footwork.

However, he enjoys baseline points and will stun audiences by making it into the second week.

Alexandr Dolgopolov Will Make the Quarterfinals

Not only is the Ukrainian a phenomenal clay-courter, but he has done fairly well at the French Open in the past.

At the Aussie Open, he battled through three five-setters in a row despite not playing at his highest level.

Look for him to make an even bigger statement by making the Last 8.

Milos Raonic Will Make the Fourth Round

The Canadian's abilities have been questioned on the red clay.

Look for him to prove himself and be the first player in a long time to successfully make progress at Roland Garros with his big serve.

Ryan Harrison Will Make the Fourth Round

This prediction is more bold than the past three, but I believe the American has a strong clay game and a great chance of causing upsets.

He could even incorporate serve-and-volley plays to contrast with his speed and doggedness on return games.

Rafael Nadal Will Not Win the Tournament

It seems incredibly hard to count the King of Clay out, but I believe the time has come.

He will come to win it, as always, but many fans and viewers have their doubts.

Neither Will Novak Djokovic

This is also a hard statement to swallow.

The best player alive is still not at a clay caliber that matches up to that of Rafa and Roger.

He may reach the final, but to take that extra step afterwards seems improbable.

Roger Federer Will Win Roland Garros for a Second Time

The bold predictions just keep getting bolder!

Before dropping the Australian Open final to Nadal, Roger Federer had not lost since the 2010 US Open.

He had looked to be in good enough form to take the final, but Rafa stopped him—again.

This time around, though, things will be different.

Andy Murray Will Make the Semifinals Again

Perhaps the most patient player on tour has been getting better on clay, even though he grew up and trained on the red clay in Spain as a youngster.

Look for Andy to defend his points from last year with his more aggressive game play.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Will Delight His Home Crowd

The No. 1 ranked Frenchman in the world has been on a roll, and even though he seemed to be in a slump at the Australian Open, he will perform well as the season continues.

Robin Soderling Will Return to the Game

Although the Swede's best surface is the hard court, he is undoubtedly at his best when playing the French Open.

The two-time finalist upset Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer there (in separate years), but has been out of the game due to injury and illness.

He will return and slug his way into the public eye again with his commanding ground strokes and serve.

John Isner Will Only Play One Five-Setter

The marathon man is infamous for playing five-setters and many tiebreaks in his matches.

I'm not saying he will lose his first match, but I predict that he will either fall very quickly in his matches or he will get a good draw and will make fools of his opponents.

Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils Will Drop out Early; Richard Gasquet Won't

The other top French players will always be questioned at the French Open.

Gilles Simon does not usually perform well, and he will not do any differently this time around.

Gael Monfils typically makes the fourth round and quarterfinals, and even though he is playing better tennis than ever, he will succumb to an upset early on.

Richard Gasquet is also in good form, and he will reach the fourth round or better due to his high-flying top spin shots and patience.

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