French Open 2012: Stars Sure to Shine on Clay Courts of Roland Garros
With the 2012 French Open less than a week away, the talk has shifted to the clay courts and the beautiful surroundings of Roland Garros.
Add in the biggest tennis stars in the world like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, and this event is one of the crown jewels of the tennis calendar.
All of the following players will have an amazing tournament at Roland Garros, and should be there when all is said and done.
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When: May 27 through June 10
Watch: NBC, ESPN2, Tennis Channel
Where: Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France
Live Stream: ESPN3.com
Roger Federer
There is no doubting that Roger Federer is still a dominant star, but the increase in competition and the slow decline in his skills have made him more susceptible to occasional losses.
With that said, Federer is hot. At 25-2 in 2012, the fact that he is not the best player on the clay courts won’t matter when all is said and done in Paris.
While the win may be just out of reach, Federer will make it to the finals before losing to the next star to watch…
Rafael Nadal
The eventual winner of the 2012 French Open and the best clay player of the modern era is Rafael Nadal. Those are big statements, but Nadal has the history and the talent to make it happen again.
As good as Federer has been in 2012, Nadal has been arguably just as hot, winning 24 of the 27 matches he has played.
If Nadal plays to his strengths and stays healthy, he is the unquestioned favorite. Federer and Novak Djokovic are good at Roland Garros, but Nadal is great.
Serena Williams
Despite having to withdraw from her last tournament with a back injury, Serena Williams has the ability to steal the show. She loves to do it on the biggest of stage as well.
Williams is 15-1 on clay courts this season and will look to continue that hot streak on the red clay of Roland Garros.
If Serena can get an easy path to the later rounds of the tournament, she could just be healthy enough to walk away the 2012 French Open Champion.
Check back for more on Tennis as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Tennis Page to get your fill of all things tennis.
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