French Open 2012: 5 Favorites Who Will Disappoint at Roland Garros

Since 2005, the French Open has featured only two winners on the men’s side. Roland Garros has been a party for Rafael Nadal, as he has taken home the Musketeer’s Cup an astounding six of the past seven years. Roger Federer (in 2009) is the only other man who’s had the privilege of hoisting the solid silver cup over that time.

On the women’s side, Justine Henin won it from 2005-07, and since then, there have been four different winners in consecutive years.

Will any of the world’s finest falter and disappoint countless fans, family members and (likely) wage-placers?

Read on to find out who could do just that at the 2012 French Open.

Victoria Azarenka

The honor of women’s world No. 1 has been nothing but a curse for the past handful of years.

This year will be no different.

The Belarusian Azarenka narrowly escaped a first-round ouster at the hands of Italy’s Alberta Brianti, the No. 105-ranked player worldwide. She had to rally past Brianti, during which she fought through the feeling of wanting to give up.

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“Sometimes I felt it was not my day,” she explained. “Sometimes I thought, ‘yeah, maybe I still fight, I still have a chance.’ Sometimes it was like, ‘you know what? Forget it. I don’t want to do it.’"

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That kind of mentality when one is up against the ropes can lead only to failure, and it will happen at some point during the next two weeks for Azarenka.

Juan Martin Del Potro

In his own first-round scare, “la Torre de Tandil” withstood a knee injury that nearly cost him the match with the No. 65-ranked Albert Montañés of Spain.

Del Potro, currently ranked No. 9 in the world, needed a trainer following the second set (knotted at 1-1) in order to have his left knee wrapped up for support. He required pain medication after the fourth set, and once the final set got under way, it was clear the knee wasn’t bothering him as much as before.

Should it become a problem once again later in the Open, his opponent won’t be nice enough to let it slide like Montañés nearly did.

Edouard Roger-Vasselin should be no problem for Delpo; however, Tomas Berdych (No. 7) could be awaiting his call in the round of 16. Should he pull off that minor upset, Federer would be the likely candidate in the last eight.

A knee impingement against either of those top-10 players would spell disaster for Del Potro.

David Ferrer

Ferrer (No. 6) has the pleasure of an easy ride to the round of eight. Once he gets there, however, he could face Andy Murray.

Murray was dominant in taking down Japan’s Tatsuma Ito.

Ito kept it close in the second set, pushing Murray to a 5-7 final. But he was outmatched by the Brit, winning a combined one game in sets one and three.

Ferrer discharged his first-round opponent, Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko, in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. He dominated his first-serve opportunities, winning 32 of 36 chances. He did struggle on break-point conversions, however, winning just six of 12.

The potential matchup of Murray v. Ferrer does not look good for Murray on paper. Ferrer has beaten Murray all three times they’ve faced one another on clay—and Roland Garros is certainly that.

Murray is playing extremely well despite back issues, and tennis fans in Paris may be witnesses to history this year—especially if his back is a non-issue.

Agnieszka Radwanska

If Victoria Azarenka stays out of her own way to make it into the semifinals and Radwanska (No. 3) does the same, the 23-year-old Polish native can kiss her hopes at a first Grand Slam title goodbye.

Azarenka owns a 12-3 head-to-head record against Radwanska.

Whether it’s a mental block on Radwanska’s part or just one of those things, it really doesn’t matter. What matters are the results.

Azarenka has won the last six matches, including four consecutive in straight sets.

To get that far, Radwanska may have to deal with Marion Bartoli, a local favorite in search of her own first Grand Slam title. Bartoli (No. 8) has never beaten Radwanska, though the two have never met on a clay surface.

Radwanska is 46-20 (69.7%) all-time on clay, while Bartoli is 31-29 (51.7%).

All things are stacked in favor of Radwanska; however, many outcomes in sports would be different if we went by what “should” happen.

Roger Federer

Swiss-born, former No. 1-ranked Roger Federer has been great on clay. His 71-16 (81.6%) record says so.

But he drew the same quarter as current No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic for the French Open, and that could spell his doom. Federer is 3-2 on clay against Djokovic and 14-12 overall; however, since 2011—coinciding with his world dominance—Djokovic is 6-1 against Federer, including winning three consecutive matches.

When they meet at Roland Garros, it will be in the semis for a trip to the final—and a likely date with Nadal.

Djokovic will continue his recent command of Federer and ride it to a sixth Grand Slam title—and join Federer, Nadal, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi and Rod Laver as the only men in professional tennis history with a Career Grand Slam.