French Open 2013: Biggest Takeaways from Grand Slam Tournament so Far

The 2013 French Open has been full of surprises so far, with top seeds going home early and others struggling to find their footing in different parts of their matches. It's June in Paris, where we've come to expect the unexpected when it comes to the weather, the draw and the outcome at this Grand Slam tournament. 

With Wednesday expected to weed the single's draw down to the semifinals on both sides and plenty of action still remaining in the doubles and amateur rounds at Roland Garros, the sprint to the finish line at the French Open this year is one to pay attention to if you love the sport of tennis. 

A little less than a week is left in the draw now that Tuesday's matches are in the books; what have we seen in the tournament through 10 days of action?  Roland Garros' Twitter account has a few notable highlights from Day 10:

Roger Federer is going home early, both No. 1 seeds on the men's and women's sides are still alive and the weather isn't expected to make the clay at Roland Garros any more difficult the rest of the way. 

Here's a look at the biggest takeaways so far as we head into the back stretch, if you will, of the second Grand Slam tournament of the 2013 season. 

Day 10 Singles Results

Match	Score
Men's Draw
David Ferrer (4) defeats Tommy Robredo (32)	6-2, 6-1, 6-1
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (6) defeats Roger Federer (2)	7-5, 6-3, 6-3
Women's Draw
Serena Williams (1) defeats Svetlana Kuznetsova	6-1, 3-6, 6-3
Sara Errani (5) defeats Agnieszka Radwanska (4)	6-4, 7-6 (6)

Biggest Takeaways

U.S. Women Not Quite There

Serena Williams avoided an upset and moved into the semifinals at the French Open for just the third time in her professional career, but her American counterparts were not so lucky this weekend. 

As Williams struggled to knock off Svetlana Kuznetsova during the first two sets before cruising to a victory in the third on Tuesday, as reported by Douglas Robson of USA Today, her U.S.A. compadres Sloane Stephens, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jamie Hampton watched on at home. 

The foursome was the first quartet of American women to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros since 2004. But the quarterfinals were not to be for anyone not named Williams this year. 

Stephens couldn't mount a rally against No. 2 Maria Sharapova, Mattek-Sands hung with Maria Kirilenko before losing and Jamie Hampton was destroyed by Jelena Jankovic—all in straight sets. Despite the setback, it was actually a good trip to Paris by the U.S. women. 

As Ashley Fetters of The Atlantic observed, the American women have more to be excited about than to dwell upon after their performance abroad at the 2013 French Open. Their talent hasn't quite caught up with the world's powerhouse tennis stars, but slow and steady wins the race. 

A glimpse at the future, of sorts, is a great way to describe the United States with respect to the 2013 Open. As Williams looks to capture her second French Open title, her countrywomen will be looking on with respect, awe and motivation to return (and improve) in 2014. 

FedEx Human at Roland Garros

Roger Federer is a machine. He is the pinnacle of men's tennis and is widely regarded as the single-most decorated champion of the current tennis era. 

He hasn't received any of those accolades by feigning consistency at Roland Garros. 

As reported by Christopher Clarey of The New York Times, FedEx bowed out in straight sets at the French Open on Tuesday, marking the second time in the last four years that he's failed to at least reach the semifinals of the tournament in which he has the fewest career wins (one). 

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga sent Federer home, marking another major championship loss to the rising French star and putting Federer in a place just prior to Wimbledon that he likely doesn't want to be. 

ESPN's Stats & Info noted that it's just the sixth time since 2004 that Federer has lost in straight sets at a major championship. Four of those six have come at Roland Garros, signaling the struggle that the 17-time Grand Slam winner has when lacing it up for battle on clay:

By contrast, this Tennis.com tweet shows just how good Federer has been over the last few years. Although Tuesday's result was disappointing, and might be somewhat of a parallel loss to his fading stardom, the numbers side with the French Open being more of a crutch in Federer's side:

As Federer prepares to defend his 2012 Wimbledon crown, he'll get a chance to do so without the threat of another Grand Slam on clay—his biggest source of angst throughout an otherwise dominant career. 

Tsonga Picking Up Speed on ATP Tour

Tsonga is currently No. 8 in the ATP World Rankings, and although that's nothing to write home about just yet, it is important to note that he's starting to pick up steam when playing against the world's best players. 

As Simon Cambers remarked, Tsonga is making short-term history, which should tell you how dominant the best players in the world have been over the last three years:

Since making the finals at the Australian Open in 2008, Tsonga has been relatively quiet, only making three Grand Slam semifinals since then and bowing out prior to the quarterfinals eight times in that span. 

Now, though, the idea of the first Frenchman in 30 years to win the French Open (Yannick Noah) is starting to gain steam, and so too is the idea of Tsonga as a maturing player on the ATP Tour. His controlled power game against Federer was on point on Tuesday, and that made for a relatively easy win against a top opponent. 

Tsonga will face David Ferrer (No. 4) in the semifinals, with a chance to face the winner of the other semifinal matchup (yet to be decided) in the tournament final. 

Tennis in a Good Place Right Now

Apart from early weather concerns, tennis fans, supporters, players and personalities associated with the sport couldn't be happier with the results of the draw than they are now after 10 days of action. 

Aside from the Federer upset (which benefited the French crowd in attendance), the top seeds are all expected to compete on the men's and women's sides, and that includes Djokovic and Williams, respectively. 

A healthy Nadal also graces the court at the tournament that he's owned over the years, and dark-horse pros are peeking out of the bushes to make a push at Grand Slam titles as the wave of new blood starts to set in. 

This is truly a time in the sport when the dominance of the regulars and the growth of the youngsters is starting to go hand in hand. 

With a Nadal-Djokovic match looming in the semifinals (pending Wednesday's results) and the women's draw just as exciting with all three top seeds still in action, there's not much else tennis fans could ask for in the second Grand Slam of 2013. 

Throw in John Isner-Tommy Haas, and tennis is in good spirits no matter the outcome of the final few days of action in Paris. 

Wednesday Schedule (Singles)

Men's Draw	Time (Local)
Rafael Nadal (3) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka (9)	2 p.m.
Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Tommy Haas (12)	2 p.m.
Women's Draw
Jelena Jankovic (18) vs. Maria Sharapova (2)	2 p.m.
Maria Kirilenko (12) vs. Victoria Azarenka (3)	2 p.m.

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