French Open 2015: Bracket, Early Storylines and Predictions
If the early action is any indication, the 2015 French Open will be one of the most memorable events of the year, and not just because it is a Grand Slam.
One of last year’s finalists lost in straight sets in just the second round, the superstar names on the men’s side appear primed for a collision course and the eventual showdowns between the world’s No. 1 players (Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams) and the defending champions (Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova) are still a very realistic possibility.
Here is a closer look at some of the important initial storylines and predicted champions. The updated brackets can be found here for the men’s draw and the women’s draw, courtesy of the event’s official website.
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Early Storylines
Roger Federer Cruising on Favorable Side of Bracket
Roger Federer has not lost a set at the 2015 French Open through two rounds, and he is well on his way to a spot in the championship match if his dominant play continues.
Federer cruised past Alejandro Falla in the first round in straight sets (6-3, 6-3, 6-4) and escaped a second-set tiebreaker on the way to a straight-sets victory in the second round over Marcel Granollers (6-2, 7-6, 6-3). The 17-time Grand Slam champion has barely broken a sweat, and that could pay off in the later rounds.
Federer has played in more French Open matches than anyone in the field entering the 2015 tournament and won more than everyone except Nadal (61 to Nadal’s 66). He discussed how that experience helps on the court, per Tandon Kamakshi of ESPN.com: “Experience helps in the sense that you're more relaxed. You know how you're going to prepare. Today it's enough for me to just focus on my game."
Federer’s easy wins set the stage for a major storyline that will dominate discussion on the men’s side.
Nadal and Andy Murray are both on Djokovic’s half of the draw, and Nadal and Djokovic are set to play each other in the quarterfinals. The winner of that match will presumably face Murray if everything holds to form, which means Federer will theoretically be much fresher for the championship match.
That will be a problem for whoever emerges from the top half of the bracket.
Simona Halep Stunned by a Familiar Foe
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni is not a household name outside of the tennis world. She would be if she played Simona Halep more often.
Lucic-Baroni knocked Halep out of the 2014 U.S. Open and followed up with an overpowering victory over the No. 3 seed in the second round of this year’s French Open. Lucic-Baroni won in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1, and dictated the tempo of the match with her forehand winners and power strokes.
Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times pointed out that Halep virtually set Lucic-Baroni up on a number of occasions:
As a result, the 2014 French Open finalist is going home much earlier than many anticipated. Rothenberg shared the resultant fallout:
Williams and Sharapova have one less highly ranked foe to worry about before a potential showdown.
Predicted Winners
Sharapova and Nadal won the 2014 French Open, but Djokovic and Williams will take home the trophy this year.
Yes, Nadal is an unstoppable force at this event with nine titles in the last 10 years, but he has dealt with lingering injuries throughout the 2015 campaign and appears more vulnerable on clay than ever before in his career. The left-hander was a disappointing 17-5 on the surface this year coming to Roland Garros.
This has been Djokovic’s season with five titles already, including the Australian Open, and the No. 1 player in the world has his eyes on the French Open championship. Nadal is not the unbeatable player on clay from the past, and the red-hot Djokovic will take full advantage.
As for Williams, she is simply unstoppable against elite competition at Grand Slam events.
In fact, she was 24-4 in her last 28 matches against top-10 players in majors coming into the French Open, which means she thrives under the most pressure. The pressure that comes with the late rounds at Roland Garros will not impact her at all, and she will add to her trophy case with a French Open title.
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