2011 French Open: Top 10 Potential Breakout Performances in 2011

Novak Djokovic has won 39 consecutive matches, Rafael Nadal is the defending and five time champion and Roger Federer has won a record 16 Grand Slam titles. These three men are obviously the favorites to win the upcoming French Open, but who are the lesser-known players from which we can expect potential breakout performances at this year's tournament?

Pablo Andujar

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KEY BISCAYNE, FL - MARCH 27: Pablo Andujar of Spain adjusts his racquet against Kevin Anderson of South Africa during the Sony Ericsson Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 27, 2011 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Andujar has reached the second round at the French Open each of the past three years, but he's ready to make the leap into his first Round of 32 at a major.

The Spaniard won his first career title on the clay of Casablanca last month by beating top 50 players Albert Montanes and Potito Starace along the way. He dropped only one set in the tournament and held his opponents to two games or fewer in a set seven times.

Ryan Sweeting

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KEY BISCAYNE, FL - MARCH 23: Ryan Sweeting wipes his face with a towel against Xavier Malisse of Belgium during the Sony Ericsson Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 23, 2011 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

U.S. men's tennis is in a major decline, but could the 23-year-old Sweeting help turn things around?

The American won his first career title last month on the clay of Houston, taking down No. 20 Sam Querrey in the Round of 16.

Sweeting was ousted in the first round in his French Open debut last year, but chances are he'll last a little longer this time around.

Juan Martin Del Potro

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MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 03: Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina plays a forehand in his match against Mikhail Youzhny of Russia during day four of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open Tennis on May 3, 2011 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Can a Grand Slam winner still "break out?"

After winning the 2009 U.S. Open, Del Potro played just three tournaments last year because of a right wrist injury.

However, the Argentine has bounced back in 2011, going 27-6 and claiming two titles to climb from 485 to 27 in the world rankings.

Most recently, he won a French Open tuneup in Estoril, Portugal, blitzing the competition, including Robin Soderling, while only dropping one set.

Del Potro then had to withdraw from his Round of 16 meeting with Rafael Nadal at the ATP World Tour Masters in Madrid due to a hip injury, but he says he will play the French.

When healthy, he is among the best players in the world.

Nikolay Davydenko

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KEY BISCAYNE, FL - MARCH 23: Nikolay Davydenko of Russia hits a return against Kevin Anderson of South Africa during the Sony Ericsson Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 23, 2011 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Davydenko has reached four Grand Slam semis, including two at the French, but he's never played in a major final.

Could this be the year?

The Russian is currently ranked 30 in the world and he's lost his last two matches, but in Munich in late April, Davydenko took down the likes of Marin Cilic, Radek Stepanek and Florian Mayer to win his first title in 16 months and his first on clay in nearly two years.

Nicolas Almagro

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ROME, ITALY - MAY 10: Nicolas Almagro of Spain plays a forehand return during the his first round match against Simone Bolelli of Italy during day three of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia at the Foro Italico Tennis Centre on May 10, 2011 in Rome, Italy.

Almagro's only two major quarterfinals have come at the French Open in the past three years, and he seems primed to maybe make a run at his first berth in the semis.

The Spaniard won back-to-back clay court tournaments in February and hasn't lost on the surface to a player ranked outside the top 22 all year.

Florian Mayer

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ROME, ITALY - MAY 13: Florian Mayer of Germany plays a backhand during his quarter final match against Andy Murray of Great Britain during day six of the Internazoinali BNL D'Italia at the Foro Italico Tennis Centre on May 13, 2011 in Rome, Italy. (Pho

Florian Mayer hasn't done much at the Grand Slams since a quarterfinals appearance at Wimbledon in 2004. That year was also the only time he won a match at the French Open, but after a couple of solid results on clay, the German should finally be able to break out at Roland Garros.

Mayer went the distance with Nikolay Davydenko at the finals of Munich and then took a set from Andy Murray in the quarters at Rome before bowing out.

As he result, Mayer's ranking rose seven spots last week to a career-high 21.

Pablo Cuevas

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KEY BISCAYNE, FL - MARCH 26: Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay hits a backhand return against Andy Roddick during the Sony Ericsson Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 26, 2011 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Cuevas is 0-2 at the French Open, but he figures to get his first win the way he's been playing lately.

The 25-year-old from Uruguay reached two semifinals last month in clay court tournaments, scoring wins over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Thomaz Bellucci and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Pere Riba

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AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - JANUARY 10: Pere Riba of Spain in action during his match against Rubin Statham of New Zealand on day one of the Heineken Open at ASB Tennis Centre on January 10, 2011 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Sandra Mu/Getty Images)

Riba has three top-50 wins since early April, helping him rise to a career-high 65 world ranking.

The 23-year-old Spaniard reached the second round in his French debut last year, but could have his eyes set on the Round of 32 in 2011.

Jarkko Nieminen

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ROME, ITALY - MAY 12: Jarkko Nieminen of Finland hits a backhand return during his third round match against Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic during day five of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia at the Foro Italico Tennis Centre on May 12, 2011 in Rome, Ita

Nieminen hasn't reached the fourth round at the French since 2003, but he could make a return trip if he plays as well as he did in Rome earlier this month.

The veteran beat No. 36 Sergiy Stakhovsky before going the distance with Tomas Berdych before falling short in the Round of 16.

Carlos Berlocq

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KEY BISCAYNE, FL - MARCH 26: Carlos Berlocq of Argentina serves to Ernests Gulbis of Lativa during the Sony Ericsson Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 26, 2011 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Berlocq's only win at a Grand Slam came in the first round of the 2007 French Open. He could go further after beating two top-60 players on the clay last month.