French Open 2011: Grading Top Seeds Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Others So Far
As the 2011 French Open turns the corner heading into the second week, it is time to grade the expected performances of the top-seeded men. Who has exceeded expectations, made the grade or fallen short so far?
Some players have already failed the test and are now home, waiting for another chance to make a run at Stade Roland Garros in 2012. No. 6 seed Tomas Berdych was sent out in the first round, as was the No. 8 seed Jurgen Melzer. The No. 10 seed, American Mardy Fish, lost in Round 3 to Frenchman Gilles Simon.
But so far, the top men’s players have been remarkably resilient, as seeds No. 1 through 5 are still alive in the draw. This is in direct contrast to the women’s draw, where the top three seeds were dismissed before week two.
After the match between No. 7 David Ferrer concludes against No. 9 Gael Monfils on Monday, six of the top 10 seeds could be on their way to the quarterfinals—but we will not know that until day nine action concludes on Monday.
The fact is that staying alive in the draw is a real test for any player. All players in action today and beyond get a passing grade.
But the overall marks are based on results, level of competition and ease of wins, as well as expectations coming into the 2011 French Open. Feel free to voice your own grades for consideration...
The No. 1 Seed: Rafael Nadal
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So far Rafael Nadal, the No. 1 seed, has not exactly played lights-out tennis. In the first round he met American giant John Isner, ranked world No. 39, who extended Nadal to five sets before finally succumbing 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4.
The Majorcan found himself in dangerous waters throughout the entire encounter. Nadal himself admitted that he was close to losing the opener. But of course, he did not.
In the next round Nadal faced fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar, ranked 48th in the world. Andujar gave Nadal a real run, worrying the No. 1 seed by hanging tough even as Nadal won in straight sets 7-5, 6-3, 7-6.
Nadal’s opponent in Round 3 was the man who sent Nikolay Davydenko home, Antonio Veic of Croatia. The two did battle on Saturday, where Nadal once again looked like the French Open champion. The Majorcan defeated Veic 6-1, 6-3, 6-0.
Next Nadal will meet another Croatian, Ivan Ljubicic, in Round 4.
Nadal enters this year’s French Open having lost one match at Stade Roland Garros since 2005. He has won five of the last six championships. Winning the French Open in 2011 will tie Nadal with Bjorn Borg at six titles on the red clay.
We expect Nadal to win without flinching, but this year, we have seen him waver. He is still solid, but not yet on the "A" list.
No. 1 - Rafael Nadal (Spain) - Grade B
The No. 2 Seed: Novak Djokovic
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Novak Djokovic’s first competitor at this year's French Open was Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands, world ranked No. 71. De Bakker offered token resistance in trying to slow down the Serb, as he marched through the match 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 in an hour and a half.
In the next round, Djokovic met Victor Hanescu of Romania, world ranked No. 60. Hanescu could not sustain the effort after the first two sets, losing 6-4, 6-1. At 3-2 in the third set, the Romanian retired, and Djokovic moved on to Round 3.
In the third round Djokovic had to face the opponent no one wanted to see on the other side of the net, Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, seeded No. 25 at this year's French.
Because of other very long matches during the day, this highly anticipated encounter was pushed back and eventually moved to the second show court, Suzanne Lenglen.
Getting a late start, Djokovic and del Potro split the first two sets with the Serb winning the first 6-3 and the Argentine the second 6-3. At that point the match was called on account of darkness.
On Saturday, they returned to court to resume their match. This time del Potro could not answer the bell against the Serb. Djokovic came away the winner 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
On Sunday Djokovic faced resurgent Frenchman Richard Gasquet, seeded lucky No. 13. Gasquet could do nothing to stop Djokovic, as the Serb rolled over him 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
The No. 2 seed has progressed into the quarterfinals, where he would have faced Fabio Fognini, ranked No. 49. The Italian retired from the tournament early on Monday, giving Djokovic a free pass to the semifinals.
Djokovic's path so far has not been easy. The Serb has faced some very stiff competition but has not been bent or broken. All expected Djokovic to advance to the semifinals and beyond. He has certainly lived up to and exceeded all expectations so far.
No. 2 - Novak Djokovic (Serbia) - Grade A
The No. 3 Seed: Roger Federer
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It is hard to imagine, but not many are discussing Roger Federer’s chances of winning the French Open in 2011.
That follows because the Swiss has only managed to win the title once before, in 2009. Federer, however, did make four consecutive finals, losing three of those contests to Rafael Nadal, who has been accorded the title of "master clay court champion" since 2005.
This year, Federer, like Nadal, seemed to be nudged out of the spotlight by the new media darling, Novak Djokovic.
Nonetheless, Federer is quietly going about his business on his way to his 28th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, defeating some fairly stiff competition to arrive there.
In the first round the Swiss had to face Feliciano Lopez of Spain, by no means a gimme match. Lopez is finding his way back after falling to No. 41 in the ATP rankings. Federer won the first-round encounter over the Spaniard 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.
In the next round Federer faced French qualifier Maxime Teixeira, defeating the young Frenchman in straight sets 6-2, 6-0, 6-2 to advance to the third round, where Janko Tipsarevic awaited him.
This was the same Tipsarevic who had the Swiss on the ropes during the Australian Open in 2008, extending Federer to five sets before losing to the No. 1 seed. However, the Serb was never really a factor in their third-round match, as Federer again won in straight sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.
This brought Federer to his fourth-round match against countryman Stanislas Wawrinka, seeded No. 14. Wawrinka had played a tense and exciting match to get past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in five sets. But on day eight, Stan the man could not deliver, as he fell to Federer 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.
The Swiss now awaits the winner of the match between No. 9 Gael Monfils and No. 7 David Ferrer. The two will finish up their match on Monday to see who meets Federer in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Flying under the radar, Federer has been moving quickly and efficiently through the draw and into the second week of action.
No. 3 - Roger Federer (Switzerland) - Grade A
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The No. 4 Seed: Andy Murray
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Andy Murray’s furthest reach at the French Open occurred in 2009, when the Scot reached the quarterfinals. In 2011, the Scot will hope to repeat this feat.
This year the Murray camp had hoped for more and indeed were well on their way to realizing their dream when the Scot rolled his ankle in his third-round contest against German Michael Berrer on Saturday.
Now Murray is waiting until Monday to make a formal decision about continuing to play at the 2011 French Open.
In the interim, the Scot has been undergoing treatments, trying to be ready to take the court against Serb Victor Troicki on Monday for their fourth-round match. Murray has a winning record against Troicki, having beaten the Serb in all three of their previous meetings. Except for the ankle injury, Murray would be a strong favorite to win again.
Murray defeated Frenchman Eric Prodon in the first round 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. The Scot followed that win with another in the second round over Simone Bolelli 7-6, 6-4, 7-5. Even though the Scot won in straight sets, they were not easy sets to win.
Murray’s next win came as he defeated German Michael Berrer 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, even after rolling his ankle in the process. In the fourth round, the Scot would face Troicki. We wait to see if that match will go on as scheduled.
To date, Murray's draw has been quite easy, facing no seeded players until the fourth round. Of all the seeds, the Scot's path has proven to be the least bumpy. He has not yet been tested.
No. 4 - Andy Murray (Great Britain) - Grade B
The No. 5 Seed: Robin Soderling
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Robin Soderling has been a finalist at the French Open the past two seasons, losing to Roger Federer in 2009 and Rafael Nadal in 2010.
The Swede would like nothing better than to win the title for himself and Sweden this year, but the pressure to do so is enormous.
Soderling faced lucky loser American Ryan Harrison in the first round. Harrison took a set off the Swede before Soderling managed to quell the American.
Soderling won 6-1, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the second round.
In the second round, Soderling had an easier time of it, getting past Spaniard Albert Ramos 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
In the third round the Swede met Leonardo Mayer of Argentina, who was no match for Soderling, as the Swede swept him aside in straight sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.
Soderling’s opponent in Round 4 could be a real problem for the Swede, as he must face the No. 18 seed, Gilles Simon, who is finally in full form once again.
Soderling and Simon have met six times with Soderling winning four of the matches, the last in 2009.
Simon beat a very competent Mardy Fish, the No. 10 seed, in Round 3. His form has been impressive, so Soderling must get out of the gate fast, trying to exert control from the outset.
Sodering has, of course, been winning, but he has faced no seeded players, and his wins have been nothing spectacular.
So far, Soderling's play has been competent but average. The good thing for his fans is that the Swede appears to be getting stronger as he progresses through the draw.
No. 5 - Robin Soderling (Sweden) - Grade C
The No. 7 Seed: David Ferrer
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One of the hottest men on tour besides Novak Djokovic is Spain’s David Ferrer, who has worked his way back into the top 10, currently resting in the No. 7 spot.
In his first three rounds of the French Open, Ferrer came through with flying colors. He began his French Open campaign defeating former top-20 player Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.
Ferrer followed that victory by dispatching Frenchman Julien Benneteau 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
The Spaniard thrashed his third-round opponent, No. 31 seed Sergiy Stakhovsky, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.
That sent Ferrer into the fourth round, where he faced No. 9 seed Gael Monfils on Sunday. The Spaniard had lost to the Frenchman Monfils in Paris in 2008.
On Sunday Ferrer found himself down a set 4-6, 6-2, 5-7. The Spaniard had, however, opened set four by breaking Monfils' serve. Ferrer led 2-0 in the fourth set when the match was suspended because of darkness.
Officials finally called the match when the players could no longer see their hands in front of their faces.
All during the match Ferrer faced fierce opposition from Monfils and the French crowd, who, once again, were trying to buoy a hometown favorite into the next round.
When play resumes on Monday, Ferrer will have to win the final two sets to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
If anyone can do it, Ferrer has the iron will to accomplish the task. He has been playing solid tennis in the first three rounds.
No. 7 - David Ferrer (Spain) - Grade B
The No. 9 Seed: Gael Monfils
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When play stopped on Sunday, the No. 9 seed Gael Monfils had just gone up two sets to one over the No. 7 seed Spaniard David Ferrer.
The two were battling for a spot in the quarterfinals and a chance to test their mettle against Roger Federer, the No. 3 seed.
In the fourth set, Ferrer broke the Frenchman’s serve during game two, going up 2-0 when the match was called on account of darkness. When play resumed on Monday, Ferrer continued, storming through to take the fourth set 6-1.
The match would be decided in the fifth and final set.
Monfils broke to go up 3-1 early in the final set. Ferrer was not happy about the turn of events but played good solid tennis until the Frenchman served for the first set at 5-3.
At that point, Ferrer raised his game, refusing to concede defeat. He broke back and then held serve to level the match at 5-5.
With no tiebreak, the two fought on until Monfils finally sealed the match by breaking Ferrer at love, going on to serve out the match at 8-6.
Monfils made his way into the fourth round in unspectacular fashion.
In the first round Monfils defeated German Bjorn Phau 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-0. The German was ranked No. 145 in the world. Advancing to the second round, Monfils faced another Frenchman Guillaume Rufin, ranked No. 253 by the ATP. The No. 9 seed defeated his countryman 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
In the third round the Frenchman defeated Belgian Steve Darcis 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. The Belgian owned a ranking of 135.
The average ranking of Monfils’ first three opponents was 177.
That makes his win over Ferrer all the more remarkable. Monfils' next opponent will be Roger Federer tomorrow.
No. 9 - Gael Monfils (France) - Grade B+
The No. 18 Seed: Gilles Simon
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When Frenchman Gilles Simon, seeded No. 18, defeated Mardy Fish, the No. 10 seed, the final American was sent packing out of the main draw. No American would be playing during the second week of the 2011 French Open.
Fish had been playing relatively good tennis until he met Simon, losing that match 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Simon met and defeated American Michael Russell in Round 1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-0. Once he settled into the match, the Frenchman found his rhythm, taking the final two sets easily.
In the second round, Simon defeated countryman Jeremy Chardy in four sets 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the third round, where Simon met the American Fish, defeating him in straight sets.
The Frenchman's next opponent in the fourth round, Robin Soderling, has enjoyed much success at Stade Roland Garros over the past two years.
Simon is finally finding his form again after working his way back from injury. French fans may find Simon their best bet to advance to the quarterfinals.
In the meantime, the Frenchman is playing himself into contention after a slow start in the early rounds. Simon has advanced, but in average fashion so far.
No. 18 - Gilles Simon (France) - Grade C
The Unseeded, Ranked No. 49: Fabio Fognini
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On Sunday Fabio Fognini outlasted Spaniard Albert Montanes in a five-set marathon 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9 to advance to the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
The Italian might have found himself only a shell of a man by the time his match against the No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic got under way.
But we will never know now, because on Monday Fognini retired from the tournament before firing a quarterfinal shot.
The Italian had already played more tennis than most of the other quarterfinalists. Certainly, Fognini had spent more time on court than the Serb.
In the first round Fognini defeated world ranked No. 58 Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
In the second round Fognini took out Stephane Robert of France 6-2, 6-1, 6-0. Robert was the player who had dismissed No. 6 seed Tomas Berdych in Round 1.
In Round 3 Fognini lost the first set against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez but came back to win the match in four sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.
This propelled Fognini into the fourth round, where the Italian waged war against Montanes for five long sets.
The plucky Italian had played some first-rate tennis, and he obviously liked the clay. He would have been, however, no match for Djokovic, whose appearance in the semifinals was practically assured regardless.
Fognini's play to date must be rated above average, but certainly not perfect yet.
No. 49 Fabio Fognini (Italy) - Grade Incomplete
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