Serena will she finally win Roland Garros again this year?

[Sundaymorningguy]

What do we think of her chances this year? Azarenka has been out of commission for a bit, and it remains to be seen how she will return. Though she is like Serena can't seem to quite make it through when the matches matter at the French. Sharapova has become quite the clay courter, but she has never defended a slam. Li seems to be on the rise. If Serena can keep her head afloat, I think she can do quite well. If she wants to win it again, this is the year to make it happen. I think her best bet is to work on her serving and make sure she can change it up pretty regularly. She also needs to keep that forehand in check. Footwork must be clean from start to finish. I like her chances, but she has to focus from start to finish. She can't do any walkabouts as that is when her doubts will start creeping in, and she usually loses or barely wins. I think this is the year she does it. She lessens her chances of ever winning it again after this year.

I would go with based on form at the moment:

1. Sharapova/Serena
2. Li
3. Errani/Vinci
4. Azarenka
5. Kvitova/Jankovic/Stosur(if she can find her form)

 

[jhar26]

I pretty much agree. I would be surprised if someone other than Sharapova, Serena or Li won it. But I suppose you can't really dismiss Kvitova, Azarenka or Stosur. Errani, well, she might get far, but her record against the very best players is too poor for her to end up winning the entiire thing in my opinion.

 

[10isfan]

I cannot picture Serena winning. She will likely lose patience and get frustrated on that surface. I am crossing my fingers Li can keep from choking and win a second title.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

I would go with based on form at the moment:

1. Sharapova/Serena
2. Li
3. Errani/Vinci
4. Azarenka
5. Kvitova/Jankovic/Stosur(if she can find her form)

Vika has a better chance than being 4th on the list, I put Vika up there with Li

I also like the chances of the clay specialists, Errani was in the final last year, Vinci is playing the best Tennis of her life.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I put Azarenka 4th because she hasn't played since the beginning of March, and clay is a sore spot for her like it is with Serena. Especially if she still has any lingering effects from her ankle injury, that might put a drastic damper on her French chances as you need to be able to move well and comfortably to win on clay. I put Errani and Vinci ahead of her as they have improved drastically and love clay.

 

[blueberry]

I think she will win it this year. It's one of her last attempts so I think she will not leave anything to chance this time and come well-prepared.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Well, I must say I like Serena's French Open outfit choice this year !

http://www.nikeblog.com/2013/05/01/2013-french-open-nike-apparel-for-rafa-maria-vika-et-al/

 

[Kieran]

Let's hope she gets to wear it more than once this year, eh?

I doubt she'll win it, but I think it would be great on her CV if she did. I wonder what preparation she's doing, and how much she's going to play. She looked great last year, until...

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Let's hope she gets to wear it more than once this year, eh?

I doubt she'll win it, but I think it would be great on her CV if she did. I wonder what preparation she's doing, and how much she's going to play. She looked great last year, until...

She is playing Madrid and Rome beforehand. She has put a bit more spin on her shots to cut down on her unforced errors which I think she was going for in preparation for the French, so it has helped her be a bit more patient when in a rally which she always seems to lack at the French: patience. I think a few things might have to go her way to make it happen again. One is some players that are more clay savvy having off days and perhaps a few upsets that go her way couldn't hurt. Stosur playing horribly right now is a big boost as that is one less clay landmine to worry about now we have to see how everyone else stacks up. We are in the meat and potatoes portion of clay season where everyone is playing now. Two the footwork can't be sloppy. It must be there start to finish. Focus! Three mix up her serve better. She has to know that she isn't going to get as many aces and expect that ball to be returned and take the offense. More body serving especially on second serves.

 

[revan]

We will know more after Rome. Right now i would put:

1. Serena/Sharapova
2. Li
3. Kvitova/Jankovic
4. Errani/Vinci
5. Azarenka/Stosur

 

[SingleBackhand]

Yeah it's always about Serena. And even long before the French Open has started the speculations about her winning it are numerous. What's this constant obsession with Serena about I wonder? She might or might not win the French Open but just remember the French Open 2012. She was then too the choice of many Serena fans to win for sure way before she even had played Rome. The general opinion of the many Serena supporters was that no one could stop her after her amazing victories on green and blue clay. We know how it all went. The shock and the disappointment was not from this world. Why start these speculations all over again? Serena has only played one red clay match so far and although she won it, it wasn't really a stellar performance. Isn't it more sensible to wait with a thread like this until after Rome for example? Then we have at least some idea how Serena has played on red clay.

As for the other players who in my opinion only were mentioned out of curtsey and also so the creator of the thread would not to look to one sided, let's see what they've accomplished so far:
Li lost the Stuttgart final in straights and has exit Madrid in R1 already so I wonder about "on the rise"?
Errani we have no idea where her form is as of yet but she has at least done well in Madrid so far. I however doubt it very much if she can take herself to a final in the French Open again but there is always a chance because she's a great clay court player although I think she is not powerful enough.
Vinci has already left the building after R1 in Madrid. Why should we expect any wonders from her?
The same happened to Stosur who crumbled after she lost the first set in R1. Can she really be considered a French Open contender? I think not
Then there is Kvitova who hasn't exactly been a consistent player this year. She won Dubai but that's it as far as I know. Has she even been a runner up in any of the other tournaments this year? Not that I can remember. She is however still in the run in Madrid
Jankovic? I wonder where that name came from? I can't see any sensible reasons why she should be in the mix?

So that leaves us with the so called big 3. Serena the #1, Sharapova the #2 and Azarenka the #3. Of those 3 only Sharapova has shown that she is a clay champion so far. Her winning streak on clay is currently 17 or 18 matches. I therefor think that the subject line of this thread is more about putting Serena in focus and fire up the Serena emotions (way to prematurely if you ask me) then to seriously consider or to discuss who of these players have the best chances to win.

But hey .. what's new? The Serena fever has started already

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Like I said, I would put Serena up there with Sharapova obviously Sharapova has a win on the red stuff, and we do need to see how Serena fares on it. However, her loss at the French lit a fire in Serena and obviously made her want to win it again. She has made positive changes to her game, so far it is working well. Hopefully, it continues to work well for her, and she wins Madrid or Rome or both and moves on to the French with a red clay victory. I mean sure right now Sharapova has the first win on red clay, and Serena has to defend to make this a mystery of potential FO champs.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

We will know more after Rome. Right now i would put:

1. Serena/Sharapova
2. Li
3. Kvitova/Jankovic
4. Errani/Vinci
5. Azarenka/Stosur

All of the sudden, Li looks erratic and unpredictable, losing really early in Madrid.

 

[tented]

We will know more after Rome. Right now i would put:

1. Serena/Sharapova
2. Li
3. Kvitova/Jankovic
4. Errani/Vinci
5. Azarenka/Stosur

All of the sudden, Li looks erratic and unpredictable, losing really early in Madrid.

That can happen. For now, I'm not going to read too much into it. She has won this tournament before, which is huge, if only psychologically.

Also, consider that Rafa, the King of Clay, lost early a few times leading up to winning RG: Madrid last year, and Rome in '08. In Hamburg in '07 he looked dead by the end of the final, only to win RG a few weeks later.

It's still early. She has time to get it together before Paris.

 

[SingleBackhand]

However, her loss at the French lit a fire in Serena and obviously made her want to win it again.

Really? And you know about this fire how? What are you? A mind reader?

She has made positive changes to her game, so far it is working well.

Have you seen these "positive changes"? When or where? In your dreams?

Hopefully, it continues to work well for her, and she wins Madrid or Rome or both and moves on to the French with a red clay victory. I mean sure right now Sharapova has the first win on red clay, and Serena has to defend to make this a mystery of potential FO champs.

No offense but those are a lot of foggy assumptions. You don't find this fanaticism a little odd? I mean it looks to me that a little more patience would have been in order instead of going about this already? Maybe some realism as well? So what is the purpose of your thread? Are you hoping for a lot of support and praise form your fellow Serena worshipers? Hoping that they'll make you the "Serena guy #1"?

I just wonder?

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I said will she asking a question in terms of the title of this thread. I didn't say she already had the damn trophy with her name on it already. She has just as much a shot as anyone else.