Does Rafael Nadal have feet of clay?
The reigning two-time French Open winner had a very rare clay-court loss at last week’s warmup tournament in Hamburg. Ominously for Nadal supporters, the winner was Roger Federer. Finally, something to look forward to at Roland Garros.
Nadal remains the overwhelming favorite to win the French Open. Even after losing to his rival, the Mallorcan maestro is still 81-1 on clay over the past two years. And Nadal is still 5/1 lifetime against Federer on this surface. Nobody would be surprised if it takes Federer or anyone else on the ATP Tour another two years to solve Nadal. But at least we have some intrigue now.
French Open odds and men's tennis betting right here!
The women’s draw usually doesn’t take the back seat, especially in a strong field where six or seven women can be considered legitimate contenders. But Justine Henin is the clear favorite, and for good reason. She’s 47-3 on clay over the past two years, winning the French Open in 2005 and 2006 to go along with her 2003 title.
Most of Henin’s opponents at Roland Garros had some issue or other heading into this tournament. If anyone is going to take her down, I think it will be Jelena Jankovic. Check out the biceps on this one. She looks like she could snap Henin in half. More importantly, she took Henin to three sets in each of their five matches, including a pair of French Open warmups earlier this month.
Jankovic is on the cusp of stardom. But the tone of some of Jankovic’s statements in the press suggests she may not have confidence in her ability to beat Henin. "I won this tournament," she said after last week’s standout performance at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. "You know why? Because Henin didn’t come." Bad news, Jelena: Henin did indeed come to Roland Garros.
Women's French Open odds are here!
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