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Nationality Tennis James Blake

Preview French Open: Nadal will kill the new clay

The second Grand Slam tournament of the 2006 tennis season has arrived, as the French Open begins Sunday in Paris.

The French Open is the jewel in the crown of the clay court season, and the best players in the world have gathered to test skills and patience at the slow, red clay of Stade Roland Garros.

Here is a look at the contenders for the title, sleepers and long shots in men and women's draws.

• They are usually records 5/20/06
  ** Betting from 5/26/06

Draw of men

Contenders

Rafael Nadal - Spain

Tournament seed: # 2
2006 overall record: 28-3
2006 clay court record: 17-0
Open French career record: 7-0
Best French Open finish: Winner - 2005
WagerWeb.com odds to win the title: 5 / 6

Champion 2005 French Open, Nadal is the undisputed king of clay, having won 53 consecutive matches on the surface, tying the Open era record of Guillermo Vilas in 1977. Spanish Young easily won the clay court events in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Hamburg, losing only six games in the process. Nadal's dominance on clay includes three consecutive wins against the Swiss world # 1 Roger. This year, the French Open is Nadal, and given its current streak on clay Hot money smart money will be there.

Roger Federer - Switzerland

Tournament seed: # 1
2006 overall record: 38-3
2006 clay court record: 10-2
Career French Open record: 14-7
Best French Open finish: Semi-finals - 2005
WagerWeb.com odds of winning the title: 19/10

Federer is the consensus # 1 player in the world and has been dominant this year to win four titles and compiling a 38-3 record. Their losses have only been seen Nadal in the final in Dubai (hard court), Monte Carlo (clay) and clay of Rome (). Federer is becoming more and more comfortable playing on clay and has begun to reverse the gap between him and Nadal. In their previous meeting in Rome, Federer had a 4-1 lead in the fifth set before losing in a playoff. If anyone in the tournament have a chance would be to dethrone the defending champion Nadal, is Federer.

David Nalbandian - Argentina

Tournament seed: # 3
2006 overall record: 24-6
2006 clay court record: 11-3
French Open career record: 04.11
Best French Open finish: Semi-finals - 2005
WagerWeb.com odds Title: 25 / 1

Nalbandian is a clay court player in place and sports a 11-3 record on clay this year. He won the tournament in Estoril in May without losing a set, beating Nikolay Davydenko in the final. Nalbandian reached the semifinals in Rome, losing a tiebreaker third set against Roger Federer. Nalbandian made a career for the Open French semifinals in 2004 and has the game to make a major this year.

Sleepers

Tommy Robredo - Spain

Tournament seed: # 7
General Act 2006: 1920-1913
2006 clay court record: 13-3
Career French Open record: 16-5
Best French Open finish: Quarter-finals - 2003 2005
Wagerweb.com odds of winning the title: 75 / 1

Robredo started the year with a disappointing 7-8 record in tournaments of the court hard early, including four losses in the first round and two second-round losses. However, he has turned his game around on clay, winning the event in Hamburg, reaching the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo and losing in the final in Barcelona to Nadal. If Robredo is able to continue his recent work, which could deepen the draw in Paris.

Fernando Gonzalez - Chile

Tournament Seed: # 9
2006 overall record: 17-9
2006 clay court record: 13-4
Open registration French Career: 9-5
Best French Open finish: Quarterfinals, 2003
Wagerweb.com odds to win the title: 70 / 1

Gonzalez, a specialist on clay, has been successful in court tournaments early in the clay season, including reaching the semifinals in Viña del Mar and Monte Carlo. However, their recent form has dropped a bit, losing in the quarter-final in Rome against Nadal in the round of 16 in Hamburg. Gonzalez has shown he can win clay, and he would be a dangerous opponent for anyone in the draw.

Gaston Gaudio - Argentina

Tournament seed: # 10
2006 overall results: 15-10
2006 clay court record: 13-7
Career French Open record: 18-7
Best French Open finish: Winner - 2005
Wagerweb.com odds of winning the title: 65 / 1

Gaudio, who won the 2004 French Open, is a threat to win any case, the court clay enters. However, their recent form on clay has not been on par with his usual high standards. Lost in first round in Rome, the second round and round in Hamburg 16 in Viña del Mar and Costa do Sauipe (Brazil). Gaudio reached the quarter-finals in Valencia, lost to Nadal in the semifinals in Monte Carlo. His work has been too sporadic betting on a long march for the draw.

Long shots

James Blake - USA

Tournament seed: # 8
General Act 2006: 24-11
2006 clay court record: 2-3
French Open career record: 3-3
Best French Open finish: Second round, 2002, 2003, 2005

Wagerweb.com odds of winning the title: (Mobile) 50 / 1
Blake has reached # 8 in the world ranking and has won the hard court tournaments in Sydney and Las Vegas this year. He also reached the final at Indian Wells, where he lost to Federer. Blake has played in only three tournaments on clay this year and his best result reach the third round in Hamburg. With a favorable draw and a little luck, Blake might reach the second week in Paris.

Juan Carlos Ferrero - Spain

Tournament seed: # 24
General Act 2006: 1913-1911
2006 clay court record: 10-7
Career French Open record: 26-5
Best Open finish French: Winner - 2003
Wagerweb.com odds to win the title: 115 / 1

Ferrero, who won the 2003 French Open, has fought vigorously in the 2006 season clay court, the publication of a mediocre 10-7 record. He has several titles on clay under his belt, and as a champion of French Open past Ferrero should never be discarded in the mixture.

David Ferrer - Spain

Tournament seed: # 15
General Act 2006: 1918-1913
2006 Clay court record: 7-5
French Open career record: 6-3
Best French Open finish: Quarter-finals - 2005
Wagerweb.com odds to win the Title: 70 / 1

Ferrer is a Spanish boy, up-and-coming has proven to be a force to be considered in clay. He reached the quarter-finals Hamburg, losing to Robredo, losing in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo final against Federer. Like other members of the Spanish Armada, Ferrer feels more comfortable on the slow clay courts, and could be a spoiler in the main draw.

Women's Draw

Contenders

Amelie Mauresmo - France

Tournament seed: # 1
2006 overall record: 27-6
2006 clay court record: 4-2
French Open career record: 19-11
Better French Open finish: Quarter-finals - 2003, 2004
Wagerweb.com odds to win the title: 6.25 / 1

Mauresmo began 2006 with a bang capturing the Australia Open, and she continued with victories in the tournament in Paris (carpet) and Antwerp (carpet). She chose to play in one tournament on clay leading to the French Open, losing in the semifinals in Berlin to Justine Henin-Hardenne. For Mauresmo, the French Open is the most important tournament of the year, and pressure of winning his country's Grand Slam tournament has adversely affected his play in recent years. Can you overcome the weight of the nation Mauresmo French rest squarely on the shoulders? With a field as deep to overcome, and with the enormous expectations of his countrymen, I would not bet Mauresmo to win the tournament.

Justine Henin-Hardenne - Belgium

Tournament seed: # 5
2006 overall record: 27-5
2006 clay court record: 6-1
French Open record won: 21-4
Best French Open finish: Winner - 2003, 2005

Wagerweb.com odds of winning the title: 2.35 / 1
Henin-Hardenne is the Open defending champion France and enters the 2006 tournament with an impressive 27-5 record. She has won two tournaments this year (Sydney and Dubai) and lost in the final Mauresmo's Australian Open. In her only tournament of the year on clay, Henin-Hardenne in the semifinals lost to Nadia Petrova. Henin-Hardenne is a legitimate threat to repeat as champion at Roland Garros.

Kim Clijsters - Belgium

Tournament seed: # 2
2006 overall record: 15-5
2006 clay record judicial: 6-2
Career French Open record: 17-5
Best French Open finish: Finalist - 2001, 2003
Wagerweb.com odds of winning the title: 2.15 / 1

Clijsters has had mixed results during the season this year on clay, winning the tournament in Warsaw, but losing in the round of 16 in Rome. When Clijsters is healthy, she can beat anyone. However, his health and durability have come back into question. During the Australia Open when he was forced to retire of his semifinal match against Mauresmo with a torn ankle ligament. Clijsters also beat a wrist injury that threatened his career, prompting lose most of the 2004 season. The French Open, more than any other Grand Slam event is an endurance test, and the propensity Clijsters' to break could be a problem.

Nadia Petrova - Russia

Tournament seed: # 3
Global Act 2006: 33-7
2006 clay court record: 15-1
Career French Open record: 15-5
Best French Open finish: Finalist - Semifinals - 2003, 2005
Wagerweb.com odds of winning the title: 6 / 1

Petrova has become a force on the WTA Tour, winning four tournaments and compiling a match record of 33-7. She has established itself as a player dominant clay by posting a stellar 15-1 record in the land. Petrova won clay court event in Amelia Island, Charleston and Berlin, where he defeated Henin-Hardenne in the final. With his titles on clay and a win over French Open champion Henin-Hardenne 2005, Petrova is my favorite to win the tournament.

Sleepers

Maria Sharapova - Russia

Tournament seed: # 4
2006 overall record: 21-4
2006 clay court record: 0-0
French Open on his career record: Quarter-finals - 2004, 2005,
best finish at the French Open: 8-3
Wagerweb.com odds of winning the title: 14 / 1

Under normal circumstances, Sharapova would be ranked among the tournament favorites. However, she has not played a match on clay this year, as it was forced to withdraw from the tournament in Rome with a bruised right ankle. Sharapova has all the vaccines to be a force at Roland Garros, and has proven he can win on stage at the Grand Slam by winning Wimbledon in 2004. However, his lack of match play on clay and questions over his fitness decrease your chances of win.

Martina Hingis - Switzerland

Tournament seed: # 12
General Act 2006: 1931-1910
2006 clay court record: 10-2
Open French career record: 31-7
best finish at the French Open: Finalist - 1997, 1999
Wagerweb.com odds of winning the title: 9.5 / 1

In one of the most remarkable comeback stories of the year, Hingis has come back from a three-year absence to once again become a force in women's tennis. With foot and problems in the ankle apparently behind her, Hingis has compiled a 31-10 record, including 10-2 on clay. Hingis lost in the quarterfinals in Berlin to Mauresmo, but returned to win the Italian Open in dominating fashion, dropping a set in six matches. Hingis victory in Rome vaulted back into the fray to win the only Grand Slam title that has eluded him.

Dinara Safina - Russia

Tournament Seeds: # 14
General Act 2006: 1924-1911
2006 clay record judicial: 10-3
French Open career record: 1-3
Best French Open final: 2nd round - 2004
Wagerweb.com odds of winning the title: 27.5 / 1

Safina has quickly made a name for itself in the clay court circuit, publishing a record of 10-3 this year. Came the quarter-finals of the tournament in Charleston and Berlin, and then reached the final of the tournament in Rome, where he recorded impressive victories over Clijsters, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova before losing to Hingis in the final. If you believe in a player riding on a roll, Safina would be a good bet.

Long shots

Venus Williams - USA
Tournament seed: # 11
2006 overall record: 6-3
2006 clay court record: 6-2
Career French Open record: 27-9
best finish at the French Open: Finalist - 2002
Wagerweb.com odds of winning the title: 16 / 1

Williams has played a very limited time due to a right elbow injury in 2006. She returned to the tour in Warsaw and lost in the quarterfinals Kuznetsova, and then reached the semifinals in Rome, where he lost to Hingis. Williams has the power of both sides to dominate on clay, and if he can stay healthy could make a run deep in the tournament.

Svetlana Kuznetsova - Russia

Tournament seed: # 8
2006 overall record: 29-9
2006 clay court record: 13-5
French Open career record: 6-3
better French Open finish: Fourth round - 2004, 2005
Wagerweb.com odds of winning the title: 10 / 1

Kuznetsova has enjoyed a season of land whipped strong, reaching the quarterfinals at Charleston and Berlin, the semi-finals at Amelia Island and Rome and lose in the final in Berlin for Clijsters. She has demonstrated ability to beat the top players in the big tournaments, but has also suffered some bad defeats to lower ranking players. If she can produce the same type courts that led to the 2004 U.S. title Open, a journey deep into the tournament is possible.

About the Author

Rich Carlson
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer