The 2008 French Open is right around the corner as the top pros
in the world hit the clay courts of Roland-Garros in Paris,
France from May 25 through June 8. The French Open marks the
second tennis Grand Slam event of the season and is the premier
clay court event of the year. In the first Grand Slam of the
season, the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic defeated number one
seed Roger Federer to advance to the Finals where he went on to
win his first ever Grand Slam and the first ever by a Serbian
man. He'll be looking to repeat in the French, but Federer will
be looking for revenge and Rafael Nadal will be waiting as well
as he looks to win his fourth straight French Open title.
Jimmy Boyd dissects the field
and gives you his picks to win in this 2008 French Open
predictions article.
The Favorite: As I mentioned above, Nadal has won 3 straight French Open
titles. He can match the great Bjorn Borg's record of four straight titles in
the open era with another win. Nadal is a good player, but he excels on the clay
surface. He is what's known as a clay court specialist. He has mastered the
slide maneuver that clay courts call for that better grass and hard court
players struggle with. He has also figured out how to use the high bounce that
clay courts produce to his advantage. Oddsmakers have no choice but to make the
price steep for Nadal. He has never lost a match in his three French Open
tournaments. That's a perfect 21-0 record. In just over a two-year span from
April 2005 to May 2007, Nadal won a record 81 straight clay court matches before
ultimately being beaten by world number one Roger Federer in the 2007 Hamburg
Masters. This run solidified him as the best ever on clay courts already in his
young career.
The Long Shot: Like Nadal, Juan Carlos Ferrero is a clay court specialist
showing extraordinary value at 100/1 odds. He is a former world number one and
won the French Open in 2003. He has earned a runner up finish at the French and
at the U.S. Open also . The speed that has earned him his nickname the
"mosquito" is also the attribute that has helped him become one of the best clay
court players in the world. Many quick grass and hard court players often appear
slow on the clay court surface. If you're looking for a long shot, Ferrero is
your only choice.
Boyd's Prediction: Because Federer has never won the French Open, we can get
him with more value than in any other tournament. The thing to
remember is that it's not like the world number one falls apart
on clay. He has finished runner up at the French to Nadal in
each of the last three years. Before going down in the semis of
the Australian Open, Federer had reached 10 consecutive Grand
Slam finals, making him the best bet to win any Grand Slam
tournament. After being denied at a shot to win the Australian,
I expect him to be on top of his game at the French as he goes
after the only Slam he has never won. Federer losing in the
Australian was the worst possible thing which could have
happened for Nadal as now the world number one will be even more
focused. Federer was the one to beat Nadal on clay to end the
Spaniard's record clay streak and now I like him to end Nadal's
run at the French.
