While much of the attention in the tennis world this next fortnight will be focused on Novak Djokovic’s attempts to complete the career Grand Slam, eagle-eyed punters might just be casting a glance at the womens side of the draw, where a real wide-open competition awaits.
Serena Williams will enter the tournament as defending champion and bookmakers favourite (9/4, SkyBet) of course, although if you were ever to oppose her then it would be at Roland Garros, where a 3/14 title conversion rate offers plenty of chances for others to shine.
So where’s the smart money at the French Open?
Williams on a Wing and a Prayer?
We cannot discount Serena from our thoughts entirely; she is still the most beguiling force in women’s tennis. But the impact of her natural power game is lessened somewhat by the clay here, and her movement is often cumbersome and lacking in agility. Recent(ish) winners of this event such as Justine Henin, Ana Ivanovic and Francesca Schiavone show that you don’t need to bludgeon the ball to enjoy success at Roland Garros.
Serena failed at the final hurdle to complete the calendar year Grand Slam at last year’s US Open, and she has already failed to achieve that honour this year given that she lost in the final of January’s Australian Open to Angelique Kerber.
You might suggest Williams is ‘due one’, but that motivation alone simply isn’t enough on a competitive ladies circuit.
Spanish Inquisition
The problem for punters is separating the wheat from the chaff at the head of the market. Viktoria Azarenka (6/1, Paddy Power) is a huge talent but with just a single semi-final appearance here in a decade is clearly yet to be moved by the French clay.
Simona Halep, meanwhile, is another who offers mild appeal at 13/2 with Boyle Sports given that she lifted the trophy in Madrid a fortnight ago, although you have to go back to May 2013 for her prior clay court triumph. An early exit in the French last year hardly gets the juices flowing either.
And the newest member of the Grand Slam winners club, Angelique Kerber, is tempting at 20/1 with Coral, but having been knocked out in the first round of her last two tour events does she really hold that much appeal?
It’s a Spaniard, Garbine Muguruza, who really catches the eye. At the age of just 22 she has already reached the quarter-finals twice at this tournament, and announced her arrival on the scene with a first round demolition of Serena here back in 2014. You may remember she reached the final of Wimbledon last summer too, and having made the last four of the Rome Masters in her last outing she will have the necessary confidence and form to succeed in France. At 14/1 with Stan James in a wide open tournament, she has to be worth a look.
This is an event that has a habit of producing shock results – four of the last eight semi-finalists have been seeded 13, 18, 23 and 28 for example – so fans of each way value will be clamouring for more; perhaps Timea Bacsinszky is worthy of such investment at 40/1 (bet365). She reached the last four here in 2015 and lifted a clay court title in Marrakech just a matter of weeks ago.
