Great! I love it, Ricky! I really want Novak on Roger's side... but you already know that. I just don't see a good final coming from Roger and Rafa if they do meet (and knowing our providence they probably will). Sorry, but I'm looking out for the quality of tennis here.

I do highly doubt Rafa would ever play badly at Roland Garros, though. Decent, yes. Below par, maybe. But horrible I just can't fathom. He's a machine at Roland Garros. So I guess Roger would have to hope for #3...

very well written ricky........

i also want nole to be in federer's draw

Ricky,

I am not from Serbia nor Scotland, but I'm rooting for a Rafa-Nole finals at RG. I have a feeling though that it would not be so. :-(

Also, if Federer wins RG, and this is a big IF, I believe that he will win Wimby as well. :-( :-(
Also, I believe that if Roger wins

There goes these fingers again but I hope you get my drift.

no danny.........dont even hink abt rafa losing rolland garros....no way..........be +

vrael,

I did say that it's a big IF. Even Ricky gave only 3 percent as Roger's chance of winning RG. It's a hypothetical statement, so relax vrael. As you said: No way! :-)

Ricky: I'm surprised that you didn't mention that if Nadal goes on to win French Open 09, he breaks Borg's record of consecutive F.O wins. Considering that Borg's hex is as good as any, it would be truly historic if Rafa were to overcome Borg's record (since Borg's records usually don't seem to get broken..notably, Fed failed to do so in Wimb).

Also Murray can be a handful for Federer even on clay (bcoz Murray's such a bad matchup for Fed). The problem with Murray is that he's the least likely (among the top 4) to make it to the SF. Anyway, If the top 4 do make it the SF, I think the draw won't matter as much. It won't be easy for Federer either way.

And also clearly Rafa's not playing close to his Australian Open 09 level of tennis (or even last years's clay tennis level). But he can still get through French Open at 80%. The problems will happen at Wimbledon and then to a bigger extent, in the Us Open.

BTW Ricky..thanks so much for the article. I appreciate your comprehensive analysis. A 5 part preview series is too good! You're spoiling all of us :)

im very relaxed danny......no problems at all............i personally want a rafa-roger final or rafa-nole final........i want rafa to beat them at the biggest stage of them all at the finals.......hope nole's in roger's half........oh plz....oh plzzz.....oh plzzzzzzzz

ricky ....as much as this article pounds on my man fed ...i gota hand it to you ..i like it for quite a number of reason . firstly , you told it how it is ...secondly , this article just re-affirms to me that fed really has no pressure going in to this tournament as no one is really expecting him to win it . non fed fans are not , press is not ...i always liked fed as the underdog ... bring on the competition :) ...just a subtle warning ...to count fed out of a grandslam is not a smart thing to do ...

RG 2009 ....roger's for the taking ... !!!! GO ROGER!!

Fedexfan-Pressure or no pressure Roger's chances of winning FO are slim.Very slim.Almost 0. Counting Roger out of FO shouldnt come as surprise nor is it entirely wrong.
That said-There a number of things I do not agree with & that I find unfair towards Roger in the article.But I'm not surprised to read them . Nevertheless, I see French Open as a GS where I expect no great battles atleast when it comes to Nadal.
Nadal has been pushed in Masters before.Djokovic isnt the only to player to have done so.If they should meet in semis or finals depending on the draw,I still see a resounding victory for Nadal considering how he's performed so far in the Clay season and how tight a grip he has on RG.
That said, I do hope Roger plays better than he has been playing.

THAT EXPLAINS the 2% for Fed and 0% for the rest!

good point janhavi. People tend to forget that Masters series are quite different from grand slams. Even when fed was dominating and winning all those us opens and australian opens, he did not win all the hard court masters series, though won 3 out of 4 , two times. but when it came to the grand slams, he still is the defending champion at the us open , despite most ppl saying that he had a torid 2008 year and he won oz open 3 times too.

Such are the standards of fed that, the man has made the finals of last 4 grand slams and has won 1 of them. I dont know of a single player who would call that a bad year, including rafa as rafa hasnt done that yet. but then again, loosing to rafa on all occassions really is the main reason why the media has blown it out of proportions

Fed is not out. Fed is still at his peak. THe commentators at OZ open (including that cartoon face, former andy murray coach) said that this was the best federer they have seen in terms of his moverment. ALso he is 27. SO not really a has been. It is just about timing.

If fed gets that, no one can beat him on any surface (except clay ofcourse).

I think Ridkcy was probably right when he said that federer's win would do more harm than good. I think, it was probably best for rafa to taste some defeat before french open just to see where the rest stand and now he knows that no matter what, nole and federer, can give him a hard time on clay (ofcourse on hard and grass, its really a toss, of who would win) and now there is zero chance of rafa being complacent and now he would not take any opponent for granted like Verdasco and Djokovic. Not that Djokovic cant give him a hard time, but, I think rafa will now go into the match against nole thinking, "i gotta beat this guy, he is not going to do it for me".

Ricky, I am hanging on your every word. You are closer to this game than any of us, so i take your musings very seriously, and hope you are right.

Unfortinately, I am going to miss the final, but so long as Rafa wins it doesn't matter too much, I will be soooooooo happy. I can always watch the recording.

Roland Garos, I do not think would mean too much to Nadal. I think, the one that he REALLY, and i mean toni nadal REALLY, wants is WIMBLEDON. IF he defends that and that is a big if, as I think, there are many players who now know how to beat rafa on quick surfaces and Wimbledon, this year is going to be very diffucult.

This is really the downside of Rafa's style. One, is that everybody knows they cant win against you so they attack you with full force and if one is on song like tsonga, they can win, with federer's case, its always like, defending against barrage of insane forehand winners and the other downside is the constant work that rafa has to put in each of his points.

I dont know, but if rafa manages to stay number 1 at the end of 3 more years (which means 4 year end number 1, like federers, though fed has more weeks), its is going to be bigger achievement than Federer's. Cuz first, he would ve warded off the likes of Fed at his peak, fed didnt have rafa( quit with the 19 yo rafa) plus, every player knows, what to do to beat rafa.

To beat rafa, you just have to play well. To beat fed, even if you play well you loose]. You have to run like a dog all day long and hit winners from all positions of the court, like rafa. Dont know how murray always beats fed.

FO announced Novak is the 3rd seed of the tournament not Andy M.

I think you give too little credit to fed. "Plenty of accomplished clay-court players, however, will be a threat to Federer." That might be true at regular tournaments but slams are much more different. I dont think any other player than nole and rafa can beat fed when it comes to RG.

Murray says you don't have to do anything special to beat Federer, you just have to play solid tennis. I don't know where you are coming from ronaldinho, because everyone is always discussing what to do to beat Nadal, there are no end of advisers to Federer where Nadal is concerned. I do agree with you that everyone comes with full force when they play Rafa, with a game that they don't take to anyone else.

ok may be i went too far. What i meant to say was, that Federer's game is based on winners while nadal's is on grinding his opponent down. It would have been better for nadals reign (if he wants to go beyond the 4 years of fed) that he changed his style of play. Way too injury conducive, energy sapping.

Can anyone confirm what RAINDROPS just saidd?

Is Novak Djokovic really the 3rd seed at the French Open 2009?

draws gonna be out tommorow........11:30(local ime)............i dunno how raindrops got the info

Nicely written, it says pretty much everything on the Fed-Rafa clay axis there is to say.

You can watch the draw ceremony live, see link below:


Watch the Roland Garros Draw Ceremony on Friday

Published by Aaress Lawless on May 21, 2008 | Print | ShareThis

The 2008 Roland Garros main draw ceremony will take place on Friday, May 23.

For the third consecutive year, fans around the world can follow the selection process live on the internet at the French Open?s official website.

The draw ceremony, which will be held in Philippe Chatrier stadium?s VIP area, will be available live and in real time at www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/index.html. Although it will not be shown on the internet as a video feed, viewers can watch the names of players appear one by one in the electronic drawsheet.

The ceremony will held on Friday at 11:30 am in Paris, or 5:30 am ET in the United States. Fans in France can also watch the ceremony on Eurosport France.

did anyone watch it live last year?

if so, do you remember how the draw was COMPLETELY wrong. The one they showed live barely even resembled the actual draw! I hope they get it right this year.

Don't know about YOU, but I'm EXPECTING the NEW FED at Roland Gorros. The NEW FED has gotten stronger mentally, and has improved his play. The NEW FED is "capable" of beating anybody out there. A GRAND SLAM is a GRAND SLAM. I'm no pro analyst, but I EXPECT the FED will be the most formitable opponent outside of Rafa at RG. Bring it ON! Let the draw fall as it may. The NEW FED has indicated a powerful presence in Madrid. Can he keep it UP! I'm seeing the FED in the FINAL, and the rest is out for grabs... Despite not standing for the most "LOGIC" I'm choosing my fav to WIN! A good/great player should/will never give up, and should AlWAYS BELIEVE! Roger is BACK as a BELIEVER! AS a capable opponent to anyone. He believes he has as good a chance as anybody, and better than most. He has made changes to win... Why not pursue your dreams... Why not?!!! Go Roger go... It may even be DESTINY! Who can dispute destiny?! LOL Whatever is meant to happen will happen... But it's so much fun realizing Roger is fully "AWAKE". More than ever he knows what he has to do. He has the most wonderful plan at hand. All we can do is wait and see how far it will take him (this time). As a FEDfan (although I realize he is the underdog to Rafa) I"m cheering for the BEST in FED's game, and the BEST in FED's game at the moment in ROLAND GORROS FINAL AND CUP! Cheers FEDfans! Go Roger go...

I've never watch the draw live, I didn't know you could, I just happened to come across the link. I'll watch it anyway just for the experience.

I wonder if players negotitiate afterwards.............i.e. - who is going to have Dr Ivo in their half. If you have Karlovic, I'll have X.

I have the funny feeling that you sound more and more like maltheser.

-the joker :-)

sky ....my thoughts exactly ....... :)

ronaldinho,what do you mean when you say "to beat rafa, you just have to play well"??? Are you sure you watched Novak's match this Saturday?? Even if you play the game of your life,it's not guarantee that you're gonna win.Rafa has to play horrible as well (like he did against Roger this Sunday).

sisterofnight is right. Djokovic played great, Nadal played bad, it wasn't even on a real clay court, and Nadal STILL won.

As a result, I honestly don't see any possible scenario in which Nadal loses to Djokovic at the French.

u said u can't be the GOAT with a 7-13 record against a guy in your own era,I don't believe in the GOAT thing but if u do,your statement is not that accurate,how many of this matches were on clay?? I guess most of them!or am I wrong? if sampras played Rafa on clay I don't think he would win a single match,again i say I don't believe in the GOAT thing and I don't like the whole discussion about it,but that (the surface)should be taken into account.

Ricky,i love your article and you are all right with me but Rafa does have something to play for.
did you forget that he will be.. what 1/2way to a Grand slam if he wins!
i don't think that you mention that but if you did...my bad(lol)

Great Part 1 Ricky! I cannot wait til the action starts!!!!!!

alik - I didn't mention it. Probably should have, but still, I'm not going to get worked up about winning the first 2. There would still be a LONG way to go for Nadal. That's a topic for discussion when -- and if -- he wins French and Wimbledon.

Great write up, Ricky

I agree that 2 slams would be awesome for Rafa. If he wins FO (i refuse to jinx by saying when !!), I am willing to hope and dream for Wimby but until then it's a stretch.

BTW, Am I the only one who is shocked by the poll results on this site, almost 60% think Roger will win FO this year? Did I miss something? Has noone been watching a certain Spaniard......?!?

As much as I like to see Federer win this, I don't have high hopes of him achieving it. He had a few things going for him in his Madrid win such as fast clay court, favorable draw, and a fatigued Nadal. He would need those again, and a very good day and a substandard Ndal, if he is to win the FO... unfortunately the court speed isn't one that will change.

Another accolade for Rafa:

Agassi waxes lyrical over Nadal

Andre Agassi has been regularly featured in the media over the past few days, with one of his favourite subjects being Rafael Nadal. "I never thought for a second that he would be able to turn his talents to Wimbledon, but he did," said the former world No1 of the current incumbent. "Now I think that he can seriously aim for the Grand Slam. I used to think that it was out of reach, but with him, anything is possible. As far as Roland Garros this year is concerned, he will be the hottest favourite there has ever been. Even Borg here in Paris or Federer and Sampras at Wimbledon were never favourites to this extent." High praise indeed?

the draw is posted already at the french open site. nole is on roger's draw.

Ricky,
To what extent is it known how they choose on which side to place #3 and #4 at the French Open? For example, is it especially for the interest generated for the wider public viewing the semi-final and especially the final?

chloro - its 50/50. Completely random.

Obviously there will be plenty of people who claim, however, that it's rigged. But officially its just luck of the draw.

Sorry, know this is about Murray, but thought this would make interesting read!!!

NADAL HANDED TOUGH FRENCH OPEN DRAW

"PARIS (AFP) ? Rafael Nadal's path to a record fifth successive French Open title looked more like a minefield on Friday when he was handed potential clashes with Lleyton Hewitt as well as Spanish compatriots David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco.

Top seed Nadal will begin his campaign against a qualifier, but then could run straight into Australian former world number one Hewitt, who showed his claycourt ability in April when he won the Houston event.

Nadal, who has never lost at Roland Garros, beat Hewitt in the fourth round here in 2005 and 2006.

Hewitt, battling back from hip surgery last year, and now ranked at 50 in the world, first faces 26th seed Ivo Karlovic.

The giant Croatian shocked Wimbledon in 2003 when he knocked the Australian, who was the defending champion, out in the opening round.

Claycourt specialist David Ferrer, twice a quarter-finalist, is a possible fourth round opponent with Verdasco, the eighth seed, a likely last eight rival.

Second seed Roger Federer, still searching for an elusive Roland Garros title to add to his 13 majors, and having lost the last three finals here to Nadal, starts against Spain's Alberto Montanes.

Old American rival Andy Roddick is seeded to face him in the last eight.

Third seeded Scotsman Andy Murray renews his fierce rivalry with Argentinians when he meets Juan Ignacio Chela in the first round, while fourth seed Novak Djokovic, a semi-finalist in the last two years, faces experienced Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador in his first match.

If the seeding works to plan, then Nadal would face Murray in the semi-finals while Djokovic would take on Federer.

Nadal will be happy to see Djokovic in the other half of the draw having had to overcome three match points in a marathon four-hour, Madrid Masters semi-final against the Serbian last weekend.

That effort left the Spaniard exhausted by the time he played Federer in the final with the Swiss coasting to his first trophy of 2009 and ending Nadal's 33-match winning streak on clay.

Argentina's Gaston Gaudio, the 2004 champion and the last man to win the French Open before Nadal began his monopoly, has a wildcard and meets Czech 18th seed Radek Stepanek."



Vamos Rafa!!!!!

I just hope he wins wimbledon. That'll be enough to knock federer out once and FOR ALL. Cant wait to see federer retire so that, Rafa can just stroke through oz open (cuz its the starting grand slam and nadal has a full tank for it), french Open( it should be named "beat nadal open" and the wimbledon (obviously, with fed gone, djokovic would be the only threat). Go roger go, Go and retire.

Ronaldinho,
not in a very charitable mood today, are we? I am very happy for Roger that he won last Sunday, even though Nadal played at a poor level compared to usual etc. I would like to see Rogalio regain confidence and beat the top 4 players once in a while.

I say this as a diehard Nadal fan. And to a lesser degree a Federer fan. I'd like Roger to retire when he is ready and not in the kind of headspace he's been in a lot since Jan 08. If he continues to want to play a long time, power to him and then let it be with fire and confidence.

As for Nadal, tough draw and the perhaps over-confident Novak notwithstanding, I fully expect to see him bite the musketeers cup again, as most do. Can't imagine what would derail that unless he suffers a major injury.

Go ronaldinho!!!!!!!!! right back to the mental institution that you came from!!!!!!
Oh My God.....ronaldinho........where do you get off bad mouthing the GREATEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME....seriously...what's your problem buddy? Here we have an incredibly gifted player.....au contraire....a genius......who has been talked about for many years as a legend of the game....even by Rafa and Uncle Toni and you say he should go retire? A case of paranoid schziophrenia me thinks?

The guy is gonna be around for a long time....he has even made it clear......he wants to go into the 2012 olympics in London...and hey....why not? Let's face it...he has looked after his body, his health and his fitness levels are near optimum, he is hungry to still win competitions and that is more than half the battle...His passion is a.....bubbling....like an overflowing champagne bottle....he is champagne to everyone's cider....moet et chandon......

You always talk about being a diehard nadal fan, ronaldinho but you have such a vile way about you, if you supported rafa like you say you do then surely you have to respect the people he plays in terms of measuring rafa's success by the people he beats? Yet you trash them? strange man........

Furthermore, the fed R-O-C-K-S.....he gonna be right there with him, game by game, the fed is gonna sparkle baby.....

Gooooooooo Roooooooogeeeeeeeeeeer.........................

Gooooooooo A-W-A-Y ronaldhino..............................................

malteser ...what ronaldinho wants is perfectly understandable ...its what most rafa fans secretly want ....hahah
just shows you how much a threat fed is and always will be .......

am not even sure it's that fedexfan.....he just cannot help himself.....perhaps you are right......he just 'worried' and tries to bad mouth.....completely pointless...wish he would actually talk some proper tennis rather than trashing fed all the time.....he must get tired some time? may be no one else to 'talk' to?

malteser1: he also trashed Andy M's chances at Wimbledon by omission. Considering all Andy's talent that sure is misjudgement big time.

deuce...you probably know that am not a big fan of murray..the person....but in terms of his tennis...I recognise the talent.....am not sure about Murray's chances re: wimbledon and what ronaldhino said...but I do know that it is going to be near on impossible to live in the UK in a couple of weeks with the hype of murray mountain and the enormous expectations placed on Andy...whilst I understand that he is proving to be an excellent player....I think that the pressure will be too much for him....what do you think?

malteser1: actually I don't agree re Andy succombing to the pressure. Andy is a tough Scot who loves the big arenas. In fact , if anything, he enjoys the pressure and expectation of big matches. Also, he's not got the sort of personality that the British dowagers at Wimbledon seem to love so cannot see the same adulation for him as was for Henman, a complete wuss in my opinion!
Also, if you notice he always seems to save his best tennis for the top players, pax Rafa at IW of course. I think he'll do well at Wimbledon, possibly the semis this year, but I have better hopes of him at the US Open which is his favourite tournament and also his favourite surface.
In fact, if your Fed is hungry enough, I think he might get his Wimbledon crown right back!

deuce....I am excited....i have to admit it to you but i am also under no illusions either...I am just hugely relieves and full of joy for fed who I feel is just incredible on and off the court...he brings so much to the game that tennis has only been catapulted into orbit, primary imo because of this man, over the last 8 years......he just amazing......

in terms of RG, I know he going in with more confidence and more variety to his game, coupled with a spirit and and energy that had been missing for a while...whatever that reason might have been, he seems to have got most, if not all, of that back......

We fedfans know what Roger is capable of and tho' his dominant years have gone, he still plays G-R-E-A-T tennis most of the time, and he still the one player that reaches the slams in any final.

I haven't included rafa only because he is the one to beat and federer right now, is aware of his no.2 position.....but that could all change with a couple of slams this year....and hell...why not think positively?

GOoooooo Rooooggggerrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have tickets for wimbledon in a few weeks and can hardly breathe thinking about it deuce!!!!!! I need my meds...as danny mentioned to me earlier........

malteser1: lucky, lucky you, re Wimbles! I applied but wasn't successful. However, have just got tickets for Friday at 02 in November, so am hoping for good stuff then. Here's to an Andy-Fed RG final! .....well I can dream can't I.......?