2014 French Open Odds, Free Picks, Tips and Predictions: Roland Garros Favorites and Sleepers : The 2014 French Open will begin Sunday at Roland Garros, and while the tournament is just the second major of the tennis season, it is arguably the trickiest thanks to the red clay surface of the courts. Not only does the clay slow down the speed of the ball, but it also creates some unpredictable bounces and makes it difficult for players to maneuver around the court. As a result, it takes a special combination of skills for a player to succeed at Roland Garros, and some of the best players in tennis history have never fully figured out how to handle the clay.
The Favorite
While he hasn’t been as dominant as he normally is at the clay court events leading up to the French Open, Rafael Nadal is still the unquestioned favorite at Roland Garros. After all, we are talking about the four-time defending winner of the event, and Nadal has claimed eight of the last nine titles at Roland Garros overall. Perhaps more impressively, he has a 59-1 record in matches at the French Open. Heck, Nadal rarely loses sets at Roland Garros, let alone matches. His relentless defensive tactics and uncanny ability to extend points are huge assets on clay, and opponents can’t help but wear down trying to figure out a way to get the ball past him. The French Open is still Nadal’s to lose.
Top Challenger
He has established himself as one of the premier tennis players in the world, and while Novak Djokovic has reached the title match in nine of the last 14 major tournaments, winning five of them, a French Open victory still stands between him and a career Grand Slam. Still, he has reached the semifinals of the event in each of the last three seasons, making it to the championship match in 2012. Meanwhile, Djokovic has won his last four meetings with Rafael Nadal, including a win on clay in the Italian Open. Granted, his power game is not a perfect fit for clay, but his elite stamina is.
The Dark Horses
It seems strange to call the all-time leader in major titles a dark horse, but at this stage in his career at this tournament, that is exactly what Roger Federer is. He has failed to reach the semifinals in three of the last four majors, falling in the quarterfinals of the French Open last year. Granted, he won the French Open in 2009 and has been runner-up on four other occasions, but the tournament is also the only major he hasn’t won multiple times. Meanwhile, Federer has a dismal 2-13 record against Rafael Nadal on clay. Yes, he has the guile and savvy to handle the tricky bounces of the clay, but he is going to have to have to play some of the best tennis of his life to win at Roland Garros this year.
The fact that he is one of the five-best tennis players in the world gives Andy Murray a puncher’s chance at Roland Garros, but clay is not his best surface. After all, he has only reached the semifinals once at the French Open, and he has made multiple appearances in the championship match in the other three majors. Plus, he is 0-5 against Rafael Nadal on clay, and if he is going to win the French Open, he will likely have to go through Nadal. It will take some lucky breaks and some great tennis for Murray to win at Roland Garros, but his defensive skills will give him a chance.
Sleeper Specials
Since 2012, there is no doubt that David Ferrer has taken his game to the next level. He has reached the quarterfinals in the last nine major tournaments, making three appearances in the semis and one title match appearance during the stretch. More importantly, he reached the semifinals of the French Open in 2012 and the championship match one year ago. Granted, he got crushed by Rafael Nadal in the title match one year ago, but the French Open is fast becoming the best major for the surging Ferrer.
After lurking on the radar the past several years, Stanislas Wawrinka finally broke through and won his first major title at the Australian Open earlier this year, albeit against a somewhat-hobbled Rafael Nadal. The major championship has been part of an incredible run in 2014 that has seen Wawrinka go 20-4 in matches and claim three titles. On the flip side, he is never been past the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and is just 1-13 against Nadal overall. Wawrinka has never been playing better tennis, but he will still be facing an uphill battle to continue what has been a special 2014 season at Roland Garros.