| 2001 French Open Predictions | |
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On the women's side, I would rank the players with the best chances of taking the title in this order:
- Venus Williams
- Jennifer Capriati
- Martina Hingis
- Amelie Mauresmo
- Jelena Dokic
A good argument can be made for each of the top four. Williams has been the most dominant player in big events for the last year, and she is highly motivated to capture this French Open. Capriati and Mauresmo have had the best clay court results this spring. Hingis still holds the number one ranking, and the slower surface at Roland Garros will help against the power of her main rivals. I would rank Mauresmo higher, except that she'll be under huge pressure trying to win her first Grand Slam in front of her home-country French crowd, and what had seemed to be a recent improvement in her mental strength was put in doubt by generally poor shot selection in her recent Italian Open final against Jelena Dokic. Dokic played an almost flawless Italian final, and she is always competitive with the top players.
Among the men, I would rank the top contenders as follows:
- Gustavo Kuerten
- Juan Carlos Ferrero
- Andre Agassi
- Lleyton Hewitt
- Marat Safin (long shot)
Kuerten is a stronger favorite among the men than is any player among the women. One random factor that might derail him is a heavy wind, which will put his long strokes at a significant disadvantage. Ferrero, with four titles already this season, has the customary Spanish comfort with clay, plus many all-court skills many clay specialists lack. Agassi has had poor clay court results this year, but Grand Slams seem to inspire him to create surprises, and his fitness will be a key asset in this most grueling of tournaments. Hewitt has the fitness and intensity to claw his way through, and the slow clay will help him against the bigger, more powerful players. Safin proved at last year's U.S. Open that he can be absolutely brilliant for two weeks, so he has to be counted, but injuries might limit his effectiveness and lead to an early exit.
One of our forum's biggest Sampras fans has seen Pete's favorable draw and is becoming hopeful. Do you think Sampras has a chance? Join our discussion.
