Watson makes British tennis history
Heather Watson became the first British woman to win a match at the French Open in 17 years after she defeated Stephanie Foretz Gacon yesterday.
The 19-year-old won 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 and she is now expected to break into the top 100 players in the world on the back of this tournament. Her victory came in 96 minutes.
The last British woman to progress to the 2nd round at Roland Garros was Clare Wood back in 1994, so this was a significant achievement for Watson and for British tennis.
Watson was very impressive on the day too, fighting her way to a tie-break win in the first set before storming to a second set victory. She showed excellent composure to defeat her more experienced opponent and she…
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New balls will not help defending champions
A big talking point at this year’s French Open is the use of a different brand of tennis balls. Babolat has replaced the well-established Dunlop brand on an initial five-year deal at Roland Garros and the implications can be significant.
The new balls are quicker through the air, due to their greater resistance to moisture. The balls’ fluffy coating keeps its shape better than other brands, which helps the big servers and is bad news for defending champions Rafael Nadal and Francesca Schiavone, who thrive in the traditional slow conditions associated with clay court tennis. Those placing French Open tennis bets should remember this.
Nadal of course won’t be too put out by the change – he would not have won two Wimbledon titles if he cannot…
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Can Li Na find form at the French Open?
The French Open is the slam that Li Na has underperformed in most often. Three third round efforts and one fourth round appearance – it is the only slam she is yet to reach a quarter final in – contribute to her lowest win ratio at a major, although recent performances on clay suggest improvement is imminent.
Li reached the semi finals at Madrid and Rome, suggesting her second round exit in Stuttgart was a lack of familiarity on clay after the hard court season which in itself was problematic. She, like fellow losing Australian Open finalist Andy Murray, did not win another match until after they suffered shock early defeats in Miami. Those looking at the French Open tennis betting may want feel she lacks mental toughness…
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Murray to click into gear in Paris against the odds?
Andy Murray never seems to learn from his mistakes. After constantly building up his chances ahead of Grand Slams only to shatter the British public’s hopes when he fails yet again to beat the best players in the game, you would have thought he might try something different this time around by playing down the hopes and levels of optimism ahead of this year’s French Open.
Unfortunately, though, that hasn’t turned out to be the case, with the young Scot once again declaring himself ready and willing to act as a new face in the shifting scene of men’s tennis, which seems to be changing as a result of the emerging dominance of Novak Djokovic. Those looking at the French Open odds won’t be expecting Murray to make…
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Battling Hewitt to make Wimbledon his summer priority
Lleyton Hewitt will use the upcoming French Open to work his way back to full fitness ahead of Wimbledon later this summer. The former world number one has been out of action for fully two months after undergoing foot surgery in March but is hoping to bounce back from his latest in a long line of injury setbacks at Roland Garros.
With the Australian tennis player, currently ranked 66th in the world and with a profile that has slipped over the past few years after injury followed by injury not helped by the domination of the game by just a couple of players, admitting himself that he’ll be forced to play through the pain barrier in France and with full fitness not an attribute he’s able to boast, he…
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Murray takes on Queens
Andy Murray will compete at the AEGON Championship at Queens Club in a bid to make sure he can create some grass-court momentum to take into Wimbledon. The 23-year old has had recent success at Queens with the title in 2009, becoming the first Brit to lift the trophy since Henry Austin in 1938. His performance at Wimbledon the following week saw Murray record a semi-final finish, and the Scot is a big fan of competing at Queens and preparing his game before heading to the All England Club. Those following the Wimbledon odds should keep a close eye on his efforts at Queens to see what sort of shape he’s in.
Murray’s defence of his title last year at the tournament was ended by Mardy Fish in…
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Tomas Berdych looks to push on at the French Open
Tomas Berdych made his breakthrough in style at the 2010 French Open. He reached the semi finals without losing a set, brushing aside Andy Murray in the fourth round, before losing a five set thriller to Robin Soderling when he had one foot in the final. The big-hitting Czech soon made his maiden slam final, stunning Roger Federer on the way to the Wimbledon final a few weeks later.
However, Berdych has not capitalised on this breakthrough that many saw as a belated one after the player showed so much promise as a teenager. His booming serve and heavy ground strokes give him most of the necessary armoury, but the doubts about his mental strength remain. The French Open men’s odds don’t make him among the favourites to…
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Raonic in a rush
Stunning breakthroughs do not come along very often in tennis. Rafael Nadal was the last to burst onto the scene, winning his first French Open title at the first attempt as a 19-year-old, and whilst it is unfair to compare developing players to the world number one, Milos Raonic’s rapid rise to prominence promises much.
It is usual to look at recent junior stars to spot the potential slam winners of the future, and although he had a decent junior career, Raonic did stand out as much as Bernard Tomic or Grigor Dimitrov, both of whom are making more sedate progress on the professional circuit.
Raonic made his slam debut at last year’s US Open after turning professional at the start of 2009, a season he finished in…
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