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Previewing the men Look for Kuerten to take title at Roland Garros
Posted: Wednesday May 31, 2000 04:36 PM
Sports Illustrated staff writer Jon Wertheim breaks down the men's draw at this year's French Open, predicting how the seeds will fare and looking at some darkhorses and intriguing opening matchups. Click here for the women's draw, and don't forget to check back at the end of Week 1 when Wertheim will be filing daily reports from Paris. 1. Andre Agassi: Defending champ has had a rough go of it since Australia, but it's been 16 months since he's failed to reach a Slam final. Could face trouble against old nemesis Karol Kucera in Round 2. It's easy to get burned underrating Agassi's resolve, but I can't see him snapping out of his funk so abruptly. 2. Pete Sampras: Given little indication he's ready to win more than a match or two on clay. Should have plenty of time to watch the Lakers, especially after drawing Mark Philippoussis in Round 1. 3. Magnus Norman: Leader in the points race may finally emerge from obscurity. 4. Yevgeny Kafelnikov: As likely to lose in the first round as he is to win the whole shebang. We've come to expect mercurial results from this former champ, and his draw is pashmina soft. But unless his confidence quickly ascends he won't last past Week 1. 5. Gustavo Kuerten: Your 2000 French Open champ. 6. Cedric Pioline: Will the national pressure get to this streaky shotmaker? If not, he stands a reasonable chance of becoming first native champ since Yannick Noah in 1983. 7. Thomas Enqvist: The talent is there, but the consistency is still lacking. What's more, he'll have a tough first two matches. 8. Nicolas Kiefer: Even if he weren't injured, poor man's Andre Agassi has shown little tenacity in Grand Slam events. 9. Lleyton Hewitt: Ready for a breakthrough. No reason it can't come here. Jeff Tarango could test him in Round 1. 10. Alex Corretja: What ever happened to Spanish Armada anyway? 1998 finalist is always dangerous on clay, but is Corretja Iberia's answer to Tim Henman, a talented player too nice to bag the big ones? 11. Nicolas Lapentti: Big darkhorse potential. 12. Marat Safin: Like his literary namesake, this Marat wields a mighty dagger. Having lost only one match -- a five-set Masters Series final to Gustavo Kuerten, at that -- in his last three events, he has to be considered a legitimate contender. 13. Tim Henman: Never been past third round of Roland Garros. No reason to think he might this time. 14. Dominik Hrbaty: The Dominator plays best of clay. "I'll be back" to semifinals? Not unlikely, but first needs to get past tough opening opponent, Felix Mantilla. 15. Younes El Aynaoui: It's about time the Moroccans started getting some props. Still, he's not the best mover on tour, so it's hard to imagine him winning more than four matches. 16. Juan Carlos Ferrero: The best player you've never heard of is challenging Lleyton Hewitt for best-teenager-on-the-planet honors.
First-round matches to watchLleyton Hewitt-Jeff Tarango: If only for the cult of personality. Dominik Hrbaty-Felix Mantilla: A reasonable semifinal-quality match. Marcelo Rios-Tommy Haas Pete Sampras-Mark Philippoussis
Dangerous floatersWhere to begin? This is shaping up as one of the events where two or three of the semifinalists will be unseeded. Possibilities include usual suspects like Marcelo (Tim Henman is seeded and I'm not?) Rios, Carlos Moya, Hicham Arazi, Felix Mantilla. But there's bound to be one total no-name -- Arnaud Di Pasquale is my choice.
PredictionsSemifinals: Di Pasquale-Safin, Kuerten-Ferrero Final: Safin-Kuerten Champion: Kuerten
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