By Ros Satar
- Simona Halep achieved her dream this time last year, but can she do it again?
- Top Seeds: Naomi Osaka, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep, Kiki Bertens
- British Interest: Johanna Konta [26], Katie Boulter
PARIS, FRANCE – Simona Halep tries to do the Roland Garros double, but could face some very strong opposition once more this year.
-Latest player gear | Pro:Direct Tennis Shop-
Buy the latest gear from the top players from the Pro:Direct Tennis Shop and check out their 80% off sale on selected tennis equipment now on
[table “ADPDAll” not found /]
[1] Naomi Osaka
Best Result: Third Round (2016, 2018)
It has been a more promising start to the clay court season for Osaka, making strides to get deeper into the tournaments this year, so could she get past the third round this time?
Osaka’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: Anna Karolina Schmiedlova | First meeting
- R2: Jelena Ostapenko | Osaka leads H2H 1-0
- R3: Maria Sakkari [29] | H2H Tied at 1-1
- R4: Madison Keys [14] | Keys leads H2H 3-1
- QF: Ashleigh Barty [8] | Barty leads H2H 2-1
- SF: Simona Halep [3] | Halep leads H2H 4-1
- F: Karolina Pliskova [2] | H2H Tied at 2-2
Surprisingly enough Osaka has beaten former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko on clay before (2016) and with her form still a little shaky at the moment, Osaka could well advance once more to the third round, but Maria Sakkari is not to be sniffed at on the clay this year, and with losing head to heads until a potential final match-up with Karolina Pliskova, Osaka might be lucky to match her previous best performances.
[2] Karolina Pliskova
Best Result: Semi-final (2017)
Momentum could be everything for Pliskova, who comes in as Rome champion, yet she finds herself with a challenging draw on paper.
Pliskova’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: Madison Brengle | Pliskova leads H2H 3-0
- R2: Svetlana Kuznetsova | H2H Tied at 2-2
- R3: Petra Martic [31] | Martic leads H2H 3-1
- R4: Caroline Wozniacki [13] | Wozniacki leads H2H 6-4
- QF: Angelique Kerber [5] | Kerber leads H2H 7-4
- SF: Kiki Bertens [4] | Bertens leads H2H 3-2
- F: Naomi Osaka [1] | H2H Tied at 2-2
Pliskova starts to find herself up against players with a winning record over the big-serving Czech as early as the third round, although certainly she ought to be looking at a run to the quarter-finals at least. While Angelique Kerber wryly jokes about the ‘clay one’ missing from her slam titles, Pliskova had the measure of her most recently on the dirt in Fed Cup, and surprisingly Pliskova has a win over the very solid Bertens on clay.
-Connected Clubs-
Shop at Connected Clubs for a vast range in tennis equipment and training aids to help improve your tennis.
 |
|---|
[3] Simona Halep
Best Result: Title (2018)
For many it was a joy to see Halep finally get over the line, especially after her heart-breaking loss from a winning position in 2017. Can she make it back to back titles?
Halep’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: Ajla Tomljanovic | Halep leads H2H 1-0 (not incl. lower tier Fed Cup)
- R2: Magda Linette | First meeting
- R3: Lesia Tsurenko [27] | Halep leads H2H 7-0
- R4: Wang Qiang [16] | Halep leads H2H 2-0
- QF: Petra Kvitova [6] | Halep leads H2H 3-1
- SF: Naomi Osaka [1] | Halep leads H2H 4-1
- F: Karolina Pliskova [2] | Halep leads H2H 7-3
On paper it looks very encouraging. She looks to have recovered well from the injury niggle she had in Rome, and she has a solid record over the players in her way. If anyone is likely to give her trouble in her predicted path, it would most likely be the two Czechs who have racked up quite a few clay court titles over the past few years.
[4] Kiki Bertens
Best Result: Semi-final (2016)
The Madrid champion also comes into the tournament with some form, although she has a few challenges on paper.
Bertens’ Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: Pauline Parmentier | Parmentier leads H2H 3-0
- R2: Viktoria Kuzmova | H2H Tied at 1-1
- R3: Johanna Konta [26] | Konta leads H2H 3-2
- R4: Belinda Bencic [15] | Bertens leads H2H 3-0
- QF: Sloane Stephens [7] | Stephens leads H2H 2-1
- SF: Karolina Pliskova [2] | Bertens leads H2H 3-2
- F: Naomi Osaka [1] | H2H Tied at 1-1
Her third-round encounter with Britain’s Johanna Konta will be intriguing. Konta seemed to unlock the achievements on clay in the run up to Roland Garros this year, and it was a hard-fought win over the Dutchwoman who was on a nine-match winning streak.
She ought to feel comfortable about at least making it to the quarter-finals this time around, but we might just be lining up for a rematch of the Madrid final if the stars align.
Roland Garros takes place between 26 May to 9 June
How to Watch/Follow Roland Garros
| TV | ITV4 (from May 26)
Eurosport (Subscription Required) |
| Live Stream | Eurosport (Free trial with Amazon Prime) |
-Travel to your favourite tournaments and sporting events with Expedia-
Don’t just read about it, travel to some of the best tournaments and sporting events in the world. Book your flights, hotels and car hire from Expedia
[table “ADExpedia” not found /]
| Follow Britwatch - Sport in General, Brits in Particular! | |
|---|---|
| Soundcloud | |
| YouTube | |
| We may receive compensation for products purchased via affiliate links on this website | |