French Open Betting / Guy McCrea / 08 May 2011 /

The WTA clay court season is now in full swing, with Madrid, Rome and ultimately the French Open all taking place this month. Guy McCrea discusses some of the key characteristics required to do well on the dirt ...

For a variety of reasons, clay presents a huge challenge to the WTA's top players. Only a handful of the top female players feel at home on the dirt, with most preferring the hard courts. Some might even say grass is their favourite stomping ground. The clay court season is where the absence of four-time French Open champion Justine Henin is felt most on the WTA. It is in stark contrast to the men's game where a whole host of current players, led by ATP world number one Rafael Nadal, simply adore this time of year.

The Williams sisters and Kim Clijsters (currently priced at around [15.5] on Betfair to win the 2011 French Open) all face a real struggle to be fit for Roland Garros. But even if they make it, I wouldn't put money on any of them to triumph. Serena has won the French Open once back in 2002, beating Venus in the final, while Clijsters has finished runner-up twice. But in the main, their performances at Roland Garros haven't matched what they have achieved elsewhere. You can also add three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova to the mix by the way. Clijsters doesn't seem to enjoy the patient approach required to succeed on clay, while the power games of the Williams sisters and Sharapova aren't well-suited to the game's slowest surface.

Those who do well on the dirt tend to be women who have greater variety of shots and grew up on clay. One example is 2009 French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. The Russian spent most of her teenage years at Barcelona's Sanchez-Casal Academy, grinding and grooving her heavy top-spin forehand to excellent contrast with other aspects of her game. Francesca Schiavone is another who has considerable variety. The Italian famously proved that in her fairytale run to victory at Roland Garros last year, just short of turning 30 years old. Schiavone ([15.5] to defend her French Open title) possesses a delightful mix of different spins, headlined by her gorgeous single-handed backhand.

Another key factor is the ability to move well and effortlessly 'slide' on the dirt. Kuznetsova and Schiavone both have it, but perhaps the best exponent currently on the WTA Tour is Jelena Jankovic. The Serb owns an excellent clay court record, having won Rome twice in the past. She has also reached three French Open semi-finals.

The stamina, patience and consistency required to endure long rallies time and again in slow, rainy European conditions are also a huge part of clay court tennis. Although she is currently still to win a WTA title on red clay, world number one Caroline Wozniacki ([5.2] favourite to win Roland Garros) is in superb shape and has the best defensive skills in the women's game just now. The Dane often appears indefatigable - a characteristic which many of the WTA's best-ever clay courters, including three-time French Open champion Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario - had in abundance.

It is still possible for an aggressive ball-striker who does the above adequately to succeed, especially if weather conditions turn warm and sunny. This allows the clay to dry out and play quicker with higher bounces. Prime current examples are 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, as well as former Roland Garros finalists Sam Stosur and Dinara Safina.

But except for Wozniacki and perhaps Stosur, the problem with the players I have mentioned is that they are all short of form heading into these crucial next few weeks. They do have good memories of Paris to draw upon, but it is difficult to simply turn up and turn it on at a major with only sketchy results prior to the event.

Personally, I fancy Wozniacki's chances of ending her wait for a major title at the start of next month. Doubts persist over the world number one's ability to generate sufficient power to win points outright. But for me, this is less of an issue on the red clay, especially in the likely slower conditions which can suit her grinding style. People also overlook the fact that Wozniacki has been close to success at the business end of the Slams for a while now. This might be the time that she actually gets over the line.
But if she doesn't, then who knows - maybe one of the WTA's other talents such as Victoria Azarenka ([7.6]) or Petra Kvitova ([19.5]) will take advantage? Anything is possible as we approach this season's second major tournament, the most wide-open women's Grand Slam of recent times.

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