TNT Sports
Teenagers set for summit
By
Published 20/05/2005 at 13:54 GMT+1
Spain's Rafael Nadal, who emerged as a French Open favourite after a brilliant run on clay, faces a likely third-round match against fellow teenager Richard Gasquet at the Paris grand slam tournament. Top seed Roger Federer will start against Swede Robin
Eurosport
Image credit: TNT Sports
He could face a tough test as early as the third round against Chilean baseliner Fernando Gonzalez, seeded 25th.
Nadal, winner of five claycourt titles this season, struggled to beat Frenchman Gasquet in the semi-finals in Monte Carlo last month before winning the tournament.
Gasquet, 18 like Nadal, had beaten Federer in the quarter-finals in the principality and went on to reach the final in Hamburg, where he lost to Federer.
Nadal is trying to become the first man to win the French Open on debut since Swede Mats Wilander in 1982.
Seeded fourth in the tournament starting on Monday, Nadal will start against German Lars Burgsmuller and will then meet either American Mardy Fish or Belgian Xavier Malisse before facing Gasquet, the 30th seed.
Holder Gaston Gaudio of Argentina, seeded fifth, has a seemingly easy start against unheralded Frenchman Julien Benneteau.
American Andy Roddick, the second seed, could also break local fans' hearts when he faces French wild-card entrant Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Last year's runner-up, Argentine Guillermo Coria, the eighth seed, was handed a relatively easy draw, starting with a match against Denmark's Kenneth Carlsen.
SERENA OUT
World number one Lindsay Davenport, who tops the women's draw, will start her campaign against Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia.
The withdrawal of Serena Williams, the 2002 champion, was announced just before Friday's draw. The former world number one is struggling to recover from a left ankle sprain.
Russian Elena Dementieva replaces her as the fourth seed.
Justine Henin-Hardenne, the 2003 champion recovering her best form after fighting a virus, is seeded 10th and will be tested straight away with a first-round match against former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez of Spain, who reached the final in Paris in 2000.
The 2004 champion, Anastasia Myskina of Russia, seeded fifth, could be made to work by Spanish baseliner Maria Sanchez Lorenzo in her opening match.
Belgian Kim Clijsters, the runner-up in 2001 and 2003, is a doubtful starter because of a knee injury but she was included in the draw as the 14th seed. She will meet a qualifier in the first round.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement