French Open 2015: Mouthwatering prospects in the second week

The clay courts of Roland Garros have been the seat of, arguably, the most dominant run in the history of tennis. Only two men have won this coveted trophy in the last decade. It is a subject of ceaseless wonder that these two tennising luminaries, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, share an absurd thirty one trophies between themselves.

The recent years has seen the emergence of a prospective legend in Novak Djokovic who has been the only player successful so far (though only partially) in subduing the Federer-Nadal juggernaut. As French Open 2015 commenced towards the end of May, aficionados have much to look forward to. Listed below are a few players who could fancy their chances at Roland Garros 2015:

Rafael Nadal:

Rafael Nadal would love to shrug off his poor run of form to the French Open with a good performance in the second week

This unrelenting Spaniard stands testimony to the proverb ‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man’. Plagued by injury throughout last year, Rafa has made a remarkable return, right on time for French Open. Having won this tournament a whopping nine times,Rafa vies to be the only individual to further his track record to double digits in a single Grand Slam.

Over the years, Roland Garros has been the throne of the unyielding and resolute Rafa, thus earning him the well deserved sobriquet ‘The King Of Clay’. Despite an eight month layoff ,this wrecking machine is the hot favourite to win the French Open this year. He has proved time and time again that injury and form are but temporary and that excellence and class are permanent, thus making Rafael Nadal the stuff of legend.

Novak Djokovic:

Novak Djokovic is in imperious form at the moment

"It gives me goosebumps and little butterflies in the stomach when I start thinking about the Golden Slam!" exclaims a nervous Novak Djokovic. Yet, 2015 looks to be the most fruitful year in the life of the 28-year-old Serb. Whichever tournament he has decided to participate in this year, he has emerged victorious. His extraordinary resilience and fortitude is unmatched by most players in the tennis circuit.

Seven long years it has taken for Nole, as he is fondly called by fans world over, to reach the pinnacle of his game(partly owing to the fact that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal totally overshadowed the prowess of all other players in the tennis world over the past decade).

From what we see of his game today, it was totally worth the wait. 148 weeks have passed by and not one professional has even come close to, leave alone supplant Novak Djokovic as World Number 1. Having suffered a heartbreaking loss in last year’s final and also in the semifinals in 2013, both at the hands of Nadal, Djokovic has returned with renewed vigour and ambition to capture the elusive French Open.

As the competition progresses, there will come a point (the quarterfinals to be precise) when Nole will have to face off against the sedulous, unrelinquishing Rafael Nadal in a match that is considered to be the virtual decider of the tourney and what the match holds in store remains to be seen.

Notable Mentions:

Roger Federer cannot be written off just yet

One simply does not prove his credentials as a champion until he has surpassed the classy and masterful Roger Federer. One needs no introduction to Federer if he/she has but an inkling of knowledge of tennis. It is not too often that you find, in such a competitive sport as tennis, a player in the twilight of his career secure his position as World Number 2 for years together, unless of course the player goes by the name Federer.

It would indeed be a travesty to disregard Roger as a contender (though not a strong one) to the title. After all, Roger is a 17- time Grand Slam champion!

Andy Murray is yet to lose a match on clay this year

A question that went unanswered for 77 years had finally been satisfied in 2013 when Andy Murray became the first Englishman after Fred Perry in 1936 to conquer the estimable Wimbledon. Ranked 3 in the world, Andy has been consistently reaching the semifinal and final rounds of most Grand Slams throughout his career, though successfully winning only two of them. However, weathering the storm of either Nadal or Djokovic(thank the astute ATP for arranging a meeting between these two giants in a round as early as the quarterfinals) would be imperative in order that Andy tastes victory at French Open 2015.

As the new season opens, fans world over will have bitten off more than they can chew as they sign up for more action-packed, exhilarating tournaments throughout the year. It is just a pity that for every winner there ought to be a loser. We must toss aside our partisan outlook towards the game and appreciate the intricacies and technicalities of the game thereby proving ourselves as true lovers of the wonderful game of tennis.