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The Stade Roland Garros in the City of Paris is embellishing itself to enhance the ongoing spring season, with the delightful visuals of the most coveted tennis stars, who will alight on the Terre Battue as the Second Grand Slam of the season is ready to unveil.
The 122nd edition of the French Open that begins from May 27 - 10th June, will have the top gladiators of tennis battling it out, skidding, stretching and roaring with fist pumps on the red dirt, as they eye the prestigious La Coupe des Mousquetaires and the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen, the trophies awarded to the Men's singles and Women's singles winners respectively in Paris.
The Draws for the French Open 2018 are out, and always bring in intrigue with them. We take a look at the Men's singles draw ahead of the impending Grand Slam, and break down the potential names that can go the distance till the fag end of the tournament in Paris.
The King of Clay, the Great Spaniard, ten-time French Open Champion, Rafael Nadal is placed in a relatively easier top-half of the Draw.
Grigor Dimitrov, Kei Nishikori, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem are all packed into the bottom half of the French Open draw.
The 31-year-old Nadal has an exceptional 79-2 win-loss on the Parisian Clay. He has only lost to Robin Soderling (2009) and Novak Djokovic (2015).
The World No. 1 who will be chasing the 11th title at Roland Garros will open against Ukraine's Alexander Dolgopolov. More than often when in fine fettle, there is hardly any name that can thwart Nadal's legacy on clay.
This year is no exception. Looking carefully into the top half of the draw, Marin Cilic and Juan Martin Del Potro are the only two names that have the ability to dash Nadal’s hopes if at all.
But then history testifies that the Croat, World No.4, Cilic has never made it beyond the quarterfinals in Paris.
Cilic who has recently tied the knot is not looking very fit ever since he withdrew from Madrid with an injury, that he suffered in Monaco at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters.
He fell in the first round in Istanbul thereafter and did manage to make the semis in Rome against Alexander Zverev who got the better of the Croat in two extremely close sets.
Let's take a look at the Men's Draw:
First Quarter
Projected Quarter-finals according to seedings: #1 Rafael Nadal vs #6 Kevin Anderson
The defending Champion, Rafael Nadal begins his campaign for a staggering eleventh French Open title, as he faces off with the World No. 54 Alexandr Dolgopolov in the opening round.
The Ukranian who has once basked in a career-high ranking of 13 in 2016, is often deemed as a mercurial player on court, who can challenge the top players when in his groove.
But inflicted with a wrist injury and forced to stay away for most of the season, there is little hope for Dolgopolov who surely would not even in his wildest dream think of dislodging the King of clay from his throne.
To the Ukranian's resume is a quarterfinal finish in Brisbane, a pre-quarterfinal in Sydney, and a third-round finish in Melbourne. In Rome, he fell to the former world No.1 Novak Djokovic in the first round and that clearly signifies the kind of poor form that he is in.
Nadal will face either Joao Sousa or Guido Pella in the second round, while Richard Gasquet should possibly meet him in the third round.
Gasquet had made news by reaching the semifinals at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakesh, and a quarter-final against Zverev in Monte Carlo.
But again, his first round defeats at the Hungarian Open and in Rome are enough to prove that the Frenchman can pose absolutely no threat to Nadal.
It will also remain to see if Richard Gasquet can pass the hurdles of Andreas Seppi and Malek Jaziri, who both are showing some good results in the past months.
But factually, none of these have any magic that can hypnotize Nadal who safely should ease to a fourth-round, meeting with either Jack Sock, or the Canadian Denis Shapovalov.
Shapovalov has registered some brilliant wins on clay this season, by making it to the semi-finals in Madrid, where he lost to Zverev and also the round of 16 in Rome, before succumbing to the Spanish great Nadal in straight sets.
Neither Jack Sock or Shapovalov can manage to pose any threat to the Spaniard who is in supreme form right now going into the French Open 2018.
Going by rankings, Rafael should meet Kevin Anderson in the last eight, if the South African manages to ease past his potential fourth round opponents Deigo Schwartzman, Phillip Kohlschreiber, and Borna Coric.
Nadal leads Kevin Anderson 5-0 in the head to head and should more than surely make it to the Last 4 in Paris.
Semi-finalist: Rafael Nadal
Second Quarter
Projected quarterfinal #3 Marin Cilic vs #6 Juan Martin Del Potro
Del Potro is 10-2 over Marin Cilic and this should be an interesting one to watch. The 2009 semifinalist Juan Martin Del Potro has a more or less tricky draw at the French Open 2018.
He plays the World No. 116 Nicholas Mahut in the opening round and Julian Benneteau or Leonardo Mayer in the second round. A possible third round meeting with Albert Ramos-Vinolas is on the cards for the Argentine. The fourth round clash should happen either between Tomas Berdych or John Isner.
This is Del Potro's second consecutive appearance at the French Open. In 2017, the Argentine bowed out in the third round, losing to Andy Murray on Chatrier.
Miami Open Champion John Isner is not a great clay courter, so Berdych should possibly make it to the fourth round. Given that the Czech has not been in good form this season past few months, it is hard to say if he gets past deep into the tournament.
But holding on to the projection of Del Potro, making his way ahead from this group, the next opponent for the Argentine should be the World No. 4 Marin Cilic, who made it to the semi-finals in Rome with some good wins along the way.
The Croatian should have things easy till the Round of 16 which should set alarm bells ringing as potential dangers lurk in the form of British No. 1 Kyle Edmund, or the very hot-headed Fabio Fognini.
Whatever happens, it is still safe to say that Cilic should advance to the quarter-finals to face Del Potro.
Quarter-finals: Marin Cilic vs Juan Martin Del potro
Semi-finalist: Juan Martin Del Potro
Third Quarter
Projected quarterfinal #4 Grigor Dimitrov vs #8 David Goffin
Dimitrov leads 10-1 over Goffin
Along with top seeds Dimitrov and Goffin, there also is Novak Djokovic, former world No. 1 who has landed in this quarter of the draw at the French Open 2018.
The Serb who showcased some brilliant tennis in Rome this season by making it to the semi-finals, proved his mettle and came back from a loss of form in the past few years, that were grappled with injuries.
Djokovic, winner of 12 Grand Slam singles titles, should potentially cruise till the fourth round, with wins over a qualifier in Round 1, then most probably David Ferrer (although Ferrer does have the ammunition to dismantle the Serb), and then another Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round.
The terrain gets more difficult and patchy from the fourth round, where he will face World No. 5, Grigor Dimitrov.
The Bulgarian Dimitrov is not exactly a top ten material, given that he often falters when it matters the most.
In 2017, Dimitrov was inflicted with a third-round defeat by Pablo Carreno Busta. Torched with opening round exits in Madrid and Rome this season, Dimitrov is very vulnerable to an early defeat again at Roland Garros before his meeting with Djokovic in the fourth round.
Dimitrov opens his campaign in Paris against Viktor Troicki. He also should possibly meet Fernando Verdasco in the third round, who can prove a threat to the Bulgarian. All this apart, if Grigor does manage to ease past, then Novak and Dimitrov should be a great encounter to watch out for.
On the other side of this quarter are seeded David Goffin and Pablo Carreno Busta, who are projected to meet in the fourth round. But then Goffin has stern tests in the form of Robin Haase, Ivo Karlovic, and Gael Monfils.
Carreno Busta will have to face the challenge of the most dangerous Nick Kyrgios in the third round.
Time should tell if this quarter-final between Dimitrov and David Goffin materializes, or we see a surprise clash between Goffin and Djokovic if at all Novak plays the kind of form he did in Rome.
Fourth Quarter
Projected Quarter Final: #2 Alexander Zverev vs #7 Dominic Thiem
Thiem leads 4-2 over Alexander Zverev
The World No. 8 Dominic Thiem has the roughest draw possible at the French Open 2018. After what looks like a quick win over a qualifier in the opening round, a second round encounter with the very talented Greek, Stefanos Tsitsipas can rattle the Austrian.
Should he still manage to shake this hurdle off, a third round awaits with Gilles Muller or Matteo Berrettini. The fourth round with Kei Nishikori looks like a very mouth-watering clash for tennis fans, should it all sail smooth till then.
The Austrian has made the semi-finals in Paris in each of his last two appearances. But, this season on clay has not been too impressive for Thiem. Ofcourse, he did defeat the 'King of Clay' Nadal in the quarters in Madrid but, went on to lose to Zverev in the finals.
Also an opening round defeat in Rome at the hands of Fabio Fognini underlined the kind of form Thiem is in. Should he sprint past these hurdles, a fourth-round clash against Zverev is on the cards.
On the other hand, Alexander Zverev is yet to make the quarterfinals of any Slam. He also has not been able to go past the third round at the French Open.
Last year in 2017, he was pipped with an opening-round exit at Roland Garros. The Madrid Champion and Rome finalist, starts his campaign in Paris against Ricardas Berankis. A possible second-round meeting with Jiri Vesely or Dusan Lajovic looks slated.
Very convincingly though, Zverev has shown better mental fortitude in the past few months. He lifted the title in Munich, before a semi-final finish in Monte Carlo, a finalist at Miami, and a Semi final again at Rotterdam. Consistent results of the Austrian make him the most dangerous players to watch at the French Open 2018.
Zverev can most likely run into last year's French Open runner-up Stanislas Wawrinka in the Round of 16. But, given the poor form of the Swiss, it should be difficult to predict if he can make it that far.
All facts and form of the players put together, Zverev looks to make it safely through to the quarters from this section of the draw.
With all these analysis and predictions it would be interesting to watch who will make it until the end of the tournament and lift the French Open 2018 title.
Goes without saying that the ten-time Champion Rafael Nadal, is the overwhelming favorite for the crown, as there is barely anyone who can dethrone the King from his Fortress.
Afterall, Nadal takes to clay like a fish takes to water.
Who do you think will won the French Open? Sound off in the comments!
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
