The Sunday Mail
Former champion Simona Halep arrives at the rescheduled French Open as the player to beat in a women’s draw missing title-holder Ashleigh Barty and recent US Open winner Naomi Osaka, two of the world’s top three.
Serena Williams can never be discounted as she launches another bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles crown, but Roland Garros is the American’s least successful major despite her wins in 2002, 2013 and 2015.
Garbine Muguruza, who defeated Williams in the 2016 final, is another contender while fellow former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka is hoping to take the momentum from her run to the US Open final into the clay swing.
Last year’s runner-up Marketa Vondrousova will again target a deep run in Paris, having rediscovered some form at last week’s Italian Open, where she made the semi-finals before losing to compatriot Karolina Pliskova.
The fourth-ranked Czech retired from the final with a thigh injury after dropping the first set to Halep, who extended her winning run to 14 matches after capturing a second consecutive title coming out of lockdown.
“I am honoured to hear that I am the favourite, people thinking that I am the favourite.
“But I don’t look in that direction,” said Halep, who plays Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in round one.
“It is not extra pressure. I am used to this kind of pressure because I have been No 1 seeded in the past. I have been in this position.”
“To play Roland Garros in September, end of September, it is a little bit weird,” she added. “But it is nice that we have the chance to play at this tournament.”
No woman has successfully defended the French Open title since Justine Henin won three times in a row between 2005 and 2007, a trend set to continue with Barty pulling out over the coronavirus fears that also prompted her to skip the US Open.
A sore hamstring has sidelined three-time Grand Slam champion Osaka, while Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open winner, will miss the tournament as well.
The Canadian hasn’t played since hurting her knee last October at the WTA Finals. — SuperSport.
