Murray the form player but Djokovic the man to beat in Paris

REUTERS: Andy Murray has been the standout performer on clay for the past 12 months but world number one Novak Djokovic will be favourite to complete his set of grand slams at this year’s French Open.

Murray, according to the ATP Performance Zone stats, has won 85% of his matches on the red dust this year and last, more than any other player.

Having been at 70% for the first 10 years of his career, the improvement demonstrates just how at home the Briton now feels on a surface he once treated with suspicion.

His victory over Djokovic in Sunday’s Italian Open final may have been aided by his opponent’s energy levels being drained after a gruelling semi-final win over Kei Nishikori the night before. But it also was a timely statement of intent from the world number two, who recently split with Coach Amelie Mauresmo.

“The last couple of years, clay has probably been my most successful surface, which I never expected to be the case,” twice grand slam champion Murray said.

“But I’m not complaining about it. I’m going to Roland Garros with a lot of confidence.”

Djokovic’s loss to Murray – only his second in their last 14 meetings – will have planted a few seeds of doubt in the Serb’s mind as he again targets the one major to elude him.

After edging past Murray in last year’s semi-finals, the career slam seemed to be in the palm of his hand but he was hijacked in the final by a swashbuckling Stan Wawrinka.

That experience will simply add to his motivation though.

“I don’t feel shaken up by this loss,” Djokovic, the only player in the all-time top five winning percentages on clay not to have won Roland Garros, said after losing to Murray.

“Now it’s just fine-tuning,” added the 11-times grand slam champion, who turns 29 on Sunday.

Nine-times French Open champion Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, is not used to playing second fiddle to anyone in Paris – and there are signs the Mallorcan is rediscovering his old power.

Consecutive titles at Barcelona and Monte Carlo were followed by losses to Murray and Djokovic at Madrid and Rome, but the 29-year-old looks in far better shape than 12 months ago when he was humbled in the quarter-finals by Djokovic.

Nadal could potentially face another quarter-final with Djokovic as he will be seeded five, two places lower than Roger Federer who is struggling with fitness.

Of the other title contenders, world number four Wawrinka proved last year that, on his day, he can be almost unplayable.

Nishikori arrives in Paris having reached the final in Barcelona where he lost to Nadal and the semi-finals in Madrid and Rome, while Australia’s Nick Kyrgios and Austria’s Dominic Thiem will fly the flag for the young guns.

“Nick Kyrgios has made a strong move in 2016 and has the weapons and self-belief to beat most players,” former world number one Jim Courier, who will be commentating for British broadcaster ITV, said.

The American, however, expects Djokovic to prevail.

“If he plays his best it is hard to see anyone else winning, but the mental challenge of trying to win the one title he needs adds weight to this challenge for Novak,” Courier said.

Serena the figurehead as rivals struggle

REUTERS: Challengers to Serena Williams’ throne have proved as fickle as a Paris spring and as the year’s second grand slam starts the veteran American is again seemingly in a league of her own.

The 34-year-old’s charge to overhaul Margaret Court’s record 24 grand slam singles titles may have stalled since she chalked up major number 21 at last year’s Wimbledon.

But after fine-tuning her clay court game by winning last week’s Italian Open she will begin the defence of her French Open title as the strong favourite.

With twice French Open champion Maria Sharapova suspended pending the findings of an anti-doping hearing after she tested positive for Meldonium in Australia this year, the list of players capable of toppling a fully firing Williams is short.

She has played only three tournaments since losing to an inspired Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open final. But former champion Martina Navratilova says when the big prizes are at stake, the American can be relied upon to perform.

“She hasn’t played that much this year, but she came back with a vengeance (in Rome), played great tennis, as well as she has on clay, and she is the big favourite going into the French Open,” 18-times grand slam champion Navratilova told the Tennis Podcast in the build-up to Paris.

“When she loses it’s an exception... Serena is now healthy, hungry, eager and fresh. She’s match-tough after Rome, but still fresh - that’s a tough combination, and it will be hard for anyone to beat her.”

The main obstacles between Williams and a 22nd singles major which would take her level with Steffi Graff in second place, appear to be Germany’s Kerber and former world number one Victoria Azarenka, although both have struggled for consistency.

Kerber suffered first-round defeats in Rome and Madrid, although she did win the title on clay in Stuttgart.

Azarenka, ranked five, was back to her best when winning back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami, but doubts have resurfaced.

She suffered a back injury in Madrid and lost in the first round in Rome.

“It’s just unfortunate that I can’t play my best tennis. That’s it,” Azarenka said after losing to Irina Begu in Rome.

Others contenders will be Romanian former finalists Simona Halep and Spain’s hard-hitting Garbine Muguruza.

Muguruza, a semi-finalist in Rome, does not have the trademark clay court game, relying on flat, powerful ground strokes that could however cause damage at Roland Garros, where the show courts tend to play fast.

Three-times champion Williams though, as is usually the case, appears to have the destiny of the tournament on her racket strings.

“I have tried to defend there once, twice... before. Didn’t quite work so well. But this year is different,” she said. “I feel more calm and I don’t feel stress, like I have to win. I feel like just happy to be out here.”