Sharapova, Clijsters French Open favourites

Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters will start the French Open as favourites while world number one Caroline Wozniacki will be desperate to translate her undoubted talents into a Grand Slam title run.

The 24-year-old Sharapova last won a major at the 2008 Australian Open after which she was wracked by a succession of injuries that left her wondering if her career would come to an abrupt end.

But she has stuck with it and has been gradually climbing back up the rankings with her first claycourt title win in Rome last week lifting her up to seventh, her best placing since she stood at sixth in November 2008.

The Russian, however, believes that Clijsters, the reigning US and Australian Open champion, is the woman to beat despite the Belgian not having played in Paris since 2006.

"You can never count her out. She's a great champion, has won the last couple of Grand Slams and is number two in the world. She's certainly the one to beat here."

Clay has never been a major problem for Clijsters, who was brought up playing on the surface and who has twice reached the final in Paris.

But her participation in Paris was in doubt when she damaged her right ankle while dancing at a friend's wedding.

"I was dancing barefoot, not in high heels, and I landed on another girl's foot and twisted my ankle," said the 27-year-old.

"I limped off the floor and then someone else stood on my small toe. I was having a good time until then."

Despite the injury, the Belgian insists that her fitness and movement should not be affected when the French Open starts on Sunday.

"I still have the heavy strapping on the ankle," she said. "I will keep it on until after Wimbledon and then see if I am able to play without it."

The women's event could be one of the most open in years with both Williams sisters out injured and four-times winner Justine Henin now definitively retired.

Last year's surprise winner Francesca Schiavone of Italy and the woman she beat in the final, Samantha Stosur of Australia, will be amongst the contenders again.

Stosur, too, sees Clijsters as a major threat.

"I think even though she has been out for a little while, you can't discount anything that she might be able to do," said the Australian.

"Obviously she was able to win the US Open without too much preparation, so you have to think of her as a threat. She's a great player and a great champion. People like that don't play the tournament unless they're feeling ready."

Also worth a look will be powerful Belarussian Victoria Azarenka who is up to a career-best fourth in the world after tournament wins at Miami and Marbella.

Wozniacki, meanwhile, will once again be assailed with questions over how she can accept being the number one ranked player in the world despite having never won a Grand Slam title.

The 20-year-old Dane has consolidated her top ranking this year with tournament wins at Dubai, Indian Wells and Charleston but she has still to prove she has the big game to win a Grand Slam title.

Latest indications are that Wozniacki might be considering taking on as coach the legendary Martina Navratilova in a bid to harness her mastery of attacking skills to go with her own defensive prowess.

That partnership could work well according to tennis analyst Mary Carillo, a former US Tour player and a mixed doubles champion in Paris in 1977 with John McEnroe.

"Caroline's a lover of the long point, and she doesn't have to be," she said.

"There are many times when you're thinking, 'Just pull the trigger, already.'

"She's heard from any number of people that she needs to add aggression to her game - maybe it would take somebody like Martina to have it kick in."

It will be an emotional tournament for French fans with Virginie Razzano opting to play on despite the death on Monday of her fiance and former coach Stephane Vidal after a long battle with a brain tumour.

Winged wonder Djokovic prepares for toughest challenge

Novak Djokovic is playing like he has wings as he prepares to challenge for a first French Open title starting on Sunday, according to the man who discovered him as a teenager.

Niki Pilic, who worked with Djokovic from the age of 14 and who was part of the coaching set-up for Serbia's Davis Cup triumph last year, marvels at the maturity of his former pupil, whose unbeaten start to the season stretches to 37 matches heading into the year's second grand slam.

"It's unbelievable and since winning the Davis Cup he has been flying, like he has wings," Pilic, runner-up at Roland Garros in 1973, told Reuters by telephone this week before issuing a word of caution.

"The French is the hardest tournament to win. One five-set match can make it very tough. But with Novak at the moment I think everything is possible."

Djokovic is the main obstacle standing between Rafa Nadal and a sixth title at Roland Garros, starting on Sunday.

The Serb, who will celebrate his 24th birthday on Sunday, won the first grand slam of the season in Australia and has beaten world number one Nadal in their last four meetings, all in Masters Series finals.

Should he win the French Open for the first time on June 5 he would overtake John McEnroe's record 42-match streak at the start of 1984 as well as seizing the world number one ranking from Nadal.

Djokovic has also beaten Roger Federer three times this year and has clearly broken the Nadal-Federer axis at the top of the men's game.

How much his relentless march has taken out his legs could come to light in the next two weeks, but those looking for any signs of frailty will be disappointed. 
 
PHYSICALLY FIT 

"I feel good," he told reporters in the French capital on Friday. "I had my first hit last night. I did have some time off, as much as I could afford at this stage, and I'm feeling good.

"Physically I'm fit. I'm confident that I can go out there and play five sets. This is what I'm getting ready for."

Much has been made of Djokovic's ability to maintain an extraordinary level of play day after day this year, particularly the way he survived a gruelling test against Andy Murray in Rome before sweeping aside Nadal the following day.

While Djokovic has removed wheat from his diet, he was not giving too much away on Friday when asked to explain more about his work with Igor Cetojevic, an expert in Chinese medicine.

"I can't describe what I'm having in detail, because this is something very private and professional," Djokovic, who faces a tricky draw in Paris with Juan Martin del Potro and Richard Gasquet lurking in his path, said.

"What I can say is that I have decided to give it a try because of the allergies and the health, the heat problems that I had in the past. I was trying different kind of things, and I wanted to see if that works, and that worked."

If it continues working right the way up until the final, expect to see a visual symbol of Djokovic dominance.

Djokovic's father Srdjan wore a T-shirt charting his son's 37th consecutive victory during the Rome Masters final against Nadal last week.

A little presumptuous it may have been but given his son's current form it would be no surprise if he has another one with 43 emblazoned on it already stashed in his luggage for Paris.

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