French Open Preview: Nadal Will Slay The Clay Again

Summary: The second Grand Slam tournament of the 2006 tennis season has arrived, as the French Open begins Sunday in Paris.

The second Grand Slam tournament of the 2006 tennis season has arrived, as the French Open begins Sunday in Paris. The French Open is the crown jewel of the clay court season, and the top players in the world have gathered to test their skills and patience on the slow, red clay of Stade Roland Garros. Here is a look at the title contenders, sleepers and long shots in the men's and women's draws. * Overall records are as of 5/20/06 ** Betting odds as of 5/26/06 Men's Draw Contenders Rafael Nadal - Spain Tournament seed: #2 2006 overall record: 28-3 2006 clay court record: 17-0 French Open career record: 7-0 Best French Open finish: Winner - 2005 WagerWeb.com odds to win the title: 5/6 The 2005 French Open champion, Nadal is the undisputed king of clay, having won 53 straight matches on the surface, tying the Open-era record of Guillermo Vilas in 1977. The young Spaniard easily won the clay court events in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Hamburg, losing only six sets in the process. Nadal's dominance on clay includes three straight victories against world #1 Roger Federer. This year's French Open is Nadal's to lose, and given his current hot streak on clay the smart money will be on him. Roger Federer - Switzerland Tournament seed: #1 2006 overall record: 38-3 2006 clay court record: 10-2 French Open career record: 14-7 Best French Open finish: Semifinals - 2005 WagerWeb.com odds to win the title: 19/10 Federer is the consensus #1 player in the world and has been dominant this year in winning four titles and compiling a 38-3 record. His only losses have been to Nadal in the finals in Dubai (hard court), Monte Carlo (clay) and Rome (clay). Federer is becoming more and more comfortable playing on clay and has started to narrow the gap between himself and Nadal. In their previous encounter, in Rome, Federer held a 4-1 lead in the fifth set before losing in a tiebreaker. If anybody in the tournament has a serious chance at dethroning defending champion Nadal, it's Federer. David Nalbandian - Argentina Tournament seed: #3 2006 overall record: 24-6 2006 clay court record: 11-3 French Open career record: 11-4 Best French Open finish: Semifinals