Just like for the men's draw, the VAVEL USA writers have come out with a roundtable discussion for the French Open but this time for the women's draw. It's more than just asking about favorite and champions, we're asking to see who thinks if Bouchard can bounce back at the French or which young gun stamps their authority as the next rising star of the game. Find out below as we look to see what each writer has said for these intriguing questions.
1. Who is your favorite for the title in Paris? Why?
Noel Alberto: My favorite for the title has to be Maria Sharapova. She’s coming off of a title in Rome so she is in good form so far. Serena has gone back down to earth after her blistering start to the season, and Halep has looked less than spectacular when she has lost lately.
Harry Robinson: Maria Sharapova is coming into this in good form and is the bookies’ favourite to lift the trophy in Paris. Serena has been outclassing her in the last year or two but I think this Grand Slam will be hers after winning in Italy and getting the semis in Madrid.
Glenys Furness: Serena, well she has won everything else so why not.
Pedro Cunha: Simona Halep is my favourite for the title. The Romanian will show her best tennis to conquer what she couldn't conquer last year, winning the title.
Liam McMahon: Simona Halep. Her game is just built for clay. It's tempting to pick Serena Williams, but she could face Caroline Wozniacki in the quarters. There's still every chance Williams will win, but I like Halep to win.
2. Who is your dark horse for the title? Why?
N.A: My dark horse for the title has to be the inform player on the tour, Carla Suarez Navarro. The Spaniard has been playing amazing since her final in Miami. She moves well on clay and grinds out matches forcing her opponents to play much longer than they would like. Her draw is not easy with Garbine Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, and Sharapova in her half, but should these players fall short, watch for her to pounce on the opportunity to get to the final.
H.R: Genie Bouchard can bounce back from a disappointing start to 2015. She’ll be in the second week for sure and hopefully she can push on from there but in reality, with the two being separated, I can’t see anyone but Sharapova or Serena winning it.
G.F: Carla Suarez Navarro, she has played amazingly on clay lately.
P.C: Caroline Wozniacki. She didn't do well in Rome but I think she will find motivation to get through.
L.M: Eugenie Bouchard. Genie has endured a sophomore slump this year, but she has all sorts of game. In 2014, her incredible run of results which started with a semifinal appearance in Australia continued in France. I like her to get back to her best in France, and make a run at the title.
3. Which lower seeded player (17-32) do you think could make the quarterfinals?
N.A: The lower seeded player which has a shot to make the quarterfinals is Caroline Garcia. The Frenchwoman should be motivated with her home crowd behind her and her draw is favorable. A possible third round showdown with struggling Ana Ivanovic and could meet Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round. The Russian plays her best tennis on the faster courts, so an upset could be on the cards.
H.R: Alize Cornet upset the odds at Wimbledon last year with some magical tennis and in her home country, I think she can do it again.
G.F: Madison Keys.
P.C: I think Azarenka can make the quarterfinals or further should she defeat Serena in the third round.
L.M: Victoria Azarenka. Since her injury plagued 2014 season, Vika has dropped in the rankings, and she enters this tournament as the number 27 seed. Expect her to make some noise this week.
4. Which young gun puts their name on the map or proves they’re the real deal in Paris? Why?
N.A: See last question.
H.R: Madison Keys is only 21 and already seeded 16. She lost to Angelique Kerber in the final at Charleston. This Grand Slam could be further proof that she’s the real deal after getting to the semis in Australia. She has only got to two semis since, this is the first Grand Slam since and it’s time to step up again.
G.F: Heather Watson, she can play, she needs the confidence, and winning over Radwanska earlier this year should help
P.C: Caroline Garcia will prove in front of her home crowd that she is the future of French tennis.
L.M: Eugenie Bouchard. She will show that her sophomore slump has not affected her confidence, and prove that she is the next global superstar in the women's game.
5. What first round matchup intrigues you the most? Why?
N.A: Genie Bouchard - Kristina Mladenovic is quite the intriguing matchup. Bouchard is in a poor run of form, and she missed the opportunity to end it with a loss in a thrilling encounter to Carla Suarez Navarro in the round of 16 in Rome. Frenchwoman Mladenovic pulled off a shocker last year at the French Open upsetting Li Na in the first round and is looking to make waves once again. ‘
H.R: Venus Williams - Sloane Stephens. Both great players, if they turn up, it should be brilliant.
G.F: Sloane Stephens - Venus Williams, very tasty rematch!
P.C: Venus Williams vs. Sloane Stephens. These two American women will fight hard for a place on the second round, and both are playing very well this season.
L.M: Monica Puig - Sabine Lisicki. Puig has a penchant for making noise at the majors, and Lisicki has a penchant for underperforming at the majors. This should be a great one to watch.
6. Which player has the toughest draw? Why?
N.A: Bouchard has not been gifted an easy draw here at the French. Going off of the last question, getting Mladenovic out is not an easy task. With possible matchups against Diyas, Pliskova/Kuznetsova, Keys/Kvitova, and Wozniacki/Serena. The road to matching her semifinals appearance last year is going to be quite the tumultuous one should she even get there.
H.R: Victoria Azarenka could be playing Serena Williams in the third round. Doesn’t get much tougher than that.
G.F: Halep - she's got to get by Sharapova
P.C: Serena has the toughest draw, with her sister and Azarenka on her side of the draw making it tough.
L.M: Serena Williams. A potential 3rd round match-up with Azarenka could wait, and then a meeting with Wozniacki in the quarters. Not an easy road, but one she can navigate.
7. Which top seed gets upset the earliest? Why?
N.A: Just like my last two questions, I'm going with Genie Bouchard again on this one. I know she tends to bring it for the slams, but something just feels different this year. Last year she was a dark horse for the title and was coming off of a title in Nuremberg. This year she's being written off by most writers, including myself, and her best result on the clay was a round of 16 appearance in Rome. This year, her first round match like previously mentioned against Kristina Mladenovic is by no means easy. Mladenovic will be fighting tooth-and-nail for to cause an upset, and I believe she will pull it off.
H.R: Simona Halep has a somewhat easier draw then the other challenges to the crown but in Alize Cornet and Agnieszka Radwanska, her third and fourth round draws, she has two tough opponents who are the perfect tenniswoman to provide the upset; confident.
G.F: Bouchard, just feel she isn't playing at her best right now
P.C: Lucie Safarova will lose to Pavlyuchenkova. This will be a real battle but the Russian will find a way to prevail, unlike most of her matches this year.
L.M: Petra Kvitova. She's a superb player, she's just not best suited to playing on clay.
8. Which non-seeded player can get into the second week? Why?
N.A: Belinda Bencic is my pick for the woman who is not seeded to possibly make it into the second week. The young Swiss (Miss) has played her best tennis on clay this season and needs just one breakout slam to get her truly on the map once again. After her breakout season last year, she has plateaued a bit this year but is still looking to make strides. She is no short of weapons on her as her groundstrokes are phenomenal for a teenager, especially her backhand. She’s in the part of the draw with Keys, Bacsinszky, and Kvitova, all who can get upset early should they have off days. If that were to happen, Bencic would be the women to get into the second week.
G.F: Heather Watson because I believe with some wins under her belt, she will get a lot of confidence.
P.C: Daria Gavrilova gets into the second week. Her early draw is not that difficult for someone who's playing well and has confidence because of the semifinals appearance in Rome.
9. After a disappointing season so far, can Genie Bouchard rebound with a strong showing at the French? Why?
N.A: See answer to question 6.
H.R: She slipped out a miserable run with a win in Rome, hopefully that’s a sign of things to come. Her form has been very, very poor but she has a reasonably easy run into the end of the first week and hopefully she can find form in that period.
G.F: No - she isn't playing at her best right now.
P.C: No, she can't. Mladenovic is confident and will not allow her to go further than the first round.
L.M: Genie Bouchard will absolutely bounce back. She's a terrific player, she's women's tennis' next superstar. She'll make a run to the semifinals.
10. Other than Serena, who do you think goes the deepest out of the Americans?
N.A: I think Madison… Brengle is going to be the American that advances the furthest other than Serena. Unlike most Americans, her game is made for the clay, which is highlighted by her success in Stuttgart this year. Her first round matchup is against newly crowned Strasbourg champ, Sam Stosur, but the Australian has been poor in slams in recent history so the American should take advantage of that and get to the third round against Maria Sharapova.
H.R: The two Williams sister are the two highest ranked American players, but I think it will be Madison Keys who tags along with Serena into the second week.
G.F: Sloane Stephens
P.C: I don't think Serena goes deepest, but I think Madison Keys can go side-by-side with her.
L.M: I'd like to say that this is the tournament where Sloane Stephens finally gets things figured out, but I don't think that'll happen. Therefore, I'm going to go with Madison Keys. Her development has been fantastic to watch, and she's the number 16 seed here. I think she'll make a bit of a run this week.
11. Does Sharapova or Halep make the final? Why?
N.A: I believe that Sharapova will get to the final, but Halep will not. Well it has to be one or the other in this case since they are in the same half, but I have edged out the Russian over the Romanian just slightly here. I’ve highlighted earlier what Sharapova has done so far on clay this year, and it has been highly impressive. Sharapova has just been absolutely dominant on clay these past four years, and it will continue at the French Open this year.
H.R: Sharapova will. She has a tough first match against the unseeded Kaia Kanepi but if she is on the form she has been leading up to this she’ll smash her way through to the final.
G.F: Sharapova because she is quite good on the surface
P.C: Halep makes the final as I explained before.
L.M: Halep makes the final. I think her consistency will be able to slow down Maria's power game on the slower surface, and she'll win a slugfest to make the final.
12. Who are your finalists and winner? Why?
N.A: My finalists are Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova, and Sharapova will edge out the Czech lefty in another tight three set final for the Russian. Coming off of a title in Madrid, Kvitova has proven she can play on the clay and be a serious contender. Serena is not in the best form coming into the tournament, and her best friend Caroline Wozniacki could pull off an upset in that one. Kvitova is going to outhit Wozniacki to get to the final. Sharapova does not have it easy with possibly Suarez Navarro and Halep awaiting before Kvitova, but during crunch time (against other than Serena), I would not pick this woman over anyone.
H.R: Sharapova to beat Serena Williams in the final.
G.F: Serena v Sharapova. Winner- Serena.
P.C: My finalists are Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka. The winner will be Simona. Both of them should offer a very intriguing final, but Simona should tough this one out for her first major title.
L.M: Halep - S. Williams. Serena's the best player in the world, she'll make the final. However, this is going to be the tournament of Simona Halep. She will come out and play the best tennis of her life as she goes on to win the whole thing.