French Open Preview: Federer returns to Roland Garros, Konta only Brit in women's singles

Roger Federer will play at the French Open for the first time in four years, while Johanna Konta will be the only British woman in the singles tournament.

Photo from BBC Sport

In the midst of Federer's return to clay, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are looking for records if either of them were to win the title in Paris.
Spaniard Nadal is chasing a record-extending 12th title at Roland Garros, his win at last year's tournament made him the first man to win the same Grand Slam 11 times.
However, Nadal has not been as dominant on clay this year as he has in previous, only featuring in one final this year - winning the Italian Open where he didn't drop a set until the final against Djokovic.
37-year-old Federer missed the event in 2016 due to a back injury and took the decision to miss the event for the past two years to preserve his body.
Swiss Federer played his first clay-court tournament in three years this month - the Madrid Open - where he made the quarter-finals.
Serbian Djokovic is expected to be the best hope at challenging Nadal, who is extremely difficult to beat on clay.

Photo from BBC Sport

Former world number one Andy Murray is not playing as he continues his recovery from a hip operation.
Kyle Edmund has dropped to 31st in the world with five successive first-round defeats in tournaments this year, starting the season in 14th.
Cameron Norrie, however, has climbed up the rankings, reaching a career high of 41.
Dan Evans has directly qualified for a Grand Slam for the first time in two years.
Six-time Grand Slam doubles champion Jamie Murray has yet to reach a French Open final, where his best results are a quarter-final in the men's doubles in 2017 and a semi-final in the mixed in 2011.

Photo from BBC Sport

Konta has impressed on clay this season, reaching the finals of the Morocco Open and Italian Open.
The British number one will be seeded 26th, but needs to overcome her poor form in the French capital - losing in the first round at her four previous French Opens.
The 28-year-old is the only British woman in the singles tournament after 22-year-old Katie Boulter pulled out with a back injury on Friday, while Katie Swan and Heather Watson both failed to qualify.

American Serena Williams will aim for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title in the women's singles - if she is fit.
Sfter reaching the Wimbledon and US Open finals, the 37-year-old struggled with a persistent knee injury.
She pulled out of the Italian Open last week, as well as Indian Wells and Miami - her only tournaments since she made the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

Simona Halep says she doesn't expect to retain her maiden Grand Slam title.
The Romanian beat Sloane Stephend in last year's final having lost in her three finals before that.
She could become only the sixth woman to dfend Roland Garros titles - after Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf and Justine Henin.
World number one Naomi Osaka is top seed at a major for the first time.
The 21-year-old has never progressed past the first round in Paris, but has made at least the quarter-finals in each of her three clay-court tournaments this year.
Czech Petra Kvitova, who lost to Osaka in the Melbourne final, won her second WTA title of the year with victory on clay in Stuttgart last month, while Karolina Pliskova and Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands are also among the in-form players.

Men's Singles Draw

Section One

(1) N Djokovic (SRB) vs H Hurkacz (POL)
H Laaksonen (SWI) vs P Martinez (SPN)
J Munar (SPN) vs S Caruso (ITA)
S Stakhovsky (UKR) vs (26) G Simon (FRA)
(20) D Shapovalov (CAN) vs J-L Struff (GER)
R Albot (MOL) vs T Sandgren (USA)
L Harris (SA) vs L Rosol (CZE)
A Bedene (SLO) vs (13) B Coric (CRO)

Section Two

(9) F Fognini (ITA) vs A Seppi (ITA)
G Garcia Lopez (SPN) vs F Delbonis (ARG)
T Fritz (USA) vs B Tomic (AUS)
S Johnson (USA) vs (18) R Bautista Agut (SPN)
(30) D Lajovic (SRB) vs T Monteiro (BRZ)
C Norrie (UK) vs E Benchetrit (FRA)

M Ymer (SWE) vs B Rola (SLO)
J Millman (AUS) vs (5) A Zverev (GER)

Section Three

(4) D Thiem (AUT) vs T Paul (USA)
R Molleker (GER) vs A Bublik (KAZ)
M Janvier (FRA) vs P Cuevas (URU)
J Chardy (FRA) vs (28) K Edmund (UK)
(23) F Verdasco (SPN) vs D Evans (UK)
A Hoang (FRA) vs D Dzumhur (BOS)
S Travaglia (ITA) vs A Mannarino (FRA)
T Daniel (JPN) vs (14) G Monfils (FRA)

Section Four

(10) K Khachanov (RUS) vs C-M Stebe (GER)
G Barrere (FRA) vs M Ebden (FRA)
M Klizan (SVK) vs M Kukushkin (KAZ)
S Bolelli (ITA) vs (22) L Pouille (FRA)
(25) F Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs J Thompson (AUS)
I Karlovic (CRO) vs F Lopez (SPN)
Y Nishioka (JPN) vs M McDonald (USA)
N Jarry (CHL) vs (8) JM del Potro (ARG)

Section Five

(6) S Tsitsipas (GRE) vs M Marterer (GER)
P Gunneswaran (IND) vs H Dellien (BOL)
R Carballes Baena (SPN) vs A Muller (FRA)
F Krajinovic (SRB) vs (32) F Tiafoe (USA)
(24) S Wawrinka (SWI) vs J Kovalik (SVK)
R Opelka (USA) vs C Garin (CHL)
J Tipsarevic (SRB) vs G Dimitrov (BUL)
T Fabbiano (ITA) vs (11) M Cilic (CRO)

Section Six

(16) M Cecchinato (ITA) vs N Mahut (FRA)
R Haase (NED) vs P Kohlschreiber (GER)
J Vesely (CZE) vs L Mayer (ARG)
M Fucsovics (HUN) vs (17) D Schwartzman (ARG)
(29) M Berrettini (ITA) vs P Andujar (SPN)
C Ruud (NOR) vs E Gulbis (LTV)
M Jaziri (TUN) vs O Otte (GER)
L Sonego (ITA) vs (3) R Federer (SWI)

Section Seven

(7) K Nishikori (JPN) vs Q Halys (FRA)
J-W Tsonga (FRA) vs P Gojowczyk (GER)
A Popyrin (AUS) vs U Humbert (FRA)
A Ramos Vinolas (SPN) vs (31) L Dere (SRB)
(21) A de Minaur (AUS) vs B Klahn (USA)
P Carreno Busta (SPN) vs J Sousa (POR)
B Paire (FRA) vs M Copil (ROM)
P-H Herbert (FRA) vs (12) D Medvedev (RUS) 

Section Eight

(15) N Basilashvili (GEO) vs J-I Londero (ARG)
M Zverev (GER) vs R Gasquet (FRA)
A Vatutin (RUS) vs C Moutet (FRA)
G Andreozzi ARG) vs (19) G Pella (ARG)
(27) D Goffin (BEL) vs R Berankis (LIT)
M Kecmanovic (SRB) vs D Kudla (USA)
Y Maden (GER) vs K Coppejans (BEL)
Y Hanfmann (GER) vs (2) R Nadal (SPN)

Women's Singles Draw

Section ONE
(1) N Osaka (JPN) vs A-K Schmiedlova (SVK)
J Ostapenko (LTV) vs V Azarenka (BLR)
E Rybakina (KAZ) vs K Siniakova (CZE)
A Tatishvili (USA) vs (29) M Sakkari (GRE)
(24) C Garcia (FRA) vs M Barthel (GER)
A Blinkova (RUS) vs M Gasparyan (RUS)
T Babos (HUN) vs P Hon (AUS)
E Rodina (RUS) vs (14) M Keys (USA)

Section Two
(10) S Williams (USA) vs V Diatchenko (RUS)
K Nara (JPN) vs D Jakupovic (SLO)
G Gato-Monticone (ITA) vs S Kenin (USA)
M Bouskova (CZE) vs (22) B Andreescu (CAN)
(25) S-w Hsieh (TAI) vs V Golubic (SWI)
A Riske (USA) vs A Petkovic (GER)
D Collins (USA) vs T Maria (GER)
J Pegula (USA) vs (8) A Barty (AUS)

Section Three
(3) S Halep (ROM) vs A Tomljanovic (AUS)
C Paquet (FRA) vs M Linette (POL)
D Gavrilova (AUS) vs A Krunic (SRB)
E Bouchard (CAN) vs (27) L Tsurenko (UKR) 
(21) D Kasatkina (RUS) vs J Paolini (ITA)
M Puig (PUE) vs K Flipkens (BEL)
I Swiatek (POL) vs S Janicijevic (FRA)
S Zheng (CHN) vs (16) Q Wang (CHN)

Section Four
(11) A Sabalenka (BLR) vs D Cibulkova (SVK)
A Anisimova (USA) vs H Tan (FRA)
I-C Begu (ROM) vs L Zhu (CHN)
K Muchova (CZE) vs (17) A Kontaveit (EST) 
(30) M Buzarnescu (ROM) vs E Alexandrova (RUS)
B Strycova (CZE) vs S Stosur (AUS)
A Bolsova (SPN) vs V Zvonareva (RUS)
S Cirstea (ROM) vs (6) P Kvitova (CZE)

Section Five
(7) S Stephens (USA) vs M Doi (JPN)
S Sorribes Tormo (SPN) vs A Van Uytvanck (BEL)
J Brady (USA) vs I Jorovic (SRB)
P Hercog (SLO) vs (32) A Sasnovich (BLR)
(19) G Muguruza (SPN) vs T Townsend (USA)
M Rybarikova (SVK) vs J Larsson (SWE)
B Pera (USA) vs K Kozlova (UKR)
V Williams (USA) vs (9) E Svitolina (UKR) 

Section Six
(15) B Bencic (SWI) vs J Ponchet (FRA)
L Siegemund (GER) vs S Zhuk (RUS)
Y Putintseva (KAZ) vs R Peterson (SWE)
L Samsonova (RUS) vs (23) D Vekic (CRO)
(26) J Konta (UK) vs A Lottner (GER)
L Davis (USA) vs Kr Pliskova (CZE)
V Kuzmova (SVK) vs A Cornet (FRA)
P Parmentier (FRA) vs (4) K Bertens (NED)

Section Seven
(5) A Kerber (GER) vs A Potapova (RUS)
Y Wang (CHN) vs M Vondrousova (CZE)
A Sharma (AUS) vs S Rogers (USA)
D Yastremska (UKR) vs (28) C Suarez Navarro (SPN)
(20) E Mertens (BEL) vs T Zidansek (SLO)
D Parry (FRA) vs V Lapko (BLR)
A Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) vs M Minella (LUX)
L Kumkhum (THA) vs (12) A Sevastova (LTV)

Section Eight
(13) C Wozniacki (DEN) vs V Kudermetova (RUS)
Z Diyas (KAZ) vs A Albie (FRA)
S Zhang (CHN) vs V Lepchenko (USA)
K Kanepi (EST) vs (18) J Gorges (GER)
(31) P Martin (CRO) vs O Jabeur (TUN)
F Ferro (FRA) vs K Mladenovic (FRA)
S Kuznetsova (RUS) vs K Kucova (SVK)
M Brengle (USA) vs (2) Ka Pliskova (CZE)

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