Analysing the prospects of the top ATP players at the 2014 French Open

The 2014 claycourt season started in dramatic fashion at the Monte Carlo Masters. The top favourites Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic both failed to reach the finals. While Nadal was defeated by his countryman David Ferrer in the quarterfinals, Djokovic lost to Roger Federer at the semi-final stage.The final was contested between Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, which Wawrinka won in a tight three-set affair. It was the first Masters 1000 title for Wawrinka, building on his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year. For Federer, it was his fourth ATP final of 2014, which has been a big comeback of sorts for him after a lacklustre 2013.This has set us up for a riveting clay court season, with four top players capable of winning the ultimate clay prize in the Roland Garros title. What earlier appeared to be a two-way battle between Nadal and Djokovic, now sees Wawrinka and Federer in prime positions to challenge them for the title.The remaining claycourt Masters tournaments at Madrid and Rome would provide further indication as to which player is in the best position going into the French Open. Let us analyze the prospects of the top players going into the second Slam of 2014.

#1 Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the other Usual Suspects

Apart from the top four, there are a host of players who have the firepower to defeat anyone on their best day. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is the first name that comes to mind here. He defeated Federer at the quarter-final stage in the 2013 French Open, and had multiple match points against Djokovic in a nerve-wracking encounter in the 2012 quarter final. Though he can blow hot and cold at times, when in full flow, Tsonga can match up with the best of them on this surface.

Other contenders include David Ferrer, the 2013 French Open finalist, Andy Murray, a player who would be keen to improve his claycourt credentials, John Isner, one of the few guys to have ever troubled Nadal at Roland Garros, and a few others including Tomas Berdych, Alexandr Dolgopolov and Grigor Dimitrov.

I see one or two upsets coming at the hands of these players, but it is hard to see any one of them going the full stretch to win the title.