Tennis

Yannick Noah, incredibly, remains the last Frenchman to capture a Grand Slam title.

Tennis great Roger Federer says the timing of Andy Murray's back injury is very unfortunate for the British world No 2.

Despite his six titles this season during a storming return from seven months of knee injury absence, Rafael Nadal is taking nothing for granted as the king of clay bids for a record eighth French Open title.

With the French Open just days away, senior writers Peter Bodo and Steve Tignor are here today to give their thoughts on the tournament, in a back-and-forth exchange not dissimilar to the rallies you'll see in Paris. Check back throughout the day for updates; editor Ed McGrogan leads off the conversation. MCGROGAN: I'm not sure if either of you realize it, but we're about halfway through the tennis calendar and at the midpoint of two very symmetrical seasons. In January, Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka, two relatively new entrants into their tours' uppermost echelons, rode their two-handed backhands to title defenses Down Under. But neither picked up another hard-court title in Indian Wells or Miami, and by the end of March, three of the four top men and the three top women each had a big tournament win under their belt. Then clay came, and one player from each tour has won pretty much everything in sight—I'm of course talking about Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams. They are both massive favorites to cap off their dirt runs with a title on the terre battue. Of course, many people think the season truly begins now, with three Grand Slam events to be contested in roughly the next three months. I think there's some merit to that, but regardless, who do you think needs a title at Roland Garros the most, across the sport? Will Nadal's comeback, amazing thus far, look different to you if he doesn't win the ultimate prize? Will the pressure begin to bubble over for Djokovic, who needs just a French Open to complete the career Slam, if he fails to back up another clay Masters win over Rafa in Paris? What about Serena, who inexplicably went out in round one last year? There's certainly pressure on her to perform. Is it someone like Azarenka or Maria Sharapova, needing to escape Serena's shadow, or an outsider like David Ferrer, who's playing at his peak? Or Roger Federer, just to shut everyone up about his demise?

The work of Australian coach Josh Eagle came to a quick end in the sourth of France as both of his temporary clients, Lleyton Hewitt and Marinko Matsosevic, lost in the opening round at Nice.

Andy Murray with his back pain is not the only player with a fitness decision to make before the weekend start of the French Open.

Andy Murray has confirmed that he will not be able to play the French Open, with the world No. 2 pulling out of the Grand Slam start this weekend due to the recent aggravation of a longstanding back injury.

Australian Bernard Tomic will play at next week's French Open despite his off-court troubles.

British No 2 Heather Watson is ready to return to action at next week's French Open in Paris after overcoming glandular fever.

Sharapova hopes to reignite a love affair from last summer. This look ahead at the Roland Garros women’s field mirrors the format used for the men’s companion article yesterday. The smart money: 1) Serena Williams:  Looking back at last year’s preview of WTA Roland Garros contenders, Serena held exactly this position at the head of the list.  Virginie Razzano saw things differently, of course, scoring a shocking first-round upset that extended Serena’s drought without a final here to ten straight years after winning the 2002 title.  So you might ask why many of us did not learn our lesson in again choosing her as the consensus favorite.  One reason is that Razzanos, like Soderlings, are rare events that do not happen in consecutive years.  Another is that Serena’s clay titles last season, as impressive as they were, came on green and blue clay, whereas she completed the Madrid-Rome double this year on the red dirt featured at Roland Garros.  She also moved as crisply on clay as she ever has when she won the latter tournament, and the chronic injury woes behind her Australian Open exit have subsided for now. But the main reason to dub Serena the Roland Garros favorite emerged from her dominant efforts against the two women just below her in the rankings and on this list.  The world No. 1 now owns a 25-4 advantage over world No. 2 Sharapova (13-2) and world No. 3 Azarenka (12-2) after she won the Madrid final from the former and the Rome final from the latter.  Outside a slight lull in both second sets, those matches served as brilliant displays of Serena’s talent rather than featuring genuinely competitive tennis.  Serena’s greatest challenges may come early in the draws from the Razzanos of the WTA, players whom she overlooks before dialing up her focus in the second week. Knocking on the door: 2) Maria Sharapova:  The defending champion will arrive in Paris after a spring strikingly similar to what she produced last year.  Compiling two titles and four finals since the beginning of March, Sharapova lost just one match during the clay preparatory tournaments for the second straight year.  That loss came against Serena in Madrid, as it did in 2012, and the Russian has not lost to any other opponent since the Australian Open.  Although she won a set in their Miami final, Sharapova likely cannot reverse this head-to-head should she face a healthy world No. 1 in Paris.  But she cannot meet Serena until the final because of her No. 2 seed, and much can happen throughout the course of a fortnight. Sharapova’s own health poses a minor concern, for a viral illness hampered her during Madrid and forced her to withdraw from Rome after two matches.  Assuming that she recovers by the weekend, she should overpower any of the clay specialists whom she can meet early in the draw, for she has evolved into a much smoother, smarter shot-maker under coach Thomas Hogstedt.  Fellow former champion Li Na defeated Sharapova at Roland Garros two years ago and again at this year’s Australian Open, suggesting that she represents the second-most significant obstacle for the Russian behind Serena.  Sharapova has won their last two clay meetings and four of their last five overall, however.  Consistently plowing deep into draws, she has not lost before the quarterfinals in ten months and reached the semifinals at all of her 2013 tournaments until she withdrew from Rome. 3) Victoria Azarenka:  Unlike Sharapova, the two-time Australian Open champion has defeated Serena this year.  That Doha victory in February could provide Azarenka with some belief should they meet again, as could their epic in last year’s US Open final when she came within two points of the title.  More recently, Serena’s rout in Rome laid bare the vulnerability of the younger champion’s serve, constantly under threat as the veteran with the much more imposing serve extended her lead in their matches to 12-2.  When she maneuvered herself into the rallies, however, Azarenka oft