// BEGIN editorial data
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spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women.sPubDate = "5/22/2008 1:57:21 PM GMT";
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spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women.appHeader = "Top contenders in the women's draw at the 2008 French Open";
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women.appFooter = "All clay records as of 5/22/2008";
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spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080521_FrenchOpentennisball_h.hlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Jacques Demarthon", "AFP/Getty Images", "273", "401", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "Three-time defending champion Justine Henin won't be competing in the 2008 French Open, which opens the way for a number of others to grab the title. Will it be an already established star or an up-and-coming player who hoists the trophy at Roland Garros this year? Take a look at some of the top contenders in the women's draw.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Maria Sharapova","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_MariaSharapova_v.vlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Andreas Solaro", "AFP/Getty Images", "337", "278", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "With Justine Henin's surprise retirement in mid-May, Maria Sharapova was bumped up into the No. 1 ranking. She'll likely be ranked at the top of the French Open draw as well. Sharapova's style of play, highlighted by powerful groundstrokes and deep baseliners, is well-suited to keeping clay specialists off balance. Still, Sharapova hasn't hid the fact that she isn't a big fan of the surface, and she hasn't had her best performances on clay. In addition, a painful calf strain forced her to pull out of the warm-up event in Rome, raising questions about her health at Roland Garros. Without Henin in the draw, however, this may be Sharapova's year. This season she has an impressive 27-2 singles record, including one title and a 10-2 record on clay. Prior to 2008, the Russian had a career win-loss record at the French Open of 19-5, twice making it to the quarterfinals and last year advancing to the semis.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Serena Williams","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_SerenaWilliams_v.vlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Christophe Simon", "AFP/Getty Images", "358", "245", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "She had to withdraw from a French Open tune-up in Rome because of a back flare-up, but expect Serena Williams to be in fighting form at the French Open. Her fitness level and game intensity are much improved from last season where she advanced to the French Open quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Justine Henin. Still, clay is the surface on which Williams is most vulnerable. Her stamina will be tested by the long rallies that playing on clay normally entails. The 2002 French Open champion has an overall record at Roland Garros of 29-6 and a 2008 season record of 23-2. Her clay-court performance this year has been impressive, with nine wins (including a Circle Cup title run in which she knocked off Maria Sharapova) and two losses.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Ana Ivanovic","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_AnaIvanovic_h.hlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Christophe Simon", "AFP/Getty Images", "273", "374", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "Last season was Ana Ivanovic's breakout year, as she won three WTA titles and rocketed up the rankings to finish in the No. 4 spot. Last year she could be excused for crumbling in the French Open finals against Justine Henin, getting overwhelmed at her best-ever Grand Slam performance and competing in the biggest match of her career. This year, she will have no excuses at Roland Garros. Currently a career-high second in the standings, she has struggled this season  on clay, losing to Elena Dementieva in the semifinals of the German Open and falling to qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova in the second round in Rome. Still, the French Open is where she has enjoyed her best career success.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Jelena Jankovic","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_JelenaJankovic_h.hlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Michael Steele", "Getty Images", "273", "390", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "Currently a career-high third in the rankings, Jelena Jankovic enters French Open action with a lot of momentum. She was victorious in the warm-up event at Rome, topping Venus Williams in the process. After learning her lesson about over-committing her schedule, she has played in just three clay tournaments this year as opposed to the five in which she participated last season. In this year's warm-ups she has amassed a 9-2 record. She has a 2008 season record of 28-9.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Venus Williams","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_VenusWilliams_h.hlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Andreas Solaro", "AFP/Getty Images", "273", "381", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "Her sister may have a career Grand Slam, but Venus Williams is still waiting for her chance. In addition to an Australian Open victory, the championship at the French Open has eluded Williams so far, and she's made it past the quarterfinals only once in 11 tries. She hasn't had much time to practice on clay this season either, playing in just one event and beating Samantha Stosur and Vera Zvonareva in straight sets before falling to Jelena Jankovic in the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia tournament.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Svetlana Kuznetsova","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_SvetlanaKuznetsova_v.vlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Alessandra Tarantino", "ASSOCIATED PRESS", "358", "245", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "Svetlana Kuznetsova can be maddeningly inconsistent, and that trend continues with her performances this year. Despite picking up 21 wins, including victories over Venus Williams, Jelena Jankovic and Maria Sharapova, she also has eight losses. In her two clay-court events this season she has a record of 2-2. Still, the French Open has been the Slam at which Kuznetsova recently has been the most consistent, with two fourth-round finishes, one quarterfinal finish and one trip to the finals in the past four years. The Russian maintains a high WTA Tour ranking (she is currently No. 4 in the standings) but is either hot or cold and very rarely in-between. ";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Dinara Safina","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_DinaraSafina_v.vlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Andreas Rentz", "Bongarts/Getty Images", "358", "242", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "Three of Dinara Safina's six career WTA Tour titles -- including her lone title of 2008 -- have come on the clay courts. By knocking off Justine Henin, Serena Williams and Elena Dementieva en route to capturing the German Open title in early May, the Russian proved she will be a major threat to the players ranked above her in the French Open draw. Safina reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2006 and the fourth round in 2007.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Elena Dementieva","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_ElenaDementieva_h.hlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Michael Kappeler", "AFP/Getty Images", "273", "396", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "In the two clay-court events in which Elena Dementieva has played this year, she has reached the semifinals and the finals. Neither one translated into a title, but she looked impressive in both. At the German Open, she topped Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic before falling to Dinara Safina in the finals, but her confidence must be high heading into the French Open. Looking to reach the finals at Roland Garros for the first time since 2004, Dementieva's movement on the clay courts could help her accomplish that goal.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Anna Chakvetadze","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_AnnaChakvetadze_v.vlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Christophe Simon", "AFP/Getty Images", "358", "266", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "In a career-best year in 2007, Anna Chakvetadze reached the U.S. Open semifinals and the Australian and French Open quarterfinals. She will try to better that Roland Garros mark this year, but so far her clay-court season has been marked by ups and downs. Her record this year on clay (including a Fed Cup rubber) is just 5-4, although she did just reach the semifinals in Rome. After an inconsistent clay season last year, Chakvetadze added more clay-court tune-ups to her schedule this year. She'll find out soon if that move helped.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Vera Zvonareva","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_VeraZvonareva_h.hlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Michal Cizek", "AFP/Getty Images", "273", "363", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "She may not have a Grand Slam singles title or even a Tier I or II championship, but don't discount Vera Zvonareva as a French Open threat. She has a singles record of 33-8 this season, including a 13-2 clay-court record. During that time, she has reached two finals, winning one, and knocked off Marion Bartoli, Kelena Jankovic and Elena Dementieva along the way. Zvonareva missed last year's French Open due to a wrist injury, but she is healthy and extremely competitive this season.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Agnieszka Radwanska","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_AgnieszkaRadwanska_h.hlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Julian Finney", "Getty Images", "273", "404", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "In the 2007 French Open -- the only time she has competed at that Slam -- Agnieszka Radwanska fell in the first round. After making a surprise run to the 2008 Australian Open quarterfinals, however, she's ready to continue her success this year at Roland Garros. Her 25-10 overall singles record this season includes a 7-4 record on clay, with all four of her losses coming against well-known players. She'll have to beat those types of players to move deep into the French Open draw.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Agnes Szavay","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_AgnesSzavay_h.hlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Andreas Rentz", "Bongarts/Getty Images", "273", "398", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "With a fast serve and powerful two-handed backhand, Agnes Szavay will look to shock some favorites at the 2008 French Open. She's already accomplished that goal in some of the clay events she's played this year, beating Dinara Safina in Charleston before topping Marion Bartoli and challenging Ana Ivanovic in Berlin.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Victoria Azarenka","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_VictoriaAzarenka_h.hlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Sascha Schuermann", "AFP/Getty Images", "273", "383", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "Victoria Azarenka is still looking for her first Tour title, but twice in 2008 she has come close, including most recently on clay. This year she is 13-5 on the surface, advancing to one final and reaching the semifinals at another event. After bowing out in the first round both times she played at the French Open, her success this year should help her stay around longer at Roland Garros.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Alize Cornet","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_AlizeCornet_v.vlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Christophe Simon", "AFP/Getty Images", "358", "231", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "If not for an improbable run at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, Alize Cornet's name probably wouldn't be listed among the French Open contenders. But when the qualifier shocked players like Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Chakvetadze en route to the finals, she forced people to take notice. The 2007 Girl's Singles champion at Roland Garros, she has two second-round and one first-round finish in the main draw. Cornet's 2008 clay-court season also earns her distinction as a contender. She has a 19-6 (including qualifying wins) record on the surface this year and has reached two finals. ";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Amelie Mauresmo","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_AmelieMauresmo_v.vlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Jacques Demarthon", "AFP/Getty Images", "358", "262", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "Amelie Mauresmo has always faced high expectations playing in front of her paysans at Roland Garros, but she's never been able to give them a French Open title. Mauresmo has, however, made two quarterfinal trips and earned a career win loss record of 27-13 at the event. She has implored tennis fans to start looking at her as the favorite on surfaces other than clay, but she still hopes to be in contention at the French. Mauresmo played in just one clay warm-up, winning three matches before losing in the quarterfinals.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Patty Schnyder","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_PattySchnyder_v.vlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Tiziana Fabi", "AFP/Getty Images", "358", "216", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "Although Patty Schnyder hasn't reached the quarterfinals at the French Open since 1998, she still is a consistently strong performer at Roland Garros, with five fourth-round finishes in the past six years. She gave Maria Sharapova a tough time in the quarterfinals of a 2008 Tier I warm-up in Rome, proving she's playing well heading into this year's French Open.";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Shahar Pe'er","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_ShaharPeer_v.vlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Jacques Demarthon", "AFP/Getty Images", "358", "232", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "Shahar Pe'er's 17-12 overall record in 2008 includes a 2-2 record on clay. Although she reached the quarterfinals in a Tier IV event in Prague, Pe'er fell to Sabine Lisicki, ranked No. 102 in the world, in the Tier I German Open. Inconsistency like that won't help her reach the fourth round at the French Open for the third straight year. ";

spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i++] = new Array("","Nicole Vaidisova","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Fiss%2C%20Stirling/Images/French%20Open/Contenders%20-%20women/080520_NicoleVaidisova_h.hlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Clive Brunskill", "Getty Images", "273", "406", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_FrenchOpen_contenders_women[i-1].body = "A French Open semifinalist in 2006 and quarterfinalist in 2007, Nicole Vaidisova has a career 10-3 singles record at Roland Garros. She'll need to reverse her recent woes, however, to post a similarly successful result this year. In the two clay-court warm-ups Vaidisova has played this season, she has bowed out in the first round each time, losing to players ranked 48th and 72nd in the world. Her slump has dropped her out of the top-10 rankings and into the 16th spot.";

	// END editorial data