The cream rose on thew women's side, as I said, but some of it sank to the bottom as well. Maria Sharapova, Carla Suarez Navarro, Angelique Kerber, Garbine Muguruza, and Sam Stosur are all in the last quarter.
Despite a tough draw, Sharapova, champion in Paris last year and champion in Rome last week, remains the favorite to reach the semis. She’s 4-0 against her opening-round opponent, 49th-ranked Kaia Kanepi, and 14-2 against Stosur, the first seed she could face. But that one could be interesting: The Aussie led Sharapova by a set in Paris last year before folding.
On paper, the other side looks like a three-way duel between Suarez Navarro, a quarterfinalist in Paris in 2014; Muguruza, who beat Serena here last year; and Kerber, a woman who has won two clay titles this spring, and beat Sharapova in one of them.
Name to say, if not remember: Oceane Dodin. The French wild card starts against Kurumi Nara.
First-round match to watch: Stosur vs. Madison Brengle. The American can play on clay, and nearly beat Stosur in their only meeting.