French Open women’s penpix

UPDATED AFTER ROME FOR FRIDAY

HOW THE LEADING WOMEN SHAPE UP FOR THE 2015 FRENCH OPEN

SERENA WILLIAMS (USA)

Age: 33

Ranking: 1

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US67,527,923 ($A85.76 million)

Career titles: 66

Grand slam titles: 19 (Australian Open 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015; French Open 2002, 2013; Wimbledon 2002-03, 2009-10, 2012; US Open 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012-2014)

French Open win-loss record: 47-11

Best French Open performances: champion 2002, 2013

On a mission to catch Steffi Graf, the world No.1 opened 2015 with 25 straight victories, including a 19th career major in Melbourne, and could conceivably match the German’s open-era record of 22 grand slam titles by the end of the year.

MARIA SHARAPOVA (RUS)

Age: 28

Ranking: 2

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US34,902,609 ($A44.33 million)

Career titles: 35

Grand slam titles: 5 (Australian Open 2008; French Open 2012, 2014; Wimbledon 2004; US Open 2006)

French Open win-loss record: 50-10

Best French Open performances: champion 2012, 2014

She once likened her movement on clay to that of a cow on ice, but the Russian has certainly found her feet in the past three years, reaching a hat-trick of finals and winning two titles to complete her career slam in Paris.

SIMONA HALEP (ROM)

Age: 24

Ranking: 3

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US8,719,239 ($A11.07 million)

Career titles: 11

Grand slam titles: 0

French Open win-loss record: 7-5

Best French Open performance: finalist 2014

After winning just one match in her first three visits, the Romanian roared to life with a run to last year’s final and once again shapes as a serious title contender after climbing to second in the rankings this year.

PETRA KVITOVA (CZE)

Age: 25

Ranking: 4

Plays: left-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US18,350,734 ($A23.31 million)

Career titles: 16

Grand slam titles: 2 (Wimbledon 2011, 2014)

French Open win-loss record: 15-6

Best French Open performance: semi-finalist 2012

The free-hitting Czech signalled her intentions by slowing Williams’ rampant start to the season in Madrid en route to the title. Has only ventured past the last 16 once but is enigmatic enough to be a real danger if she goes deep.

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI (DEN)

Age: 24

Ranking: 5

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US19,859,871 ($A25.22 million)

Career titles: 23

Grand slam titles: 0

French Open win-loss record: 13-8

Best French Open performance: quarter-finalist 2010

The Dane has a modest record in Paris, but returns this year a different proposition after steadily rebuilding her form and confidence following a slide down the rankings in 2012-13.

BEST OUTSIDER

ANGELIQUE KERBER (GER)

Age: 26

Ranking: 11

Plays: left-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US7,750,597 ($A9.84 million)

Career titles: 5

Grand slam titles: 0

French Open win-loss record: 11-7

Best French Open performance: quarter-finalist 2012

The form claycourter in 2015, the German won back-to-back tournaments – on green dirt in Charleston and red in Stuttgart – and has produced her best results at Roland Garros over the past three years.

BEST AUSTRALIAN HOPE

SAMANTHA STOSUR (AUS)

Age: 31

Ranking: 26

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US14,393,844 ($A18.28 million)

Career titles: 6

Grand slam titles: 1 (US Open 2011)

French Open win-loss record: 27-11

Best French Open performance: finalist 2010

Is at her lowest ranking in seven years but loves Roland Garros and the conditions, having twice made the last four in addition to her charge to the 2010 decider, and looms as a player to avoid in the draw after a strong run in Strasbourg.

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