Well tennis fans, it is time for the French Open and that means 24-hour coverage as once again ESPN2, ESPN3 and the Tennis Channel will have just about everything you could ever want to see on the red clay of Roland Garros in Paris.
Also, both ESPN3 and the Tennis Channel will have extensive broadband coverage for the entire two weeks. Between the two networks and broadband, there will be more than a staggering 500 hours of live, as well as taped, content from Paris over the two weeks starting Sunday. And that does not even count NBC’s coverage of the event.
It seems, for now, that the big focus is on world No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Rafael Nadal — who is the best on clay when healthy.
The Tennis Channel’s Martina Navratilova has become one of the best analysts in the business and she is known for not sugar coating her analysis. She is fair and has no problems pointing out when a player needs to step up their game. In speaking to Navratilova, I am happy to report that her breast cancer treatments are going well and that she is in good health and ready for the French Open to start.
So who does she like in Paris » Everyone wants to see if Rafael Nadal can return to dominance after his disappointing exit last year. It seems, thus far, like he is doing just fine. So then you simply can’t pick against him. The women’s side is just as interesting, with so many potential winners. You have to wonder if this is the year that Venus Williams is a winner. It is the only major she has not won.
Talking to ESPN’s Cliff Drysdale, he was pretty clear about his thoughts about what was going to happen this year at the French » Right now, it is Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer the rest of the bunch continues to be pretenders. We have waited for Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro to be consistently challenging the big two, but more often than not they come up short.
Meanwhile, talking to the Tennis Channel and NBC tennis analyst John McEnroe, he see’s the men’s side this way in Paris » Would I be surprised if Federer beat Nadal? He is the best player in the world and maybe the best of all time, but Nadal is the best player on clay ever. So yes, if Federer beat Nadal I would be surprised but not shocked.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this!
