RG Day 7- Roland Garros Growth Chart

*MEN'S FINAL 16 GROWTH CHART*

[SECTION 1]
#1 Federer vs. Benneteau
#24 F.Gonzalez vs. Ginepri
...Federer is going for his sixteenth straight slam SF, and it'd have been hard to envision any of these three halting that run even before he seemed to turn up the volume on his game the other day.  Watch, he'll win this thing and all the questions about him a few months ago will be like a bad dream by the end of the summer.
PICK: FEDERER, reminding everyone who they're talking about

[SECTION 2]
#28 Ljubicic vs. Monfils
#5 Ferrer vs. #21 Stepanek
...neither Ljubicic nor Monfils has ever come up truly big in a slam (though the Croat was a RG semifinalist in '06), but one of them is going to be a win away from a SF -- and only Monfils could have Chatrier living and dying on a point-by-point basis.  The winner of the Ferrer/Stepanek match is going to be the last line of defense when it comes to keeping Federer out of the final.
PICK: FERRER, though Monfils would be a real trip on the 25th anniversary of Yannick Noah's out-of-the-blue title in 1983 (maybe one day Monfils' son will be picked up for marijuana possession, too)

[SECTION 3]
Gulbis vs. Llodra
#3 Djokovic vs. #18 Mathieu
...two Frenchmen here, but Djokovic would seem to be on his way to a fifth straight SF-or-better result at a slam.  In fact, he might be Federer's best chance at finally winning this title.  If the Serb can knock off Nadal, the Swiss Mister is suddenly the favorite.
PICK: DJOKOVIC, trying once again to be part of an all-Serb slam sweep of the singles titles

[SECTION 4]
#19 Almagro vs. Chardy
#2 Nadal vs. #22 Verdasco
...come on, Nadal is 24-0 in Paris.  He'll eventually lose, and while Almagro is better than his name recognition, it won't be in this section.  PICK: NADAL, eyeing Roger-Rafa Rumble at Roland Garros, Part Trois

** ** **

*WOMEN'S & MEN'S FINAL 16*
[COMBINED BY NATION]
5...France (5 men)
5...Russia (5 women)
5...Spain (4 men/1 woman)
3...Czech Republic (2 women/1 man)
3...Serbia (2 women/1 man)
2...Switzerland (1 man/1 woman)
1...Belarus (1 woman)
1...Chile (1 man)
1...Croatia (1 man)
1...Estonia (1 woman)
1...Italy (1 woman)
1...Latvia (1 man)
1..Poland (1 woman)
1...Slovenia (1 woman)
1...United States (1 man)


All for now.

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