French Open Preview: Serena, Hingis Lead Kastles as No. 1 Seeds

May 23, 2015 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release

No. 1 singles seed Serena Williams and No. 1 doubles seed Martina Hingis lead all seven Kastles players into the 2015 French Open beginning on Sunday. Venus Williams, Leander Paes and Anastasia Rodionova are also seeded in the Top 16 as they look to add to Washington's Grand Slam Honor Roll.

The 2015 Kastles have combined to capture 14 major titles since the 2010 French Open. But only one of those championship wins came on the red clay courts of Paris.

That belongs to Serena, who defeated World No. 2 Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-4 to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen in 2013. Serena won the title in 2002 as well, beating Venus in straight sets.

But Roland Garros giveth and Roland Garros taketh away. The event recently hosted the earliest exits of Serena's entire Grand Slam career -- a second-round loss to Garbiñe Muguruza in 2014 and a first-round shocker to Virginie Razzano in 2012.

Serena enters this year's French Open with reasons to be both confident and concerned. She withdrew from her most recent tournament in Rome with a right elbow injury after winning 25 of her first 26 matches in 2015, highlighted by her sixth Australian Open title.

Like her sister, Venus enjoyed a great run at the Australian Open in January. She reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne en route to a 20-6 start to the season. Should she replicate that result in Paris, it will be her first French Open quarterfinal appearance since 2006.

While Venus vies her first French Open singles title, Paes plays for his first mixed doubles championship in Paris. If he and Hingis win the final on June 4, Paes will complete a career Grand Slam with mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

Paes is making his 18th French Open mixed doubles appearance with his 12th different partner. He came closest to claiming the title 10 years ago alongside Martina Navratilova. They led the final before Paes dislocated his right shoulder diving for a shot, allowing Fabrice Santoro and Daniela Hantuchova to rally for a three-set victory.

If anyone can empathize with Paes, it's Hingis.

At the age of 16, she won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open singles titles, losing only one set across those three major tournaments. But she fell just short of a rare calendar Grand Slam when Iva Majoli upset her in the 1997 French Open final.

Besides mixed doubles with Paes, Hingis is one-half of the top-seeded women's doubles team with Sania Mirza. The Swiss is playing women's doubles in Paris for the first time since teaming with Mary Pierce for the 2000 French Open title.

Also representing the Kastles are new team members Sam Querrey and Madison Brengle. For complete Kastle-by-Kastle analysis, please continue reading our extended French Open preview. And for French Open updates on all seven Kastles during the tournament -- featuring player schedules and links to live streaming, live scoring and TV listings -- be sure to visit the Kastle Tracker.

SERENA WILLIAMS

No. 1 seed in Women's Singles

The road to a third French Open title will not be easy for Serena. But if anyone can overcome a difficult draw, it's the World No. 1. Serena could play a qualifier in her first two matches before a potential blockbuster in the third round against 2010 Kastle Victoria Azarenka. They met on a red clay court in Madrid earlier this month, when Serena saved three match points to edge Azarenka. Another win over Azarenka may set Serena up against her sister Venus in the very next round.

VENUS WILLIAMS

No. 15 seed in Women's Singles

A Williams vs. Williams fourth-round showdown is anything but a given. While Serena and Azarenka are on a collision course, Venus opens her French Open campaign against 2014 Kastle Sloane Stephens. It's the first-ever meeting between the Americans. Should she reach the third round, Venus will likely face No. 22 seed Barbora Strycova. When Venus and Strycova played earlier this season in Doha, the Kastle won 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(5) in two hours and 54 minutes.

MARTINA HINGIS

No. 1 seed in Women's Doubles

Hingis and Mirza are the No. 2 and No. 1 women's doubles players in the world respectively. But they each have something to prove in Paris. It's been over 13 years since Hingis' last Grand Slam women's doubles title. Mirza has risen to the top of the rankings without winning a major. Together, they are favored to end both of those droughts. Hingis and Mirza are 18-3 as a team, including a title on the green clay of Charleston and a run to the final on the red clay of Rome.

LEANDER PAES

No. 10 seed in Men's Doubles

While Kastles fans root for Paes and Hingis to make history in mixed doubles, let's not forget that Paes is also seeded in men's doubles with Daniel Nestor. The former World No. 1s are off to a rough start in 2015, unable to win a set through four clay-court matches. Paes captured the French Open men's doubles title in 1999, 2001 and 2009. However, since finishing as runner-up in 2010 with Lukas Dlouhy, the Kastles captain has not advanced to a clay-court final on tour.

SAM QUERREY

Unseeded in Men's Singles

Querrey is a dangerous floater in the men's singles draw, but so is his first-round opponent Borna Coric. The 18-year-old already boasts wins over Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal. Last month, Querrey made a run to the Houston final, beating French Open No. 11 seed Feliciano Lopez and No. 32 seed Fernando Verdasco on red clay. The Querrey/Coric winner will likely meet five-time French Open quarterfinalist Tommy Robredo in the second round.

ANASTASIA RODIONOVA

No. 16 seed in Women's Doubles

After reaching the final round of qualifying in singles, Anastasia turns her attention to doubles with Arina Rodionova. If you believe in omens, here's one that bodes well for the Australian sisters. Anastasia advanced to the French Open doubles quarterfinals in 2011 with Nadia Petrova and 2012 with Jarmila Gajdosova. Like Petrova (2009) and Gajdosova (2014), Arina Rodionova (2011-12) played on a Kastles team that won the WTT title. Learn more at Double the Kastle.

MADISON BRENGLE

Unseeded in Women's Singles

The newest member of the Kastles broke through on the red clay courts of Stuttgart last month, upsetting World No. 4 Petra Kvitova on her way to the semifinals. But Brengle has been bitten by her share of bad luck since then, losing five straight matches, four of which came against Top 25 players. Her French Open draw is just slightly better. Brengle meets World No. 26 Samantha Stosur in the opening round. Stosur won their only prior meeting 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-6(5) at Hobart in 2014.

Martina Hingis and Leander Paes of the Washington Kastles (Kristen Lee)	Serena Williams of the Washington Kastles (Vithaya Phongsavan)	Venus Williams of the Washington Kastles (Austin Smith)
Martina Hingis of the Washington Kastles (Willis Bretz)	Leander Paes of the Washington Kastles (Austin Smith)	Sam Querrey of the Washington Kastles (Fred Mullane of Camerawork USA)
Anastasia Rodionova of the Washington Kastles (Willis Bretz)

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