Flying the flag for their country, WTA stars hit the clay in Fed Cup action ahead of the road to Paris.
©Nicolas Gouhier/FFT.The leading lights on the WTA Tour have their eyes on the prize in Paris, but first they must navigate past a testing Fed Cup weekend. Three standout candidates to lift the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen in June conveniently represent their country on clay this weekend.
World No.1 Simona Halep is eager to guide Romania back to the top tier in a World Group play-off with Switzerland.
The two-time Roland-Garros finalist should have the firepower and versatility to slide past the Swiss duo of Timea Bacsinszky and Viktoija Golubic, but is wary of complacency on home soil.
“It’s the first time when I’m in the team as the No.1 in the world,” Halep told the Fed Cup website. “Of course, it’s bigger pressure, and everyone expects me to win all the matches.
“It’s not easy in Fed Cup, it’s different – you’re playing for the country. It will be emotional, but I feel ready. I’ve worked hard these two weeks, and clay is one of my best surfaces, so I’m looking forward to playing the match.”
A semi-final showing at Indian Wells (l.Osaka) and a shock early exit in Miami at the hands of the wily Agnieszka Radwanska presented Halep with a mixed Sunshine Swing.
However, the 26-year-old will be boosted by fond memories on the red dirt.
In 2017, Halep retained her Madrid title (d. Mladenovic) and soared into the Rome final (l. Svitolina). Only an inspired Jelena Ostapenko prevented the Romanian clinching a maiden Grand Slam in Paris.
It was a sublime clay court campaign and Halep appears to be dealing with the pressures of topping the rankings with aplomb.
Perhaps the feel-good factor of team spirit on Fed Cup duty can ignite another memorable clay adventure.
¡Llega la temporada de tierra!
— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) April 13, 2018
Clay court season is here!!
Fed Cup 🇪🇸 + Stuttgart + Madrid + Roma + Paris@WTA @ITF_Tennis @FedCup @rolandgarros @spaintenis pic.twitter.com/vDl5Ob2SIn
Over on the hard courts of Monterrey, Mexico, world No.3 Garbine Muguruza displayed an abundance of passion, persistence and fight to lift her first title of the season.
The Spaniard ousted Timea Babos from a set and a break down 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the final to spark jubilant scenes from the reigning Wimbledon champion.
"I think it's one of the times I've been most excited," Muguruza told WTA, regarding her ecstatic reaction after she triumphed. "Monterrey is one of the most important tournaments."
"In Latin America, I identify myself with the people, they cheer me on, I cannot disappoint them.”
Well, extending that Latin America sentiment, Muguruza targets Fed Cup success up against Paraguay in the World Group II play-off in Murcia, but she insists the hosts are taking nothing for granted.
“On paper we’re the favourites to win,” maintained Muguruza. “But play-offs are always difficult. Paraguay is hungry to win and we need to defend what is ours.”
The 2016 Roland Garros winner appears to be building up momentum just at the right time to plot another deep run in Paris.
World No. 86 Veronica Cepede Royg provides plenty of clay court pedigree, having featured in the quarterfinals of Roland-Garros last year, but the Paraguay battle should be fairly routine for Muguruza and will offer a chance to instantly adapt to the clay court dynamics.
Susceptible to injury, Muguruza will have to manage her schedule wisely, slipping and sliding on the red dirt.
The two-time Grand Slam champion is a proven ‘prime time’ player, but will want to bolster her two Rome semi-finals on the road to Roland-Garros to enhance here already strong shout as a French Open title contender.
A pleasure to have attended the state dinner offered by Their Majesties the Kings to the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.👑 pic.twitter.com/fzbxslHh1d
— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) April 18, 2018
A free-hitting Ostapenko unleashed a relentless wrath of firepower at Roland Garros last summer.
299 winners cannonballed past despairing opponents to become the first Latvian to win a major title.
The jovial 20-year-old is on the brink of more history this weekend as the world No.5 hopes to lead the charge for Latvia to overcome Russia to advance to World Group II for the first time.
Ostapenko and world No.15 Anastasija Sevastova are suitably placed to quell the threat from top 40 talent in Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Ekaterina Makarova.
Like Halep and Muguruza, an early clay test full of patriotism and team work could ignite Ostapenko’s return to Paris in style.
The Roland-Garros run last summer was spectacular, but now she is the hunted. Every player will be eager to attack and see if those catapulting shots still find the lines.
The Russian tie will provide an early sign, whether Ostapenko will be brave and stick to her fire cracking brand of tennis which brought so much success on the Parisian clay.
ROLAND-GARROS
19 May - 8 June 2025
