Roland Garros men's picks

Cynthia Lum/WireImage.comThe members of the Big 3 of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic have the
only realistic shot at gaining Roland Garros glory. Top contenders
RAFAEL NADAL: After two impressive title runs in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, bad blisters and JC Ferrero get the better of him in Rome. But then he returned in Hamburg and more than righted his ship, winning another pressure packed three-setter over Roger Federer. Nadal is trying to become the first guy since Bjorn Borg to win four straight titles. If healthy, he has the stamina, weaponry and confidence to do it. But, if Rafa begins to suffer leg problems, he could face his first Roland Garros defeat. His draw is difficult yet negotiable: a struggling Mikhail Youzhny, Nicolas Almagro, Andy Murray or David Nalbandian and then maybe Djokovic before the final.

ROGER FEDERER: Sisyphus never had it so hard. With new coach Jose Higueras by his side, the Swiss will continue pushing boulder up the hill to win the one major that's eluded him. But, unless Nadal is upset, don't count on Fed finding a style that can topple the Spaniard in three out of five sets on dirt. But if Rafa is upset, Federer has the right mix on dirt against anyone else. His draw could be laborious: Andreas Seppi, Juan Monaco; Igor Andreev, Fernando Gonzalez or Stan Wawrinka; and then in the semis: David Ferrer, Nikolay Davydenko or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: All credit to the Serb for his Aussie Open, Indian Wells and Rome titles, but in Italy, he received two retirements and then had the fortune of facing the other Swiss, Wawrinka, in the final. But the brash youngster has been the year's best player and, with an airtight all-around game, a second Slam title is a real possibility. He has a very decent quarter: Guillermo Cañas, Carlos Moya or Paul-Henri Mathieu, and in the quarters, James Blake or Marcos Baghdatis.

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: A decent drop off from the Top 3 but the Russian raised eyebrows in winning Miami and is a '07 RG semifinalist. Yet who really trusts him and his fragile psyche to go all the way outside of his family and friends? Let's see if he steps up in front of the crowd and Tsonga in the fourth round.

DAVID FERRER: A bit of a down year for the USO semifinalist and Shanghai finalist, but the Spaniard has the legs, speed and know-how to go deep on dirt. Is he more than just Rafa's back-up singer? Will see if he faces Fabrice Santoro in round two or Tommy Robredo in the round of 16.

NICOLAS ALMAGRO: Young Spaniard was looking fantastic in Rome prior to getting injured. Physically, he has a little Sergi Bruguera in him. What is unknown is whether he has the two-time French champ's heart or confidence. He's in a brutal quarter. Let's see if he can get past Murray or Nalbandian before we begin thinking about a Rafa clash.

FERNANDO GONZALEZ: Incredibly enigmatic Chilean posts a title run in Munich and then gets hurt again. He has the strength and variety to do major damage, but his '07 Aussie Open sprint to the final might end up being a one-off. Could face Fed in the quarters or lose to Wawrinka in the third round.

Spoilers
Stan Wawrinka showed pop in reaching the Rome final, but it could have been a one-off. AO finalist Tsonga is no clay-court lover but will own his home country French and avoids the Big 3 until the semis. '03 champ Juan Carlos Ferrero is always good for a quarter. Argentine David Nalbandian is out of shape, but capable. France's Mathieu has a fine all-around game. Robredo hasn't shown a lot of heart, but does have flair. Argentina's Monaco is more exciting than his bland name would suggest. American Blake has a terrific draw to the quarters, or he would be seen as a probable early exit. He doesn't have to face an elite clay-courter to the final eight, but he has to get off the mark fast and play more patiently.

Potential first-week casualties
Monte Carlo quarterfinalist Sam Querrey likes the high bounce of clay, but Federer in the first round on Court Centrale? That's a huge ouch. France's Richard Gasquet is playing terribly and could be booed off the court early. Don't see much happening for the confidence starved Scot, Murray; the up-and-down Czechs: Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych; or the streaky Russians: Marat Safin and Mikhail Youzhny.

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