French Open Early Exits Show Heather Watson and Laura Robson Have More To Learn

After just one round of action the British interest in the 2013 French Open is already over. Andy Murray wasn't able to enter the tournament due to an injury and the interest in the women's side of the draw was ended on Wednesday when Heather Watson lost in three sets to Switzerland's Stefanie Voegele.

Earlier in the week both Laura Robson and Elena Baltacha lost in straight sets during first round losses. A bright group of young British tennis players have come up short on clay in the French Open.

Murray is carrying the baton in men's tennis for Britain. The future looks very bright on the women's side of things as well. However, the early French Open losses, particularly for Robson and Watson, show that the young rising stars of British tennis still have plenty to learn.

Watson's loss to a similarly ranked player was particularly disappointing. The 21-year old hadn't played since April after contracting and recovering from glandular fever.

She spent six weeks recuperating at her home in Guernsey and then returned to the practice court for the past few weeks preparing for Roland Garros. In Watson's defence, it was clear that she was struggling to find her game and lacked recent match practice. Rain delays meant that the match originally scheduled to be played on Tuesday was actually played on Wednesday. Watson struggled right off the bat dropping the first set 6-4 in a scrappy affair. In the second set she showed her overall superiority tying the game up at a comfortable 6-2 victory. Watson's play uncharacteristically dropped again in the third set. Her first serve struggled tremendously and she really struggled to get on top of her opponent getting worn down and eventually losing the third 6-4.

Watson will return to the UK for the grass court season hoping to make an impact, but knowing that she will need to find her match groove again if she is going to make an impact at Wimbledon.

Robson is perhaps as much a victim of her own superb performances this season as anything else. The world number 35 entered the first round of the French against Caroline Wozniacki (world number 10) widely being tipped as a good favourite to cause a major upset. In the end it would take Wozniacki just one hour and 11 minutes to wrap up a straight sets 6-3 6-2 victory. The 19-year old was facing an opponent who had lost five straight matches, but she didn't find any sort of rhythm and several of her bigger, attacking shots simply didn't come off.

Both of Britain's young talents had impressed in the first Grand Slam of the year reaching the third round of the Australian Open. Each has also claimed big scalp victories since then as well.

The good news is that the next Grand Slam isn't far away and it is the tournament where British players receive tremendous support. Murray is expected to compete in that tournament and the crowd will be looking at last year's finalist to break through and win a second Grand Slam. That should provide good cover, at least early on, for youngsters Watson and Robson who should learn important lessons from their French failures.

Loss To Djokovic Suggests Nadal's Clay Dominance Under Threat?

When Rafael Nadal stormed to victory at the Indian Wells tournament in his March comeback from an extended knee injury that had seen him miss close to a year's worth of action. His knees had survived the high profile hard court competition and he played the sort of tennis that made success during clay court season seem ominous.

Nadal has won seven of the past eight French Open titles. He didn't win in 2009 when injury prevented him from putting together a serious defence of his title.

However, a loss to Novak Djokovic in the Monte Carlo Masters Final, a tournament where Nadal has dominated almost without challenge in recent history, suggests just maybe that the Spaniard is a little more vulnerable in 2013.

Nadal's unbeaten run in Monte Carlo was of historic proportions. The 26-year won 47 straight matches. He hadn't lost a game in the competition since 2004.

On Sunday, not only did Nadal lose, but he was looked like he had no answer to the dominant play of his Serbian opponent, world no.1 Djokovic. The 25-year old stormed to a 5-0 lead in the first eventually taking a 1-0 lead in the match with a 6-2 decision in only 45 minutes.

The second set was a tougher affair with Nadal breaking Djokovic early, but his opponent weathered the storm and once again appeared to be dictating the pace by the time the set reached a tie breaker. Djokovic would win that decider 7-1 to take a straight sets win.

Significantly there was no real suggestion of injury from Nadal. In fact, Djokovic entered the game with more fitness question marks having struggled with an ankle ailment earlier in the competition.

It's important not to read too much into one result, but this match does clearly carry some significance. Djokovic has been the top player in world tennis over the past couple of seasons, but ultimately hasn't been able to win a French Open title yet.

The other top players in men's tennis, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, would generally consider clay to be their weakest surface and it's hard to imagine either mounting a serious challenge to Nadal at this year's French, especially considering some of their spring injury troubles.

The Monte Carlo Masters Final was the first time that Djokovic looked capable of moving Nadal around a clay court and seriously stretching him out. The clay court champion looked like he was unable to control the game or pace of the game and frequently was forced into long periods of defensive tennis hanging in the rallies.

The French Open is the final string that Djokovic needs to add to his bow. It is possible that he won't have a better chance than this May with Nadal lacking in recent match practice. Djokovic is in mid-season form and his victory on Sunday should have only wet his appetite for more successes on clay this spring.

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