Aravane Rezaï will be France’s top player at the 19th Open GDF SUEZ. The Saint-Etienne native is set to make her sixth appearance at a tournament that means more to her now than ever before. She is hoping to shine on the Parisian court. In her first years on the main tour in 2005 and 2006, she fell in the qualifying rounds. In 2007 and 2009, she exited in the first round. In 2009 she got an unlucky draw, facing future finalist Elena Dementieva in her first match. Aravane tried again last year but was drained after a weekend with the Fed Cup team. She lost to Andrea Petkovic in the second round. Those disappointing results should fuel her to give Parisian fans a reason to cheer in 2011.
Rezaï is the spearhead of French women’s tennis and has the weapons to make a big impact in Paris. She was the revelation of 2009 and followed-up with two titles in 2010 at Madrid and Bastad. In spite of a patchy end to the 2010 season, she finished 19th in the world behind Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic. The Frenchwoman will aim even higher in 2011. That might include a big result at the Open GDF SUEZ. Surely Aravane knows Parisian fans have been looking for a new player to call their own since Amélie Mauresmo’s retired in 2009 after her third title at Coubertin…
Topics: Aravane Rezai
She withdrew from the tournament…