By Chris Oddo Photo Credit: Mark Corleve
(May 26, 2012)—Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro will kick off the men’s action at the 111th French Open on Sunday. Del Potro, a former semifinalist in 2009, will meet veteran dirtballer Albert Montanes in the second match on Court Philippe Chatrier, while Tsonga, who has never been past the fourth round at his home Grand Slam, will close the day on Chatrier.
Stan Wawrinka, a former French Open junior champion in 2003 and the No. 18 seed, will also be in action, taking on Italian Flavio Cipolla. Wawrinka has never been beyond the fourth round at Roland Garros.
Roger Federer is the most notable thirty-something in the draw, but he's not the only one by a longshot. This year’s event will feature a record 37 male players aged 30 or over, including Juan Carlos Ferrero, who will make his start against Jonathan Dasnieres de Viegy of France on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Speaking of Frenchmen, there are a total of 17 in this year’s draw, each with a small hope of becoming the first home-grown player to win at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah’s captivating title run in 1983.
Soizy, France native and world No. 153 Adrian Mannarino will be in action against Fabio Fognini of Italy, and Angers, France native Nicolas Mahut will take on 25th-seeded American Andy Roddick.
Mannarino is bidding for his first French Open victory, but he’ll have to be on his game as Fognini proved last year during his quarterfinal run that he knows his way around a clay court pretty well.
Mahut has lost all four of his career encounters against Roddick, but he can take solace in the fact that none of them were played on the clay, which is Roddick’s weakest surface.
14th-seeded Fernando Verdasco, considered by some as a dark horse candidate, will open his French Open against Steve Darcis of Belgium, while 21st-seeded Marin Cilic will Daniel Munoz de la Nava of Spain.
Verdasco has been to the fourth round at Roland Garros four times, but never beyond.
Click here for the official French Open Order of Play.