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Barty's tough French Open road revealed

3 minute read

Ashleigh Barty will enter the French Open as a career-high eighth seed, but faces a torrid path into the second week of the Paris grand slam.

ASHLEIGH BARTY of Australia plays a backhand against Camila Giorgi of Italy of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Australia.
ASHLEIGH BARTY of Australia plays a backhand against Camila Giorgi of Italy of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Australia. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Ashleigh Barty has received no French Open favours despite entering as the tournament's eighth seed, Australia's big hope lumped in a stacked top quarter of the draw.

Barty will play American Jessica Pegula in the first round but faces the prospect of a round of 16 date with Serena Williams, with top seed Naomi Osaka her projected quarter-final opponent.

Australian No.2 Ajla Tomljanovic has copped a first-round meeting with defending champion and third seed Simona Halep, while the unseeded Nick Kyrgios will play Brit Cameron Norrie.

Barty, who withdrew from this week's Strasbourg International to fully recover from an arm injury, will start a heavy favourite against Pegula before a second-round encounter with either Australian Open semi-finalist Danielle Collins or Tatjana Maria.

Bianca Andreescu, the 22nd seed, or former world No.9 Andrea Petkovic shape as potential third-round opponents for Barty.

Williams knocked Barty out in a tight second-round Roland Garros loss last year but has had minimal time on clay as she chases a record-equalling 24th grand slam title.

Osaka has won the past two majors and completes a stacked top quarter of the draw.

Australian wildcard Priscilla Hon will play a qualifier while former finalist Samantha Stosur drew Barbora Strycova.

Daria Gavrilova plays Serbian Aleksandra Krunic and in-form Astra Sharma plays Shelby Rogers.

Unseeded Kyrgios dodged a first-round meeting with a big gun, although Norrie is no slouch and riding a purple patch that has seen him move to a career-high 44.

Australia's top male Alex De Minaur will carry the 21st seed and favourite tag next to his name when he meets American Bradley Kahn, while exciting wildcard Alexei Popyrin plays fellow young gun Ugo Humbert.

John Millman has his work cut out against fifth seed Alexander Zverev, with a potential third-round clash with Kyrgios the prize if both Australians survive.

Kyrgios and Millman are joined by Bernard Tomic - who plays American Taylor Fritz - in a top quarter headed by the Serbian.

The in-form Jordan Thompson has an intriguing match-up with 18-year-old whiz and 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime while Matt Ebden plays wildcard Gregoire Barrere.

Rafael Nadal can ease into his pursuit of an incredible 12 French Open titles, with matches against qualifiers guaranteed in his first two rounds.

Roger Federer will play Lorenzo Sonego in his first Roland Garros tilt since 2015 to begin what is a smoother path than top seed Novak Djokovic's.

Djokovic is aiming for a fourth-straight major victory for the second time and will play Hubert Hurkacz in the first round.

A second-round meeting with Sam Querrey is likely while Gilles Simon, Denis Shapovalov, Borna Coric and Fabio Fognini are all potential stumbling blocks for the world No.1 before the quarter-finals.

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