Francesca Schiavone is the ultimate proof that tennis is not necessarily a young person’s game. She won her maiden slam at Roland Garros last year, two weeks before she turned 30 and is undoubtedly playing the best tennis of her career at an age when most peers are considering retirement.
Before the 2010 French Open Schiavone had played 38 slams and reached three quarter finals. This record suggests not only that she was a surprise winner, but also that longevity is a worthy trait – those 38 appearances were consecutive, so injuries have never been an issue for this well-prepared athlete. Those looking at the in-play betting should remember this.
Francesca Schiavone of Italy celebrates winning the first set during the women's singles final match between Francesca Schiavone of Italy and Samantha Stosur of Australia on day fourteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 5, 2010 in Paris, France.
The Italian clay-court specialist will be hoping to defend the French Open title she won in surprising fashion last year.Schiavone saw off Samantha Stosur in the 2010 final after a memorable run which saw her catapult from relative obscurity into the world's top six.
She has failed to recreate that form since, not winning a single WTA title in the last 11 months, although she ran Caroline Wozniacki close in the last eight of the Australian Open.
Her performances on clay so far have not been overly impressive, with exits at the last 16 stage in both Madrid and Stuttgart not what most were expecting.
But the 30-year-old should not be discounted as she is clearly at home on the clay and her single-handed backhand remains one of the most stylish weapons in the women's game.
chiavone made the most of her forehands and kick serves. The Italian surprised Dokic with her low lying slices and massive forehands. The Italian lost the second set in a breeze but then re-grouped herself nicely to work her strokes fluently in the final set. The Italian easily earned two breaks in the final set to win the match, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. The Italian took 2 hours and 5 minutes to win the match, as she hammered 20 winners and got benefitted from Dokic’s 28 unforced errors.
