Tennis's French Open Lacks Female Stars

The dominance of Switzerland's Roger Federer is a thing of the past, thanks to Rafael Nadal. The indefatigable Spanish star's triumph over Federer in last year's Wimbledon final, an epic five-setter that many consider the greatest match ever played, signaled a changing of the guard. Nadal has since taken Federer's No. 1 ranking, and defeated him in another thrilling five-set final match at the Australian Open in January.

While some commentators have criticized Federer for, among other things, a seeming lack of resolve and an unwillingness to change a losing game plan, it is worth noting that he has been struggling with mononucleosis for more than a year.

His recent straight-set victory over Nadal at the Madrid Open has brought some added drama to the men's draw at Roland Garros, the site of the French Open. So, too, has the emergence of Scotland's Andy Murray, Serbia's Novak Djokovic and Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro as legitimate contenders.