"I think everybody is entitled to their opinions," said

PARIS -- Used to be the French Open was the scene for clay-court specialists and surprise champions. Scan the list of past winners and runners-up. Theres Gaston Gaudio and Albert Costa, Guillermo Coria and Martin Verkerk, Andres Gomez and Mariano Puerta. Not so much a "Whos Who." More like a "Whos He?" The womens list features fewer out-of-nowhere names, yet does include those such as Iva Majoli, Anastasia Myskina and Francesca Schiavone, who all won the French Open while never making it past the quarterfinals at any other major championship. With the years second Grand Slam tournament set to begin Sunday at Roland Garros, there is little thought being given to that sort of stunning outcome, thanks to Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams. As seven-time major champion John McEnroe put it: "Its pretty obvious who the favourite is." He meant, of course, Nadal, who won his record seventh French Open title last year and is 52-1 for his career at the place. Consider, too, the nearly perfect way the Spaniard has played after seven months off the tour because of a left knee injury: Since returning in February, Nadal is 36-2, reaching the finals at all eight tournaments hes entered, winning six. "I am enjoying every moment, and eight finals in a row is wonderful," Nadal said. "Four, five months ago, it was impossible to think about this." He wore a wrap of white tape below that troublesome knee while practicing Thursday afternoon on Court Philippe Chatrier with the temperature in the 40s (below 10 degrees Celsius) for about an hour before heavy rain fell; the forecast is for more wet weather in the coming days. Nadal has cut down on the amount of time he spends training on court, one concession to recurring knee problems, which also forced him to pull out of Wimbledon in 2009, when he would have been the defending champion. "Im really happy for him, and impressed that hes come back," said McEnroe, now a TV analyst. "It seems like hes barely lost anything, if at all. Right now, he seems to be finally, he says, playing the best hes been playing the whole year, which is sort of frightening for the other players." And yet Nadal will not be seeded No. 1 when the draw is held Friday. Thats because the French Open decided to strictly follow the rankings, and Nadals time away deducted enough points that he is currently No. 4 (hell move up one spot to No. 3 in the seedings, because No. 2 Andy Murray, the reigning U.S. Open champion, withdrew because of a bad back. Tournament director Gilbert Ysern explained that while he could have opted to ignore the rankings -- and even contemplated doing so, because Nadal is "the best player on clay" and Roland Garros "is a bit like his garden" -- there wasnt a consensus it was the proper thing to do. "You can understand the argument that those who are higher than him in the rankings in a certain way deserve their ranking," Ysern said, "and to move these players back to move Nadal forward could have been considered unfair." Nadal, for his part, did not sound too fussed about the matter, saying, "I had a very good chance to be No. 10 (given the time off), and there are lots of chances to be worse, and I accept the situation." So last years French Open runner-up to Nadal, Novak Djokovic, will be seeded No. 1, and 17-time major champion Roger Federer will be seeded No. 2. Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., is ranked No. 16 in the world. Djokovic handed Nadal one of his two losses of 2013, in the Monte Carlo final on clay last month, proof that Nadal is not completely invincible, even on the slow surface he dominates. The No. 1-ranked Williams, meanwhile, has been unbeatable lately. She arrives in Paris having won a career-high 24 consecutive matches and is 36-2 -- like Nadal -- with a tour-leading five titles this season. Thats part of a stretch in which shes gone 67-3, including titles last year at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the London Olympics. That 70-match stretch of excellence dates, probably not coincidentally, to her last match at Roland Garros, a shocking loss to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano of France in the first round in 2012. It is her only opening loss in 50 career Grand Slam tournaments -- precisely the sort of thing that seems to happen around these parts. While there certainly are other women who realistically can harbour hopes of lifting the trophy in a little more than two weeks -- defending champion Maria Sharapova is the best example -- Williams appears to be playing as well as ever at the moment. She already owns 15 Grand Slam singles titles, but the French Open is the only major tournament shes won fewer than four times. Her lone championship in Paris came in 2002. "Nothing is ever perfect and I learned that last year when I felt perfect," Williams said. "So I am still in a danger zone." Nike Dunk Sb Cheap . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. Nike Dunk High Sale . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. http://www.nikedunkscheap.com/nike-dunk-low-shoes.html . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. Nike Dunk Sb For Sale . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Nike Dunk High Cheap . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field.Its being billed as the big rematch - a chance for Canadas Womens National Team to settle a score with the United States following their controversial loss against their neighbours at the London Olympics last summer. In reality, Sundays match at BMO Field is more about moving on than looking back. This game will give a sold out crowd the chance to show its appreciation for the bronze medal winners, and the battle will certainly spark many memories of the Old Trafford encounter last August, but most importantly, it is the next step on the road to the 2015 World Cup which will be hosted here in Canada. By the time 2015 rolls around, the squad will have a much different look to the one that played at the Summer Games, and the clash with the United States is the next stage in its evolution. While some faces are new many remain the same, including the star of the team, Christine Sinclair. The 29-year-olds achievements at the Olympics - where she finished as the tournaments top goal-scorer and carried the countrys flag at the closing ceremony – lifted her to legendary status amongst Canadian athletes. As the teams captain, Sinclair now has a slightly different role as a largely veteran squad gets a much younger flavour. "I think back when I was 16 coming into the national team and how some of the veteran players helped me," she told me when we met at the teams downtown Toronto hotel. "It is all about calming your nerves. Its your first time playing in front of large crowds, or first time playing at home. Its reminding them theres a reason why they are here, they are tremendous soccer players, and just go out and play as best you can. This is not the World Cup - its a learning step for us. We know come the World Cup if we want to win it we will have to beat the Americans and we need to learn how, and this is what Sunday is all about." Beating the Americans is easier said than done. Canadas squad of players for this game is not as strong as it was when the teams met in Manchester 10 months ago. Coach John Herdman has been very clear when talking about where this team is at. While beating the U.S. would be sweet revenge, Sinclair acknowledges the most important thing is to continue laying a foundation for the program from wwhich the team can build towards 2015 and beyond.dddddddddddd "John is going to develop the youth. He wants there to be a streamline of youth players to the national team. The team that represented Canada at the Olympics was a veteran team and he blatantly said that there are going to be players on the London team that wouldnt be at the World Cup just because of sheer age. "Weve got a lot of young players in camp right now, the one who stands out is Kadeisha Buchanan who is just a tremendous player. I cant wait for Canada to get to see her play on Sunday. Its going to change. Weve got a couple of years before the World Cup actually happens and players will rotate in and well see who is playing the best in a couple of years." Despite the World Cup still being two years away, its not just matters of on-pitch preparation that have been in the spotlight lately. All matches in Canada will be played on turf pitches rather than grass. Its something the United States players have openly complained about with the loudest opponent being striker Abby Wambach. "I think everybody is entitled to their opinions," said Sinclair. "I would prefer every game of mine to be played on grass, it is how the game is meant to be played. However, FIFA wouldnt have offered Canada the opportunity to host the World Cup had the facilities not been up to standard. I know the CSA will do an incredible job. Both teams have to play on the fields. Ive played on many of the stadium fields we are going to play in and its going to be fine." While Sundays match at BMO Field is on a much smaller scale, it will give the players a taste of what is to come in 2015. The chance to play in a full stadium in front of the home fans will make it a special occasion. "Sitting here right now, Im just excited," she said. "It has been a long time since we have played at home in front of a packed house, not to mention bringing the Americans in. Im just excited to see a sea of red cheering for us and making the environment as hard for them as possible. We dont get this opportunity very often. It is going to be one of the few opportunities we have to bring, I think, the best team in the world to Canada, and we should embrace it." ' ' '