Clay will slow Henman's progress but Wimbledon awaits

The green, green grass of home rather than the ketchup-coloured clay of Paris has to be the hue most prominent in the thoughts of Tim Henman this weekend. With both last year's Wimbledon finalists, Goran Ivanisevic and Patrick Rafter, sidelined by ailing shoulders and Pete Sampras apparently in decline, there will never be a better opportunity for the Briton to fulfil his destiny on the lawns of London.

But chaps like me say that every year, don't we? So, first things first; tomorrow's French Open, the year's second grand slam, when the baseliners have a ball. Not Henman's scene, really, though his present elevated world status means a seeding of six at Roland Garros and, should progress be smooth, a quarter-final against the second seed, Marat Safin. However, between Our Tim and the Russian, who retired injured from the World Team Cup final yesterday, are positioned clay craftsmen like Sebastien Grosjean, France's current best, the giant Belarussian Max Mirnyi, and assorted Spaniards and Latins, not to mention Xavier Malisse, the Belgian who put Henman out of the US Open last year on the same unforgettable evening England beat Germany 5-1 at football. Henman has got to the third round of Paris in each of the past three years, so will regard any improvement on that as satisfactory.

This, the most charming of the slams, was won in 2001 by two charming and popular people: Gustavo Kuerten (for the third time in five years) and Jennifer Capriati, soaring again after the darkness of the burn-out years of her late teens. Whether Guga can make it four in six is doubtful. He is not yet fully match hardened following his hip operation in Feb-ruary and, as seventh seed, he may find the fortnight too gruelling a slog after only half a dozen wins since his return.

So who, then? Andre Agassi, with his famous wife and their baby in tow, would be an arguably more popular champion even than Kuerten. As fourth seed he has landed in an undemanding segment of the draw, at least until the quarter-final stage when Roger Federer or Spain's "mosquito", Juan Carlos Ferrero, could be disputing further progress.

In search of a second grand slam, the top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt has prepared assiduously on European clay but early opponents could include the 1989 and 1998 winners, Michael Chang and Carlos Moya, the latter beating him in Monte Carlo's opening round. Also in Hewitt's path is fellow-Australian, Mark Philippoussis, a dangerous floater since knee operations eroded his ranking, while the 15-year-old French sensation, Richard Gasquet, plays 20th seed Albert Costa in this part of the draw, too.

There was only one late withdrawal from the men's singles, Chile's former world No 1 Marcelo Rios citing knee problems for missing his first Roland Garros since turning professional. However, Andy Roddick is battling wrist and knee pain and this lively American could suffer a repeat of last year's fate when he defaulted in the third round.

Among the women, Martina Hingis is the sole leading absentee following an ankle operation and, the French being the lone grand slam missing from her collection, she may now never be able to cash in. For the rest, there is sticking plaster aplenty on view, not to mention a damaged ego or two. The Williams girls, Venus and Serena, have been more bandaged than most of late and since neither has ever got past the quarter-finals in Paris they hardly qualify as favourites, despite seedings of two (Venus) and three. However, both have an ability to play through injury or ailment, as well as a dramatic penchant for late withdrawals.

Serena will not fancy a quarter-final with the tigerish little Belgian, Justine Henin, followed in all probability by a semi against Capriati. Last year's final, in which Capriati outlasted Hewitt's girlfriend, Kim Clijsters, 12-10 in the third set was one of those women's classics that Roland Garros comes up with most years, and it could be repeated, since the fourth-seeded Belgian is comfortably drawn until a semi-final against either Venus or Monica Seles.

The sixth-seeded Seles, 28, is playing her tenth French Open, having won three years in a row (1990-92) before her stabbing in Germany. Since returning to tennis in 1996, Monica has never done worse than the quarters at the French, but there are hints that this may be her last tilt.

For those seeking neatness in the winners' circle, how about the all-American combination of Agassi and Capriati, or possibly the "love double", Hewitt and Clijsters. But not Henman. Let's wait for Wimbledon on that front.