Julia the Jewel in Stuttgart

Last week it was Rafa Nadal continuing to be the nemesis of David Ferrer, this time in the Barcelona final.  Both are in fine touch as the French Open nears.

Watch out Top Ten!

However far more interest surrounded the WTA event in Stuttgart where rankings counted for little.  Number 3 seed Italian Francesca Schiavone was dumped in her first match, leaving the defending French Open champion in a trough of erratic form.  Then again, last year's Roland Garros triumph came on the back of a first round loss in Stuttgart, second round loss in Rome and third round loss in Madrid.  Number 2 seed Vera Zvonareva once more failed to overcome Sam Stosur despite taking the first set in their quarter final.

Number 4 seed and hottest player around Victoria Azarenka retired from her match with Julia Goerges when leading by a set after her shoulder played up - hopefully just precautionary action.

Of the favoured players only top seed Caroline Wozniacki proceeded through the draw unscathed - until she met Julia Goerges in the final.  4 German girls had made the quarters - a delight for local fans.  Goerges comfortably accounted for Sabine Lisicki before knocking out 5th seed Stosur in the semis, serving up a storm and hitting a multitude of winners.  Hard to imagine this girl outside the world's top 30.

Then  her greatest ever performance - a brilliant final against Wozniacki, a girl 20 months her junior but clearly not in tennis terms.  A tight first set went to a tie break where Goerges went on a charge winning it 7 points to 3.  The straight sets win 7-6 6-3 shot the German girl into the top 30 and into discussions about who may challenge on the clay in the lead up to and for the French Open itself.

Soderling shocked and Ferrer threatening

Andy Murray bypassed Barcelona because of injury sustained during his impressive run in Monte Carlo, but another top ranked player had only his tennis to blame for early exit in Spain this week.

Ferrer Firing!

Robin Soderling's best has been excellent this season - 3 tournament wins, but punctuated sadly by unexpected defeats in tournaments that matter most, including the Australian Open when he was in control (4th round) and Masters events at Indian Wells and Miami (both 3rd round).  It was his sole Miami victim, Croatian Ivan Dodig, who sought and gained revenge, dispatching him from Barcelona reckoning - straights sets second round loss after first                                                                         round bye.

There is already a credible threat, to at least trouble Nadal in his bid for a 6th French title.  He is David Ferrer, who was the last player to defeat his countryman in a major, albeit with assistance of injury to Rafa in Melbourne.  Ferrer is timing his run beautifully, as are a number of Spanish players, and he did push Nadal in the Monte Carlo finale.

In Barcelona, home fans are in raptures, as Croatian Ivan Dodig is the only semi finalist not from Spain.  It could very well be a retake of Monte Carlo, because it's difficult to mount a case for Dodig knocking over Nadal in one semi, and I believe that Ferrer has momentum and the pedigree to resist a Nicolas Almagro push in the other.  He has yet to lose to Almagro on tour.

If a true clay courter is to challenge the master of the surface for the 2011 French Open, then it looks to be Ferrer for the job.  Unfortunately he may be seeded to meet one of the big 3 before the semis.  However, maybe it should be the top 3 to have concerns with that prospect.