Roger Federer (Switzerland)

Roger Federer (Switzerland)

Age: 22 Lives: Bottmingen, Switzerland Plays: Right-handed Grand Slam titles: Two (Australian Open 2004, Wimbledon 2003) Seed: 1
Record at the French Open: 2003-first round, 2002-first round, 2001 quarter-finalist, 2000-fourth round, 1999-first round
Widely considered the Tour's most gifted player, Federer demonstrated his sublime talents last season by grabbing his first grand slam title at Wimbledon and reaching world number one. The Swiss also won the season-ending Masters Cup and started 2004 with a bang by lifting the Australian Open crown in Melbourne. His Paris form is patchy, however, and the top seed has not won a match at Roland Garros since 2001, suffering back-to-back first-round losses the last two years. Exceptional groundstrokes down both flanks and impeccable touch are hallmarks of his play, however, and if he can get off to a good start the Swiss could add the French Open to his growing grand slam haul. Federer's run in Hamburg last week, when he crushed Carlos Moya and Lleyton Hewitt before stopping Argentine Guillermo Coria's impressive claycourt streak in the final, was a clear indication that he can beat anybody on the slow surface.