FRENCH OPEN
Venue: Roland Garros Date: 24 May - 7 June
Coverage: Live on BBC Red Button, live streaming and daily text commentary on BBC Sport website, updates on BBC Radio 5 Live plus second week commentary on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra. TV coverage on Eurosport.

By Sam Smith Former British number one and BBC commentator

It has been a strange year for women's tennis, but as we approach the French Open I believe the sport is beginning to blossom again.

We've lost some big names recently: the likes of Justine Henin, Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis and Kim Clijsters (although the latter will return at the US Open).

TOP FIVE 11 May 2009 1 Dinara Safina 2 Serena Williams 3 Venus Williams 4 Jelena Jankovic 5 Elena Dementieva TOP FIVE 11 May 2008 1 Justine Henin 2 Maria Sharapova 3 Ana Ivanovic 4 Jelena Jankovic 5 Svetlana Kuznetsova

Any sport would need time to recover from that, in particular the retirement of world number one Henin this time last year.

Imagine if Rafa Nadal suddenly walked away from the men's game?

The Belgian's departure probably affected Ana Ivanovic the most.

Henin, in my view, was a cert for last year's French Open and into her shoes stepped Ivanovic, who wasn't really ready to win her first Grand Slam.

The Serbian, who was also crowned world number one, didn't have a proper coaching set-up.

She now has Martina Navratilova's former coach Craig Kardon with her and it looks like she's gradually getting back on track.

She's too talented not to, but it will take time. She's only 21.

The game needs her - just as it does Maria Sharapova, whose return from a 10-month lay-off is a real boost.

Whether we like it or not, the way Ivanovic and Sharapova look is important: it has made them crossover stars and women's tennis suffered when they weren't at the forefront towards the end of last year.

As Ivanovic and Sharapova look to reclaim their places in the top five, there are several young players poised to make a big breakthrough in Grand Slams.

Victoria Azarenka, 19, has won three titles already this year, while 18-year-old Dane Caroline Wozniacki has joined the Belarussian in the top 10.

606: DEBATE I'm a Venus fan, but I can't see her winning the French Open shivfan

The top seed in Paris will be world number one Dinara Safina, but I don't expect pressure to be a problem for her.

I think she is mentally ready to win her first Grand Slam title.

It is more about whether she is good enough. There are better players than her, but at the moment she is working the hardest and is more motivated than anyone else.

Ivanovic, the Williams sisters and Svetlana Kuznetsova are all better players and could beat her.

Kuznetsova, a finalist at Roland Garros in 2006, is playing very well. She had a big win in Stuttgart, beating Safina in the final, and made the final in Rome.

Venus Williams has really impressed me on the clay and I genuinely think she could win in Paris.

People think I'm crazy saying that but, if conditions are hot and dry, I really think she could do it.

She certainly looks a better bet than Serena, who is struggling with a knee injury, but one thing you should never do is write off the younger Williams sister.

Victory for either of them in Paris will mean they will complete what Serena is calling the "Williams Slam", with the sisters holding every major title between them.

I have no hesitation in putting them both in my top five contenders for the title, but if you pushed me for an overall winner, I'd probably go for Kuznetsova, although it's very open.

I'm looking forward to seeing two British women, Anne Keothavong and Mel South, in the main draw at the French Open: the first time that has happened since 1992 (when there were three).

It's not their favourite surface so we shouldn't expect too much but if Keothavong, the world number 56, can win a couple of rounds, that would be a very good tournament for her.

Sam Smith was talking to BBC Sport's Caroline Cheese

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