This year’s French Open is a tale of two tournaments. On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal is as prohibitive a favorite as -- well, as Federer used to be coming into Wimbledon not so long ago. The women’s field, on the other hand, is clutter and chaos. Does anyone have the wherewithal to stand up and claim the title?

Men's Singles:

Winner: Nadal

Finalist: Djokovic

Last year I was clearly not in my right mind and gave the nod to Roger Federer, who gamely reached the final but then was munched and spit out by Nadal. The 22-year-old Spaniard has romped through another clay season, snatching titles at Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome and piling up a 19-1 record on clay. I don’t put that much stock in his loss to Federer at Madrid, where altitude and energy played into Nadal’s result. If anything, Federer’s defeat of his rival on clay should help the Swiss No. 2’s flagging confidence heading into Paris (where he is more vulnerable in the early rounds) more than it presages a suddenly faltering Nadal.

Denying the No. 1 from Mallorca a record fifth straight Roland Garros crown will take a supreme performance or, perhaps, an injury. But wouldn’t it be deliciously ironic if Federer were to turn around from his devastating Wimbledon loss – a win that could have eclipsed Bjorn Borg’s record of five consecutive All-England Club titles -- and serve up Nadal the same rebuff at surpassing Borg’s record of four straight French Opens?

Of the big four, Nadal’s path to the semis might be the toughest, with a possible third-round matchup with the Lleyton Hewitt-Ivo Karlovic survivor (they meet in round one). Other claycourt demons lurking in his quarter include grinder David Ferrer, two-time Roland Garros semifinalist Nikolay Davydenko and steady Stan Wawrinka, not to mention No. 8 Fernando Verdasco, who nearly took out Nadal in the Melbourne semifinals. Nadal will, as expected, find a way to beat down all comers and face Murray in the semis, where he will smother the Scot with spin and physical play.

On the bottom half, Federer’s path is filled with semi-dangerous players that don’t excel on clay, among them No. 6 Andy Roddick and No. 15 James Blake. Last year’s semifinalist Gael Monfils is also in the Swiss No. 2’s quarter, but his health is an issue and Federer should prevail. There he will face Novak Djokovic, who will have to overcome a rough quarterfinal against No. 5 Juan Martin Del Potro. The No. 3 from Serbia has been the best and most consistent performer on clay this spring after Nadal, and he will put Federer’s quest for a Grand Slam title on terre battue on hold once again in a five-set semifinal victory.

Despite all the new faces in the top 10 – six versus this time last year (Murray, Del Potro, Gilles Simon, Verdasco, Tsonga and Monfils) – none will be a match for Nadal, who will handle Djokovic and become the first man or woman to win five consecutive French Open crowns.

Women's Singles:

Winner: Safina

Finalist: Dementieva

Who ever thought that picking someone from the Safin clan would be considered safe? But in the topsy-turvy world of women’s tennis, that’s exactly my choice. Yes, Dinara Safina. The WTA heads into the year’s second major a bit of a mess. 2002 Roland Garros champ Serena has a bum knee and has dropped her last four matches. Last year’s winner, Ana Ivanovic, seemed overwhelmed by her victory and hasn’t been the same player since. Ditto fellow Serb Jelena Jankovic, who’s push to finish 2008 at No. 1 seemed to undermine, not bolster, her form. Maria Sharapova hasn’t played enough to be a factor and Venus Williams never hits her stride in the City of Lights. At this rate, Kim Clijsters could probably return early from retirement and make a run.

Maybe one of the rising teens such as Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark or Victoria Azarenka of Belarus will shake the first-time jitters and come in motivated, hungry and poised enough to pull it off. Two former Russian finalists, the increasingly in-form Svetlana Kuznetsova and the always reliable Elena Dementieva, might make a dent. But really, who knows? Since being called out by Serena as the de facto No. 2, Safina has become the hottest player on tour, winning two big claycourt titles at Rome and Madrid while going 14-1. She is the best, albeit shaky, bet to claim her first Grand Slam crown.

On the top half, Safina could face a tricky third-round matchup with rising Russian teen Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and then a stern test from No. 9 Azarenka in the fourth round. The other quarter is a toss up between the unpredictable Venus, nervy Amelie Mauresmo and former Roland Garros quarterfinalist Vera Zvonareva. The No. 6 from Russia will squeak through, but not hold up against Safina’s bruising game.

The bottom half is more of a crapshoot. I’ve learned never to count Serena out, but her movement on clay is suspect and with a gimpy knee and few matches under her belt, she’s vulnerable. Still, she should reach the fourth round, where she’ll fall to the suddenly confident Kuznetsova. 

In the other quarter, I expect Jankovic and Dementieva to meet after battling their way through some talented teens, including Alize Cornet and Wozniacki. It’s a gut call, but No. 4 Dementieva has been playing a high level across the board since winning the Olympic gold medal in Beijing. The 2004 finalist is ripe for a significant Grand Slam result. Unfortunately, I don’t see her crossing the finish line, and in a battle of nerves with Safina, the new No. 1 will affirm her status and silence the critics with her first major title.

If an American woman emerges with the trophy, it will mark a victory of quality over quantity. The U.S. has just eight entrants, among them wild card Lauren Embree, qualifier Carly Gullickson and Uzbekistan-born Varvara Lepchenko. That’s one fewer in the field than last year’s nine, which until now had been the lowest in the post-1968 Open era at the French Open.