Andy Murray can be a major force in Paris

DESPITE a minor scare about his health and more long-standing concerns about his form, Andy Murray is fit and ready to put in a major challenge at the French Open, which begins tomorrow.

The expectation in Paris may be for a final between five-times champion Rafael Nadal and Novak Dojokovic, who is still undefeated in 2011, but the Scot is in good shape and ready to take advantage of any lapse from the big two.

That post-Australian slump is behind him now, as he showed in reaching the semi-finals in Monte Carlo last month and Rome just last week. As for his decision to pull out of an exhibition event this week, that was, he explained yesterday, no more than a precaution.

"I'm just a bit stiff and sore," Murray said. "I've been training hard in London. I trained most of the day on Wednesday and then came over on the Eurostar, and then I practised first thing on Thursday morning to warm up for the exhibition.

"I didn't feel great. I think it was maybe my body just saying to take it easy for a day or so because I have been working very hard. I made a decision not to play the exhibition. I should be fine."

The fourth seed is in the same half of the draw as Nadal, so would not play Djokovic until the final should both men reach it. Having come so close to defeating the Serb in Rome, however, Murray will back himself to get the better of whoever he comes up against.

"I've been playing well on the clay, better than previous years," the 24-year-old went on. "Physically I'm in good shape. I've been moving well, too.

"I'm looking forward to the start of the tournament. You've got to be very focused during the French. One bad set or a couple of bad sets and you can get yourself fatigued early in the tournament. So you need to be switched on right from the start."

With qualifiers awaiting in rounds one and two, Murray has received a favourable draw which should allow him to ease into the fortnight. If he does lose his focus for a time during a match, he should have the ability to snap out of it.

Although Murray grew up on clay in Barcelona, hardcourts remain his best surface, and the French still appears to be the Grand Slam he is least likely to win. But recent changes have downplayed the differences between the surfaces, giving Murray a better chance, as his fellow-Scot and former coach Leon Smith explained.

"What's interesting is the way that court speeds have gone in the last ten years," said Smith, who is now Great Britain's Davis Cup captain. "Even indoor courts have slowed down a lot. It's a lot better on the eye now, a better spectacle. So I think it's more likely now that you can thrive on all surfaces. He's very smart, he moves well and, last year, he did well. We've seen him make the semis (in other clay-court tournaments this year], so it's a surface he can play on."

The lack of expectation will also help to an extent. Although Tim Henman reached the semi-finals in 2004, Britons in general have not fared well at Roland Garros. "It's not an easy transition to make for British players," Smith added.

"It takes years and years to get used to the different movement on it. There's a lot of sliding, different patterns of play, and it's a different psyche as well with longer rallies.

"We're not alone in that. Look at the United States' record in the French Open - for a huge tennis power they have not had a huge amount of success."

In contrast to Murray, Djokovic, whose winning run now stretches to 37 matches, has to carry a burden of expectation which gets heavier with every victory. So far, sustained by unshakable self-belief and his new gluten-free diet, the Serb has shown himself to be equal to that load. If he makes it through to the last four, however, Djokovic could then be up against former champion Roger Federer, who still holds a winning record over the world No 2, both over his career as a whole and on clay.

Still, even to get that far, Djokovic will face some tough matches. Juan Martin del Potro, the ex-US Open champion who is battling his way back from injury, is likely to await in the third round, and local favourite Richard Gasquet, the No 13 seed, is a probable opponent in the fourth.

The women's draw highlights that American record on clay to which Smith referred. For the first time in the open era, no US women are seeded. The main reason for that, of course, is that both Serena and Venus Williams are out injured but, even when they have been fully fit, the sisters have rarely done well in Paris. Serena has two titles to her name, 1999 and last year; Venus has made just one final appearance, back in 2002.

Perhaps a more significant absentee is the now-retired Justine Henin, whose seven Grand Slam titles include four French. Without Henin, and with fitness doubts over her fellow-Belgian Kim Clijsters, this year's women's tournament is the most open for some time.

Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki goes into the event as top seed, but has yet to win a slam and has only reached one final - the US Open of 2009, when she lost in straight sets to Clijsters. Wozniacki, like Murray, has been given the kind of draw which should allow her to pace herself over the first week - and she is likely to need every ounce of energy in the quarter-finals, where she is due to meet Sam Stosur, last year's runner-up.

Francesca Schiavone, who beat the Australian to lift the 2010 title, is seeded fifth this time.She too has been given a good draw, which includes a possible second-round meeting with Britain's Anne Keothavong.

Scotland's Elena Baltacha has the kind of dynamic game which does not translate easily to clay, but she too has received a benign draw, and faces American Sloane Stephens in the first round. Like Murray, Baltacha withdrew from an event this week - in her case the Strasbourg International - but she too is confident she will fit to take part in Paris. She has been told the twinge in her back which caused her to pull out will have settled down after a couple of days' rest.