The French are brought up on clay - the surface that is used at Roland Garros.
What has brought problems to Federer, and to other greats like Pete Sampras and Boris Becker -- who never won a French Open, is the clay surface on which it is contested.
Murray has had a mixed season with a first Grand Slam victory continuing to prove elusive and he admitted that if he is to win one it will almost certainly not be on the clay of the French Open.
Kazakhstan has a training center in Astana, the country's capital, where Shvedova trained for the French Open on new indoor red clay courts.
Before facing Spain in September, the next big test for the U.S. singles players comes next month in Madrid, where all the world's best men and women will gather on clay for the crucial French Open prelude.
If Nadal, looking to defend his French Open crown on his favorite clay surface later this year, can get past Gulbis, he is likely to face his first big test with a possible last eight clash against his great rival Roger Federer , the second seed.
It was her second success at Charleston, following a 2008 triumph, and fourth on clay after winning both the French Open and the Italian Open in 2002.
The young pretender gave Rafael Nadal one of the toughest tests on clay that the seven-time French Open champion has endured in recent years.
The most obvious short-term goal is the French Open in Paris, also on red clay, where Nadal has won a remarkable seven times, including last year.
He came to Paris with little experience on red clay, no experience at the French Open and a Chipotle addiction so strong that he has no interest in fine French cuisine.
Isner's last four best-of-five matches on red clay are defeats of Federer, French top-15 players Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon, and a gutsy loss to Nadal at last year's French Open.
Errani, also 25, had never advanced past the second round at the French Open before this year, despite a strong clay-court background.
The seven-time French Open champion is seeking his 37th title on clay, having stretched his Open era win record to 256-19 on the surface.
Nadal recovered from that disappointment in spectacular style by going unbeaten through the clay-court season and winning the French Open, Wimbledon - beating Murray in the semi-finals - and a first US Open title to complete the Grand Slam set.
He will now look to get fit ahead of the clay court season and his defense of the French Open title.
Williams, who suffered a shock opening round defeat at last year's French Open, has now won eight straight matches on clay this season.
Eighth seed Stosur has never beaten the older Williams sister in three previous meetings, but has won 14 of her last 15 matches on clay and reached the last four of the French Open last year.
Govortsova put out former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in her opening match at the clay court event.
Isner's propensity for protracted battles early in majors often saps his energy by the middle rounds, while the Bryans, for all their success on clay in Masters events, haven't reached the French Open final since 2006.
However, there never looked any liklihood of history repeating itself this time around as Nadal became the first man in history to win three clay-court titles in a year prior to the French Open, following his recent successes in both Monte Carlo and Rome.
And for all her success on clay of late, Williams still hasn't won the French Open since 2002.
The Barcelona Open presents another opportunity for Nadal, and his fellow clay-court specialists, to tune-up for the French Open which begins on May 26.
Both players will now return to Europe for the clay court season where Djokovic will be searching for his first French Open title, while Murray will continue his quest for a first grand slam title under new coach Ivan Lendl.
"It definitely helped last year on the way to the French Open, it's good to bring back the same confidence on clay as last year, " Sharapova added.
Federer is looking to earn his second title of the year, after the Australian Open, and is finding his clay-court form just in time for the defence of his French Open title.
King of clay Nadal had compiled a 31-match winning streak at the French Open and was attempting to win the second grand slam of the year after beating world number two Roger Federer in the final of the Australian Open.
But it's not just the bounce and speed of the ball off the clay surface that sets it apart from other courts, and makes the French Open an elusive tournament for some players.
Baltacha is not generally at her best on clay and the win comes less than a week before the start of the French Open, for which she has direct entry into the main draw.
The tournament marks the start of the European clay season in the buildup to the second grand slam event of 2010, the French Open starting on May 24.
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