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Roland-Garros 2017 qualifying gets underway today and features a fiercely competitive field from which only a precious few will emerge with a richly deserved reward: a golden ticket to the main draw of the Paris Grand Slam. To do so, the hopefuls will have to come out firing on all cylinders right from the off. We bring you the thoughts of some of the participants, who are champing at the bit, yet mindful of the magnitude of the task at hand.

"In a nutshell, it's full of fast-rising youngsters, together with former top-50 and top-100 players who have had injuries and are working their way back up through the 100s." This was Taro Daniel's description of Roland-Garros qualifying, which the 24-year-old Japanese – currently ranked 97th – knows all about, having navigated his way through the fray two years ago. And the word "fray" is not used lightly: the "qualies", as they are popularly known, represent a royal rumble contested by everyone from seasoned troupers to budding youngsters, all hell-bent on winning the requisite three matches to make it through to the main draw of the Paris Grand Slam. "Plenty of players in the main draw might lose in the qualies if they had to play in them. It's really tough," went on the Japanese No.4, who was a direct entrant into the main tournament last year. "You can easily face a guy ranked 200th, have a bad day at the office and lose."

It is no different on the women's side. As Beatriz Haddad Maia noted, "All the girls here are ranked between 100 and 200." The Brazilian travelled to the French capital fresh off claiming the title at the $100,000 ITF event at Cagnes-sur-Mer, a traditional stepping stone on the road to Roland-Garros, a result that moved her right up to number 100. "They're all good players, they all win tournaments on the ITF circuit and they all play to a high level, as shown by their rankings. The qualies are every bit part of the tournament – it's crazy!" she added.

"In my opinion, Roland-Garros qualifying has the toughest field out there"

Françoise Abanda (world number 197), a semi-finalist in the girls' singles in Paris in 2014, painted a similar picture. Unlike the Brazilian, who has already tried her luck twice, the Québécoise will be featuring in "Roland" qualifying for the first time and is well aware of the mountain looming ahead of her, which may not quite be Everest-esque in proportion, but is not far off either. As she admitted, a mammoth effort is required to scale the heights and enter the promised land of the main draw. "In my opinion, Roland-Garros qualifying has the toughest field out there," stated Abanda. "Everyone plays: all the Europeans, all the Americans, all the Canadians. All the girls are there battling it out."

image: http://www.rolandgarros.com/images/pics ... abanda.jpg

image: http://www.rolandgarros.com/images/pics ... abanda.jpg


As are all the guys. Take Leonardo Mayer, for example. The 30-year-old Argentine is one of several highly experienced campaigners in the men's mix. Ranked as high as 21st in the world just two years ago and a Davis Cup winner at the end of last year, he is currently down at 150th, meaning he will have to advance from the qualies – which he last featured in back in 2011 – in order to extend his stay in what will be his tenth appearance at Roland-Garros. "Of course it's tough to go through qualifying when you've been in the main draw for several years," admitted the Corrientes native, "but it was my only chance of playing at Roland-Garros this year and it's made me even more motivated."

"These 'qualies' are one of the most special weeks of the year – maybe my favourite week of the season"

This sense of motivation is palpable everywhere you look. After all, all and sundry have made the journey to the Porte d'Auteuil with the same mission: to go the distance in qualifying and then seize their shot at the big time. "I was one year old when Guga [Gustavo Kuerten] won his first title here," gushed Haddad Maia, "So when I grew up, it was all 'Guga, Guga, Guga' this and 'Roland-Garros, Roland-Garros, Roland-Garros' that. Qualifying here would be a dream come true. [Smiling] Playing at 'Roland' is a career goal. These 'qualies' are one of the most special weeks of the year – maybe my favourite week of the season."

image: http://www.rolandgarros.com/images/pics ... haddad.jpg

image: http://www.rolandgarros.com/images/pics ... haddad.jpg


These sentiments were echoed by Abanda: "Roland-Garros is the most prestigious event in the world. My parents are from Cameroon and everyone knows about the tournament in Africa. It's the same story in the United States and in Canada, where the media follow us closely. I want to be a top-100 player and qualifying here would definitely be a step in the right direction."

As for Daniel, he is one of the lucky bunch to have experienced the special feeling that comes with earning a spot at the Parisian top table, a thrill he is now desperate to sample again. "I had two tough matches, the second of which was against a Frenchman [David Guez]," said the Japanese ace, reflecting on his successful 2015 qualies run. "Roland-Garros is without a doubt where I've had my most prestigious performances to date. Especially considering the conditions, with it being played on clay and the surface being a bit slower than elsewhere. Qualifying was a huge relief. Getting into the main draw is really fantastic." Yet he faces a stern challenge to repeat the feat. As Mayer put it, "You've got to take it every match as it comes and try to give your best every time, because it's as tough as the main draw."


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