Rising star Djokovic ready to pounce in Paris

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) Considering Rafael Nadal will only turn 21 during his defence of the French Open it would appear churlish to leave him out of a list of young guns equipped to light up Roland Garros this year.

However, the Spaniard, whose run of 81 straight victories on red clay was snapped by world number Roger Federer in Hamburg last week, is such a raging bull on the surface that he would probably find the label a touch demeaning.

The term can genuinely be applied to Serb Novak Djokovic, just turned 20, who along with Briton Andy Murray appears the player most likely to break the Federer-Nadal axis of power.

Djokovic, who like a clutch of young players in the women's draw who grew up on the claycourts of the Balkans and eastern Europe, will be waiting to pounce should the top two falter.

His form this year, which reaped the Masters Series title in Miami where he outclassed Nadal, and titles in Adelaide and on clay in Estoril, has fired him into the world's top 10.

Abrasive and no respecter of reputations, he already has a quarter-final defeat by Nadal at Roland Garros on his CV and will probably not have been totally truthful when he said recently the Spaniard ''is virtually impossible to beat on clay.'' Murray, however, will have to wait for his chance to excel at a grand slam as he was ruled out of the Open thanks to a wrist injury.

Frenchman Richard Gasquet, 21 next month, is another young player with the tools to win on any surface, although unlike Nadal and Djokovic, can be fragile under pressure.

CONFIDENCE CRISIS The flashy right-hander appears to have recovered from a crisis of confidence midway through 2006. Steady results this year, including reaching the final in Estoril, suggest he could give home fans some cheer next week.

Towering Czech 21-year-old Tomas Berdych is also blossoming into a potential grand slam winner and has enjoyed an impressive claycourt season with semi-final runs at Monte Carlo and Munich.

Another 21-year-old, Spain's Nicolas Almagro, also gave notice of his claycourt credentials recently when he claimed his second career title in Valencia.

Women's defending champion Justine Henin will have to have eyes in the back of her head to keep tabs on a host of powerful youngsters itching to snatch her title.

Willowy Czech Nicole Vaidisova, 18, reached the semi-final last year having demolished home favourite Amelie Mauresmo in the last 16. However, her challenge this year could be hampered by a wrist injury that forced her to miss the Italian Open.

Maria Sharapova, still only 20, leads the Russian brigade, although she only returned to action this week in Turkey after shoulder and hamstring injuries had sidelined her since Miami.

Anna Chakvetadze, another Russian the same age as Sharapova, but far less celebrated, will be a menace in the draw, as will Ana Ivanovic, who like Djokovic hails from Belgrade.

Ivanovic, still just 19, reached the quarter-finals in the French capital two years ago when she stunned Mauresmo.

Wimbledon champion Mauresmo is entering her 13th consecutive French Open, but a recent layoff due to appendicitis means the 27-year-old will do well to charm her home fans this year.

With 19-year-old Tatiana Golovin also doubtful with an ankle injury, French hopes in the women's draw look distinctly bleak.

REUTERS SZ PM0717