Paris, France, 21 May 2016 | Matt Trollope

Nick Kyrgios (No.17 seed)
First round v Marco Cecchinato
2016 claycourt win-loss: 7-3
Best lead-in results: SF Estoril, QF Madrid

Roche: “I think clay is a good surface for Nick, but obviously you’ve got to have a good preparation … With matches under his belt he can go into the French Open feeling pretty good, and then he certainly can do some real damage. Maybe in two or three years, if he continues to improve the way he has, he could be a real contender to win the French championships.”

Bernard Tomic (No.20 seed)
First round v Brian Baker
2016 claycourt win-loss: 1-5

Roche: “There’s no reason why he can’t play on clay. It’s just a matter for Bernie to commit to a good schedule and have a good preparation. It’s like anything – you’ve got to prepare well to do well, and you need matches under your belt. I’ve seen Bernie play some wonderful Davis Cup matches on clay.”

Sam Stosur (No.21 seed)
First round v Misaki Doi
2016 claycourt win-loss: 11-6
Best lead-in results: F Prague, SF Madrid, QF Strasbourg

Roche: “She’s played well there before. I think her game is well suited to clay and I think it’s important after what happened in Fed Cup, she needed to get to Europe, get some wins under her belt and some confidence back. If the conditions are fast, and the ball’s bouncing high – you need good dry conditions for that – she could do some damage. That’s the thing with the French – the conditions play such a big part. A lot of rain and it’s cold, the conditions are heavy. It changes a lot of things. But if the conditions are hot and fast, then it brings a lot of other players into the equation. There’s two things with Sam – winning some matches going into it to get some confidence. And then the conditions. And if that all goes well for her, then she could do well.”

> samstosur.com: Roche says Sam can contend at Roland Garros