This week's "Line Judge" is a medical update. On the eve of the French Open, it is pretty exciting that there are no clear favorites on the women's side. While one would like to cite a increased depth in the game, a majority of players are fighting injuries and not coming into Roland Garros with a lot of match play. On a more serious note, the tennis world was shocked as Corina Morariu was diagnosed with a rare case of leukemia.

WWWTA -- Women's Walking Wounded Tennis Association?

Barbara Rittner won only her second career title in Antwerp last week. As expected, the veteran German player appeared quite happy to win the tournament. But it really says something about the status of being healthy on a tennis tour these days when Rittner added: "I came to the tournament looking to get some match practice for Roland Garros and I played 5 matches here this week without even having to get treatment from the trainer." One needs only to look at the WTA's weekly Injury Report (yes, it is a regular feature in their Notes & Netcords newsletter), to realize that the busiest people on the tour these days may not be the players but the trainers!

The casualty list for the French Open has already begun. Anna Kournikova is out and has not played since February due to a stress fracture in her left foot. Chanda Rubin officially withdrew from Roland Garros with a knee injury (though it was reported that she withdrew from Rome due to a left achilles tendon problem). Monica Seles's comeback from a foot injury was short-lived. After losing her first match back in Madrid, the three-time French Open champion withdrew from the tournament on Friday. As of this writing, the highest profile withdrawal is the defending champion, Mary Pierce. Pierce has been beset with physical problems much of this year. Her chronic back problem will deal her a nasty blow in the rankings. Pierce, who was ranked as high as #3 last year and currently stands at #17, will drop into the 70s due to her inability to defend her Grand Slam. While one does not doubt the Frenchwoman's injury, one thinks Pierce is also saving herself from serious abuse from the sometimes vocal hometown crowd.

But even with the absentees, the field is still open as many of the seeded players are questionable in regards to their health and conditioning. Venus and Serena Williams are both suffering with knee problems. Lindsay Davenport will be making her first appearance on clay, having not played a tournament since the Ericsson Open where she injured her knee. Elena Dementieva has also withdrawn from clay court events this spring with a foot problem she sustained at Amelia Island.

So while the French Open always seems to be a survival of the fittest, it appears that this year that may be more true than ever. Oddly enough, this year's top five seeds have yet to capture the French Open title. As historically the most healthy and injury-free player on the tour, will this year be the perfect opportunity for Martina Hingis to capture the Slam that has eluded her?