As the first week of the French Open ends, the weather forecast is brighter and both the men’s and women’s tournaments are shaping up as good ones.

Temperatures in the 50s persisted yesterday, and a two-hour rain delay forced officials to postpone three matches. Five others were not completed, including a much-anticipated contest between American James Blake and Nicolas Almagro, a 20-year-old Spaniard who has outshined everyone on clay this year – that is, everyone except Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Almagro took the first set 7-6(5) before play was called. The two men return to action today.

Defending champion Nadal, whose match was postponed yesterday, should make quick work of Kevin Kim, the only American besides Blake who remains in the draw. More dangerous challenges will arrive in the fourth round (Lleyton Hewitt or Dominik Hrbaty) and the quarterfinals, where Almagro should emerge. Several players – Olivier Rochus, Radek Stepanek, David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco, and Ivan Ljubicic – might stake a claim to a semifinal match against Nadal.

On the other half of the draw, Federer today takes on Nicolas Massu, who has won more clay matches (21) than anyone this year. That said, Massu shouldn’t prove a significant obstacle. Either Mario Ancic or Tommy Robredo, an experienced clay-courter, might test Federer in the quarterfinals. At this point, David Nalbandian is Federer’s likely opponent in the semifinals, though Gaston Gaudio, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Moya (former French champions all), and Nikolay Davydenko could prevail. Of those four, Moya has played the best so far.

This weekend, keep an eye out for Novak Djokovic, a promising 19-year-old Serbian who defeated Fernando Gonzalez yesterday in five sets, 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1.

After reaching the third round of last year’s U.S. Open, Djokovic, no. 63, began 2006 with a bad first-round loss at the Australian Open. The 6-foot-2-inch Djokovic comes from a family of skiers and soccer players and moves quite well. His forehand is one of the best, if not the very best, among young players, and his backhand down the line is superb. He should stand a chance against Tommy Haas, barring any bouts with the midmatch breathing difficulties that have troubled him in the past.

The biggest disappointment on the men’s side has been 20-year-old Marcos Baghdatis, the surprise finalist at this year’s Australian Open, who fell in five sets yesterday to France’s Julien Benneteau. Baghdatis is no fluke. He is a gifted ball-striker with fast feet, a good return game, and an effective serve, at least when he keeps his service percentage high. He also flashes good hands at the net and can put anyone on the defensive – even Federer. But Baghdatis has suffered from injuries and, more important, doubts since his run Down Under. His conditioning is also suspect. One hopes he can motivate himself soon.

The women’s draw has held true to form with one exception: the dismal performance of Nadia Petrova, the third seed and the best performer on clay this season. Petrova injured her leg in practice last weekend, but still should have put in a better showing against Akiko Morigami in the first round. Otherwise, the top women have survived, though the draw remains unpredictable.

Justine Henin-Hardenne, the defending champion, struggled against a lesser opponent yesterday before saving three set points to win 6-2, 7-5. Kim Clijsters, whose second-round match was postponed, looked uncomfortable in her opening match. Amelie Mauresmo lost her concentration in the second round, nearly dropping a set. Anastasia Myskina, a potential opponent for Henin-Hardenne in the fourth round, says she wants to return to the top five (or better) or she will retire. American Shenay Perry has impressed so far, and could reach the quarterfinals. And Nicole Vaidisova, a tall, powerful, and not terribly mobile 17-year-old, has won two matches at Roland Garros with ease. Her claim on one of the top five rankings may come due in a year or so – or less if she takes out Mauresmo in the fourth round.

Another talented youth, Shahar Peer, a 19-year-old from Israel, could make a name for herself in a possible match against Martina Hingis in the fourth round. Peer has won 23 matches this year and three titles, improving her ranking to no. 26.

So far, Hingis has played the best, while Maria Sharapova has been the most impressive. Playing with an injured ankle, the Russian wriggled out of a deficit in the first round, then moved much better in a second-round victory. Though she remains less comfortable on clay, her draw is such that she could reach the semifinals if her form continues to improve (provided Svetlana Kuznetsova does not play her best).

The same goes for Venus Williams. The American has made errors in bunches for two rounds, but she has not hesitated to attack the net and pressure her opponents. Both are excellent signs for her future success. Perhaps a quarterfinals win over Mauresmo is in the cards.

And then there is Hingis, the story of women’s tennis this year. After a three-year retirement, she says she is playing better than ever. But will good tennis be good enough in a field brimming with bigger, stronger, and faster opponents? Hingis has met with disappointment in Paris before, losing in the finals to Steffi Graf in 1999 and Iva Majoli in 1997. She’ll have to figure out a way to out-maneuver the Belgians Clijsters and Henin-Hardenne to capture the only major title missing from her collection.

tperrotta@nysun.com