It’s been an exciting tournament so far for the likes of Sebastian Korda, Hugo Gaston, Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Sonego, they will all be thrilled to have reached the second of the French Open, things get much tougher from here though with big guns like Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem ready to compete for the title. Our panel of Steen Kirby, Damian Kust, and Jim Smith offer their predictions.
Sebastian Korda vs Rafael Nadal
Steen: Wins over John Isner and Andreas Seppi were impressive for the young Korda, who has burst on the to scene with his first Grand Slam main draw victories. Korda can play on clay and he won’t be scared of this matchup, but he’s facing the King of Clay who hasn’t come close to dropping a set in three matches. Nadal’s overall Roland Garros records are historic and only an injury or a truly off day should prevent him from reaching the quarterfinals. Spain’s great sporting champion hasn’t lost a match at Roland Garros since 2016 and there’s little chance Korda will interrupt that incredible winning streak. Nadal in 3
Jim: It has been some run for Korda, who has backed up his fine summer in North America impressively in Paris. But it is hard to see him offering much sustained resistance to Nadal. The Spaniard, as ever, has looked imperious thus far and should prove far too strong for Korda. Nadal in 3
Damian: I love watching Nadal but his first few rounds in Paris are usually very anticlimactic. It’s hard to expect this one will be any different although it looks like in a couple of years Korda will be, by far, the best American on the clay. But he’s facing an absolute beast. Nadal in 3
Alexander Zverev vs Jannik Sinner
Steen: Zverev couldn’t reach this point without playing yet another 5 setter in a slam, he was pushed by Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the second round, but rebounded nicely in the third round to put away Marco Cecchinato in 3. Jannik Sinner represents real trouble though, the young Italian oozes talent and dismantled David Goffin in the opening round. So far he has yet to drop a set this tournament. Zverev is the bigger name, but Sinner can absolutely stand up to him, and I’ll back the form player in what is a modest upset. Sinner in 4
Jim: Zverev has made himself a hard man to beat lately and he has, for the most part, played well so far in Paris. But he remains too reactive at times, when he is at his best playing on the front foot. That sort of passivity could well prove fatal to his chances up against Sinner, who looks full of confidence. Sinner in 4
Damian: The Italian has been very impressive in Paris thus far, putting up very solid and composed performances. His big game works well in these conditions and if he can keep playing with such insane belief in himself, he’ll be able to keep it close. I think there’s a real possibility of an upset here. Sinner in 5
Hugo Gaston vs Dominic Thiem
Steen: 20 years old and ranked outside the top 200 going into this tournament, Gaston simply isn’t supposed to be here. The pressure and lights of Paris hasn’t fazed this Frenchman one bit in his home slam though, he rolled Stan Wawrinka in the 5th set of their match (and came back from dropping the opening set), and prior to that posted a couple of routine wins that made him look like a steely veteran. Thiem, one of the tournament favorites, should present a step up even from Wawrinka, and looks to be a bridge that Gaston isn’t quite ready to cross. The Austrian has yet to drop a set in three rounds, and is still carrying over his winning streak from the US Open. Thiem blitzed credible opposition in the form of Casper Ruud and Marin Cilic in the early rounds, and will continue to increase his chance to “do the double” and win both the US Open and French Open during this once in a lifetime season. Thiem in 3
Jim: Gaston’s win over Wawrinka was scarcely believable, particularly the deciding set in which he bagelled the former-champion. But there seems little chance that he can repeat the feat against Thiem. The Austrian crushed the in-form Ruud in what was a statement victory and he should be able to dismiss Gaston’s challenge without too much difficulty. Thiem in 3
Damian: It is a brilliant run for the 20-year-old, who beat Stan Wawrinka with a good mix of baseline consistency and a hurtful lefty forehand. Thiem is just so much less likely to have as bad of a day at the office as Wawrinka had though. The Austrian should power through to the next round. Thiem in 3
Lorenzo Sonego vs Diego Schwartzman
Steen: Sonego is on a nice run but Schwartzman is in blistering form and should be at a big advantage here. The Rome finalist has yet to drop a set and will be aiming to continue that streak. I’ll back his chances to do so. Schwartzman in 3
Jim: It has been a great tournament for Sonego. The problem for the Italian heading into this match, however, is that just about everything he does well, Schwartzman does a little better. Schwartzman, who has enjoyed a fine run during this abbreviated clay-court swing, will surely like his chances here and rightly so. Schwartzman in 3
Damian: Sonego has a decent all-round clay-court game but I don’t think I see him having the ability to hit through the court against Schwartzman. The Argentinian has been playing rather well and his counterpunching should be expected to see him through. Schwartzman in 3
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