We wrap up the first round of the French Open on Day 3 on Tuesday. The women will delight tennis fans in Paris and worldwide with 20 matches. As always, we’re here to predict all of them for you. This article looks at four matches, so we have four more articles to go with it. One features Ashleigh Barty vs Bernarda Pera, the next headlines Venus Williams vs Ekaterina Alexandrova, one highlights Karolina Pliskova vs Donna Vekic, and the fourth features Ons Jabeur vs Yulia Putintseva. Predicting this set of matches are Jim Smith, Fraser Learmounth, Eric Han, and Andrew Watson.
French Open Day 3 Women’s Predictions
Barbora Krejcikova vs Kristyna Pliskova
Fraser:
Krejcikova is fresh of a title win Strasbourg and will be full of confidence heading into the tournament that rocketed her into the top 100 in the women’s game last year. She faces Karolina Pliskova, a talented but inconsistent lefty who struggles with many of the same issues as her twin sister. The most significant of those issues is court coverage, something you need against a player who moves opponents as well as Krejcikova does. I think this match may be an unpleasant one for Pliskova. krejcikova moves on easily.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Andrew:
Another battle of the Czechs but I see Krejcikova as a good favorite here. Fresh from a maiden WTA title she will carry a lot of confidence into the match and clearly has a better game for clay than the big-serving Pliskova.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Jim:
After an excellent season, Krejcikova will surely be targeting a deep run at the French Open. Without the protection of a seeding, she may have to face some stern tests to achieve that ambition, but this looks like a winnable match for the 25-year-old with Pliskova, who has been in indifferent form for much of this season and without a win since the WTA Qatar Open.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Eric:
Like Coco Gauff (mentioned below), Krejcikova won a title last week as well (Strasbourg). Her breakthrough season in singles should continue here and could prove to be a dark horse for the whole tournament.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Kristina Mladenovic vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
Fraser:
Two women who used to sit near the top of the women’s game will be hoping to rediscover their best this week at the French Open. Neither has had much to speak about from a singles perspective over the past two years and their inconsistency in that regard makes it hard to predict a winner. Mladenovic loves the French Open and has the crowd on her side so that should be enough to get her through here.
Prediction: Mladenovic in 3
Andrew:
It may seem like a shock if one was to look at the rankings but I think that Schmiedlova wins this match. She has a far more positive match record in 2020 and also on clay. Mladenovic may well rise to the occasion as she has done previously but I expect the Slovakian to progress.
Prediction: Schmiedlova in 3
Jim:
This has the makings of an interesting match. Mladenovic has never lacked talent, but bringing it all together has proven to be difficult for the Frenchwoman. She may need to here, however, with Schmiedlova impressing in coming through the qualifying. Still, Mladenovic typically performs on the big stag and, for a French player, there is no bigger stage than this.
Prediction: Mladenovic in 3
Eric:
It really is difficult to predict how a Kristina Mladenovic match will go. The former world No. 10 has been so up and down with results you never know what you are going to get with her. Schmiedlova is probably the safer pick in this match up.
Prediction: Schmiedlova in 2
Irina Bara vs Astra Sharma
Fraser:
This match should be quite a good match. Bara is the more accomplished player on the women’s tour, but Sharma has had a great 2021 and picked up her first WTA title in CHarleston earlier this year. Given that recent confidence boost, I’m going to give the edge to the Aussie in this one.
Prediction: Sharma in 3
Andrew:
Both of these players, in contrast to many other matches, have very impressive form and clay court victories to their names coming into this match. Bara decided to stay over in the States to prepare, but qualified impressively. Sharma won a US clay tournament before this as well. I’m just going to side with the Romanian to get the win here; if she can nullify the Australian’s serve then she should have too much in general play.
Prediction: Bara in 3
Jim:
Sharma enjoyed a memorable run through the qualifying to the second round in Paris last season and she demonstrated her aptitude for the clay again (albeit of the green shale variety) by winning the title in Charleston. However, she has played just one match since, losing it via retirement. That could leave her a little short of match sharpness against the qualifier Bara.
Prediction: Bara in 3
Eric:
Two players ranked similar, Bara ranked 122, and Sharma ranked 124. It will be a close match, but Bara coming through from qualifying will be confident with where her game is, which could prove decisive.
Prediction: Bara in 2
Coco Gauff vs Aleksandra Krunic
Fraser:
This should be a straightforward affair for the teen sensation. Krunic is competent but isn’t at Gauff’s level on the best of days, and that’s before we take into account Gauff’s form at the moment. The young American has also shown that she can perform on the biggest stages in the women’s game and will surely be hoping to do the same here.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Andrew:
Gauff has a half-chance to do very well in this tournament and I expect her to progress from this match. Her power can be translated to clay but, as always, she needs the serve not to abandon her.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Jim:
Gauff looks to be set for a big fortnight at the French Open. But regardless of what she achieves over the next two weeks in Paris, it is hard to see her losing this match. Krunic played well to come through the qualifying, but she does not have the firepower to hurt Gauff nor will she be able to outlast her in enough rallies.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Eric:
Having just won the title in Parma last week, Gauff will be confident with where her game is on the red dirt. The young teenager should be able to ride this wave of confidence and get through to the next round.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
