Day four at the French Open will see 32 players battle for a place in the third round in Paris. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Fabio Fognini vs Marton Fucsovics, Tommy Paul vs Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov vs Kei Nishikori. But who will book their place in the last 32?
French Open Day 4 Predictions
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Pedro Martinez
Jim: It was not entirely straightforward for Stefanos Tsitsipas up against Jeremy Chardy, but the Greek showed why he is surely the third favourite to win the title with a solid 7-6 6-3 6-1 win. With the first round throwing up plenty of surprises, Pedro Martinez’s win over Sebastian Korda went somewhat under the radar, but it was a very impressive showing from the Spaniard. But with Tsitsipas in this kind of form, it is hard to see him backing it up against the fifth seed.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
Yesh: The in-form Tsitsipas looked solid in his opening round, and he’s far more talented than Martinez.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
Damian: Martinez had a nice win defeating Parma champion Sebastian Korda, but it was probably more down to the youngster being drained after winning that title last week. Tsitsipas showed why he’s among the title favorites, dismissing an inspired effort from Chardy, and he should continue to cruise here.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
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Casper Ruud vs Kamil Majchrzak
Jim: It was something of a surprise to see Casper Ruud drop the first set against Benoit Paire, but the Norwegian did well to steady the ship and see off the mercurial Frenchman in four sets. Kamil Majchrzak also won in four sets in his opener, but the 15th seed Ruud should offer rather more resistance than the 18-year-old wild card Arthur Cazaux he faced in the first round.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Yesh: No disrespect intended, but I never understand how Kamil Majchrzak does so (relatively) well on Tour. I just don’t see how his game stacks up to other players, especially not a rising star like Ruud.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Damian: Talking of inspired French efforts, Paire turned out a worthy rival for Ruud in the opening round. Majchrzak’s style of play will allow the Norwegian a lot more freedom though and the match will be more or less on his racket. The Pole might surprise by picking up a set though.
Prediction: Ruud in 4
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Laslo Djere vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Jim: Miomir Kecmanovic scored a much-needed win in the first round, rallying from a set down to beat 25th seed Dan Evans, whose run to the last four in Monte Carlo now seems longer than six weeks ago. He has also won all three of his previous meetings with his countryman Laslo Djere, including earlier this season in Buenos Aires. There seems little reason to expect the pattern of this rivalry to change here.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 4
Yesh: This all-Serbian battle should be a fun one, and really could go either way. Kecmanovic seems slightly more talented, but it really is close. Neither player has reached the third round at a Slam before, so someone will mark a career best after this one.
Prediction: Djere in 4
Damian: Kecmanovic leads the head-to-head 3-0, with one of these wins coming this year. It’s still perhaps too small a sample size to trust it completely, but in a matchup that seems like it should be almost dead-even, it’s enough for me.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 5
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Marcos Giron vs Guido Pella
Jim: Guido Pella arrived at the French Open in miserable form, but the Argentine looked like he was back to something approaching his best in his first-round win over Daniel Elahi Galan. If he can maintain that level he should have the beating of Marcos Giron, who was perhaps fortunate that Grigor Dimitrov picked up an injury that forced him to retire leading 6-2 6-4 5-5 0-3.
Prediction: Pella in 3
Yesh: The qualifier Giron was about to be out of the tournament when Grigor Dimitrov’s back tightened up. The Bulgarian was eventually forced to retire in the fourth set having held three match points in the third. Giron has a winnable match this round, though.
Prediction: Giron in 5
Damian: Giron recovered from three match points down to advance via retirement as Dimitrov’s back problem flared up again. Pella really needed a victory to boost his confidence after a disastrous period in his career, but he got it at Galan’s expense. This could be ugly, but at his best Pella is at least a class higher on the clay.
Prediction: Pella in 4
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