Expect an entertaining day of tennis at the French Open with 24 intriguing matches on the schedule. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Atilla Balazs vs Marin Cilic, Stan Wawrinka vs Corentin Moutet, Jordan Thompson vs Rafael Nadal, Dan Evans vs Francisco Cerundolo and Sebastian Korda vs John Millman. But who will advance?
French Open Day 2 Predictions
Alessandro Giannessi vs Borna Gojo
Damian: Alessandro Giannessi got the late call-up as a fourth lucky loser and it’s going to be a really “lucky” one, because he gets a very winnable matchup. Borna Gojo’s game isn’t that well-suited to clay, but if it’s a sunny day and the courts play quickly, he’s definitely a threat to beat the Italian though. Giannessi lost to a somewhat similar player in Sebastian Ofner in the qualifying and was just extremely passive, hoping for the Austrian to beat himself. If Gojo’s game is clicking, that won’t be the right approach.
Prediction: Gojo in 5
Yesh: Borna Gojo had an impressive career at Wake Forest but hasn’t made an impression at the pro level yet. Luckily for him, his superior opponent withdrew, and he has a real chance against a Lucky Loser.
Prediction: Gojo in 4
Jakub: Giannessi enters the draw as a lucky loser, falling to Sebastian Ofner after wins over Mats Moraing and Thiago Agustin Tirante. The Italian had some nice Challenger results this spring, reaching a final and two semifinals. Gojo is one of the weakest qualifiers, pulling off upsets over Gianluca Mager and Juan Ignacio Londero to qualify but was 1-4 on clay coming into Paris.
Prediction: Giannessi in 4
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Norbert Gombos vs Pedro Cachin
Damian: We know what we’re going to get from Pedro Cachin, especially now as he’s in the form of his life and hitting his forehand as aggressively as ever. Norbert Gombos is a riddle though, has more potential than the Argentinian but rarely delivers mentally. All in all, looks like a coin toss that will likely be decided by which version of the Slovakian shows up.
Prediction: Cachin in 5
Yesh: Cachin has found his game revitalized since upsetting Dominic Thiem in a Challenger recently. I think he can ride that momentum into a win at a Major.
Prediction: Cachin in 5
Jakub: A tricky one to predict, Gombos did not look particularly convincing in his qualifying matches against Constant Lestienne and Gabriel Debru. Cachin is in as a lucky loser after a loss to Pavel Kotov, a match-up where both players deserved a main draw spot and both ended up getting it. Cachin is making his slam debut here, so though I think it will be close, I think Gombos’ experience will help him win in the end.
Prediction: Gombos in 5
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Pedro Martinez vs Henri Laaksonen
Damian: Henri Laaksonen used to be pretty dangerous at Roland Garros, but he’s in awful form this year. Pedro Martinez also hasn’t won in a while, but was generally facing better opposition than that (with one exception). He’s generally much more solid though and should be able to pressure Laaksonen enough to watch the errors flow.
Prediction: Martinez in 4
Yesh: Martinez is hitting his stride at just the right time, and he’s looking good on clay for this Slam. Laaksonen will give him a challenge, but Martinez’s level will determine this match.
Prediction: Martinez in 4
Jakub: Despite winning his first main tour title in Santiago, Martinez has largely struggled with the transition this year. The Spaniard enters Roland Garros on a five-match losing streak, including losses to Yosuke Watanuki and Ilya Ivashka. Laaksonen is in even-worse form, winless in five matches on clay this year with most recent losses to No. 642 Marko Topo and Benjamin Hassan. The Swiss is defending 115 points here after qualifying to reach the third round last year and will drop out of the Top 100 with a loss here. The match-up is a coin flip for me with both guys struggling, I will go with Laaksonen here.
Prediction: Laaksonen in 4
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Novak Djokovic vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Damian: There aren’t any doubts regarding Novak Djokovic’s form anymore. He was great in Madrid, phenomenal in Rome, and should be going very, very deep here. Yoshihito Nishioka could sneak a set on an off-day, but it’s extremely unlikely as the Japanese has no weapons to hurt the World No. 1.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Yesh: Djokovic is back in good form after a long hiatus and slow return to the game. There are very few here that can challenge him, and Nishioka isn’t one of them.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Jakub: Defending champion and world #1 Novak Djokovic is coming in with a Rome title while Nishioka is on a four-match losing streak. In previous two matches, Nishioka won just ten games across five sets. No sign of trouble for Djokovic here.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
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