We wrap up Round 2 of the French Open women’s draw on Day 5 of the tournament. We will see 16 women’s matches as the best players in the world try to reach the third round. In a tournament already full of upsets, what do you think will happen on Thursday? We split the 16 matches between four articles. The other articles feature Iga Swiatek vs Alison Riske, Jessica Pegula vs Anhelina Kalinina, and Paula Badosa vs Kaja Juvan. Predicting these matches are Fraser Learmonth, Jim Smith, and Shane Black.
French Open Day 5 Women’s Predictions
Simona Halep vs Shuai Zhang
Fraser:
Halep had us all worried for a moment in her first match against Schunk. The former French Open champion looked shaky, but finally found her feet in the third set and rushed over the line. She wasn’t at her best and will need to improve here, but she is a far better player than Zhang and for more comfortable on this surface so I expect her to move on here.
Prediction: Halep in 2
Jim:
Simona Halep was far from her fluent best in the first round, needing three sets to get past the unheralded lucky loser Nastasja Mariana Schunk. She will need a sharp improvement on that if she is to make it to the second week (and possibly beyond) at the French Open. Fortunately, the Romanian has a few gears still to go through.
Prediction: Halep in 3
Shane:
#19 seed and 2018 French Open champion Simona Halep has found her form after an up and down 2021 campaign. Qinwen Zheng won just her second clay-court match of the season in Round 1. She struggles on this surface and will have a hard time against the former champion.
Prediction: Halep in 2
Katie Volynets vs Elena Rybakina
Fraser:
Volynets scored a great win against Golubic to make the second round here in Paris. Her reward is a faceoff against the in-form and dangerous Rybakina. The Kazakh seems to have found her feet on clay this year and is a tough opponent to beat when she is serving well. If Rybakina keeps her error count down, she should have to much power for Volynets here,
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Jim:
One suspects that Elena Rybakina will not be entirely happy with her performance in the first round, but in the end she was good enough when she needed to be to beat Arantxa Rus 6-1 5-7 6-2. Katie Volynets, meanwhile, scored an excellent win over Viktorija Golubic. But up against a player of Rybakina’s quality, this is surely the end of the road for the American.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Shane:
#16 seed Elena Rybakina has a career winning percentage of 65.2% on the clay. The 22-year-old is 5-2 in her career at Roland Garros. Katie Volynets has spent the majority of her young career on the Challenger Tour. I think Volynets’ inconsistencies plague her in this one.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Danielle Collins vs Shelby Rogers
Fraser:
Both Collins and Rogers were less than convincing in their opening matches. However, Collins has had an incredible 2022 so far and looks at home among the elite in the women’s game. Clay isn’t necessarily her best surface, but it isn’t Rogers’ favourite either. This likely goes the distance, with Collins edging it in the third.
Prediction: Collins in 3
Jim:
This all-American battle should be an entertaining one. Shelby Rogers is not a particularly consistent player, but when she is on song as she was in the first round against Tereza Martincova, she is a joy to watch. But Danielle Collins is better able to temper her power with accuracy and has a better recent record on the clay. Expect her to have the edge.
Prediction: Collins in 3
Shane:
At least one American will advance to Round 3 when Danielle Collins and Shelby Rogers meet, and I have to favor the #9 seed, Collins. She is the more in-form player and has a 14.2% higher career-winning percentage on the clay. Danielle Collins has a real chance to make second-week noise in Paris.
Prediction: Collins in 3
Karolina Pliskova vs Leolia Jeanjean
Fraser:
Pliskova’s poor movement was exposed yet again in what was a shaky first round performance from the Czech star. However, clean ball striking and a big serve saw her out of trouble. She faces another easy match here and will hope to use it to find something closer to her best tennis for the tougher matches that no doubt lie ahead.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
Jim:
Karolina Pliskova made a slow start against French wild card Tessah Andrianjafitrimo, but once she found her rhythm, it became a comfortable day at the office for the Czech. If she can maintain the level of tennis she displayed in the second and third set, she should be able to beat Leolia Jeanjean without encountering too many difficulties.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
Shane:
#8 seed Karolina Pliskova regained her form in Strasbourg after missing the first two months of the 2022 season. The 2017 French Open semifinalist has won four of her last five matches. Her in-form play will be too challenging for current World #227 Leolia Jeanjean.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
