Novak Djokovic looks to keep up his winning ways against Aljaz Bedene on day 6 of the French Open as the men’s third round gets underway in Paris. Our panelists have predictions for every day 6 match including Rafael Nadal’s third round match.
Novak Djokovic vs Aljaz Bedene
Damian Kust: Novak Djokovic hasn’t really been tested yet and it’s unlikely that it will come here. Aljaz Bedene’s a good baseliner, but in recent years (especially after improving his serve) he was slightly more dangerous in faster conditions. Without the extra punch, it’s hard to imagine him possessing enough weapons to defeat Djokovic. The Slovenian is also coming back from an injury. Djokovic in 3
Jakub Bobro: Djokovic has looked very strong so far in straight-set victories over Yoshihito Nishioka and Alex Molcan, only really being pushed in the third-set by the Slovak. Bedene reaching the third-round here has been great for the Slovene’s confidence and ranking situation but expecting him to trouble the top seed would be silly. Djokovic in 3
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Filip Krajinovic
Damian: After the two disastrous sets against Juan Pablo Varillas, Felix Auger-Aliassime picked himself up and found the form that we’ve seen in Madrid or Rome recently. His backhand will need to be solid again here as Filip Krajinovic is an improvement in terms of quality over his previous opponents. The Serbian’s solid baselining and taking time away will let him target that weakness if Auger-Aliassime isn’t on top of his game, so he needs to be careful. Auger-Aliassime in 4
Jakub: After coming out of the traps at a snail’s pace against Juan Pablo Varillas, Auger-Aliassime left nothing to chance against Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the second round, dropping just seven games. Krajinovic could be a tricky one, he took out Reilly Opelka without dropping a set and has played the Canadian close in all three of their previous clay match-ups, even beating him at Rome 2020. Auger-Aliassime should prevail but it will not be an easy one. Auger-Aliassime in 5
John Isner vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles
Damian: If Bernabe Zapata Miralles wins this match, he’ll most likely debut in the top 100 after Roland Garros. It’s been a long time coming with the Spaniard certainly possessing the quality. Battling against John Isner’s serve won’t be easy, but the American’s ground game didn’t look great in the first two rounds. Zapata Miralles has all the tools to drag him into one extended rally too many. Zapata Miralles in 5
Jakub: Zapata Miralles, the last qualifier standing at this Roland Garros, has been the American-slayer so far, taking out Michael Mmoh and more importantly, Taylor Fritz, in his two main draw rounds. He will get a chance to continue that streak against Isner. The American looked just okay in his wins over Quentin Halys and Gregoire Barrere. This match feels like it will go long but despite his recent record, I think Isner will hold his nerve and win out in the end. Isner in 5
Carlos Alcaraz vs Sebastian Korda
Damian: Their match in Monte Carlo was a bit of a horror show, mostly due to the windy conditions. Carlos Alcaraz surviving that early test against Albert Ramos-Vinolas should help him be ready for the rematch mentally. It also seems like in general, players with more grinding playstyles should have a better chance at upsetting the Spaniard right now than someone like Sebastian Korda. Alcaraz in 3
Jakub: One of the three people to defeat Alcaraz in his 33 matches this season, Korda is definitely not who the young Spaniard wants to see on the other side of the net. Korda is yet to drop a set with wins over John Millman and Richard Gasquet so will enter the match in a better physical position than Alcaraz after his four and a half hour battle against Albert Ramos-Vinolas, where he had to save a match point. I predicted the Spaniard as my favorite for the title to begin the week but I have a feeling Korda might take him out here. Korda in 4
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