Clay court talents Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas look to secure spots in the third round of the French Open on day 5 of the tournament. Our panelists predict every match on Thursday.
Casper Ruud vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Damian Kust: The first round turned out to be much tougher than expected for Casper Ruud and if he is to secure a huge run in this event, he’s going to have to be more confident in his backhand and play more sharply. Emil Ruusuvuori’s game on this surface can be very hit-or-miss and there’s probably going to be way too many of the latter to produce the upset here. Ruud in 3
Steen Kirby: Ruud won both meetings including a dominant display in Barcelona, Ruusuvuori had a nice first round result over Ugo Humbert but Ruud should continue to build momentum with an 8-1 record in his last nine matches quickly turning into a 9-1 record in his last 10. Ruud in 3
Steve Johnson vs Gilles Simon
Damian: It’s Gilles Simon’s last Roland Garros, but the veteran Frenchman made a stunning upset against Pablo Carreno Busta in the opening round. He actually gets a really winnable draw as Steve Johnson has only had one red clay match so far this year. Is this inspired performance in front of the crowd repeatable? It could be against this opponent. Simon in 5
Steen: Simon won their only meeting and pulled off a stunner in the first round over Pablo Carreno Busta. Johnson had a quality first round win but is simply not a great player on clay courts at this stage in his career, Simon has the crowd behind him and is playing with house money. Simon in 4
Alexander Bublik vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Damian: Alexander Bublik came out firing in his opening round against Arthur Rinderknech, making just 10 unforced errors in the whole match. The Kazakh is capable of producing good tennis on clay, even though he hates it. Miomir Kecmanovic should be able to evoke the bad feelings in him with his brutal consistency. Kecmanovic in 4
Steen: The pair split meetings but Kecmanovic just won in straights in Madrid on clay. Kecmanovic is a better clay court player and had an easy time in the first round, Bublik has a high ceiling but consistency isn’t his strong suit and clay rewards consistency more than any surface. Kecmanovic in 4
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Zdenek Kolar
Damian; Zdenek Kolar being here is already an amazing achievement, given how the Czech seems to be truly maximizing his potential thanks to all the hard work he’s put in. This is likely going to be a shock in terms of the difference in quality between Stefanos Tsitsipas and his previous opponents. Cool story, but the match is likely to be comfortable for the Greek. Tsitsipas in 3
Steen: The qualifier Kolar upset Lucas Pouille at a home tournament for Pouille, knocking off Tsitsipas would be an entirely different level for the Czech though. Tsitsipas had a great clay court season despite struggling against Lorenzo Musetti for long stretches in the first round. The Greek player should advance with less difficulty this time. Tsitsipas in 3
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