After two great days of tennis, the first round draws to a close on day three at Roland Garros. There are 20 matches on the schedule and, as ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Casper Ruud vs Elias Ymer, Daniil Medvedev vs Thiago Seyboth Wild, Holger Rune vs Christopher Eubanks and Taylor Fritz vs Michael Mmoh. But who will book their spot in the second round?
French Open Day 3 Predictions
Gael Monfils vs Sebastian Baez
Jim: Has Gael Monfils got one last burst of magic in him? Based on his recent showings, the answer to that question appears to be no. Sebastian Baez’s confidence is probably still low, but it would be a real surprise to see Monfils trouble the Argentine here.
Prediction: Baez in 3
Damian: One of the cases where we might see a close match depending on how much Monfils can get from the crowd support and the magic of Roland Garros. But regardless of that, based on the last few performances he’s had, it’s hard to see him winning this in the longer format simply from a fitness standpoint.
Prediction: Baez in 4
Jack: Monfils won’t go down quietly. He’s shown his level is returning slowly but surely, taking a set off of established clay courter Pedro Cachin last week in Lyon. Baez isn’t the man you want to play, however, if you are at all struggling with your physicality. The crowd will rally the Frenchman and Baez’s level will likely yo-yo but the Argentinian should ultimately succeed in exhausting the former world #6.
Prediction: Baez in 4
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Jordan Thompson vs Max Purcell
Jim: Neither man exactly took the classic route to prepare for the French Open – spending their time playing on hard courts in Asia rather than on the European clay. That should make the playing field reasonably level. Which counts in Jordan Thompson’s favour. His game is better-suited to these conditions and he beat Purcell handily when they played last.
Prediction: Thompson in 4
Damian: They’ve just recently played in a Challenger final and Purcell put in a terrible showing. That was on hard courts though and this match could be completely different. That said, Thompson remains the favorite as of the two Australians, his game is the one which seems to translate to the dirt a bit more effectively.
Prediction: Thompson in 4
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Jack: Both Purcell and Thompson opted for the hard-court swing of East Asia instead of playing clay court warm-up events. They’re both in a similar boat in that the winner will likely get knocked out in the next round. I actually quite like Purcell’s all-court game for finishing off points on this speed of court so I’ll back him to take out his compatriot relatively comfortably.
Prediction: Purcell in 3
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Tommy Paul vs Dominic Stricker
Jim: Tommy Paul has not hit the heights on the clay so far this season – his best effort being a final showing at the Aix-En-Provence Challenger. But he will probably benefit from playing best-of-five set tennis and should have the athleticism to contain the debutant Dominic Stricker’s power.
Prediction: Paul in 4
Damian: The fact that this is Stricker’s first Slam main draw and he still hasn’t been inside the top 100 is so surprising given his potential. After losing to Thiago Tirante in the final qualifying round, he had to enter the event through the back door. Now that he’s here though, this is a winnable match against Paul, whose clay season hasn’t worked out well so far.
Prediction: Stricker in 5
Jack: Paul hasn’t been close this clay season to the athletic heights he’s reached on hard-courts. A lot of his main weapons are stifled which might allow Stricker to impose his own game on the American. Paul is talented enough to tame Stricker’s power but there will be plenty of bumps in the road.
Prediction: Paul in 5
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Quentin Halys vs Guido Pella
Jim: Quentin Halys is finally living up to his promise, with his easy power making him a real threat on any surface. Once upon a time, Guido Pella’s consistency and court coverage might have enabled him to grind Halys down. But Pella isn’t the player he was before developing Morton’s neuroma.
Prediction: Halys in 3
Damian: Halys withdrew from his last couple of events, so there’s not much info on the physical shape he’ll be in. If he’s fine, then this is a great opportunity for him. It looks like Pella’s comeback will not be that meaningful – so far he’s mostly just collecting the paycheques for first-round exits.
Prediction: Halys in 4
Jack: The numbers Halys posts on his serve are a joke, even on this surface. He’s impressed me so much with his level whilst Pella’s slow return from injury will leave him a little off his best. Halys should showcase how he’s been defeating some of the best players in the world recently.
Prediction: Halys in 4
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
