We wrap up the men’s and women’s first rounds on Day 3 of the French Open. 20 women will book their places in the second round on Tuesday. But who will those women be? As always, we here at LWOT share our thoughts on the matches for you. We split all 20 of the matches between five articles. Our other four articles for Day 3 feature Victoria Azarenka vs Bianca Andreescu, Iga Swiatek vs Cristina Bucsa, Elena Rybakina vs Brenda Fruhvirtova, and Ons Jabeur vs Lucia Bronzetti. Predicting this set of matches are Jack Edward, Shane Black, and Yesh Ginsburg.
French Open Day 3 Predictions
Linda Noskova vs Danka Kovinic
Jack:
Linda Noskova has a big enough game to excel on all surfaces. There are, however, more experienced clay courters that should be able to outmanoeuvre the 18-year-old at this stage in her career. Danka Kovinic isn’t that player—she won’t quite be able to hit big enough to stop Noskova from imposing herself.
Prediction: Noskova in 3
Jim:
Kovinic should not be underestimated, but Noskova has been capturing attention this season and rightly so. The future is clearly bright for the Czech and up against Kovinic, the here-and-now should be looking pretty good too.
Prediction: Noskova in 3
Yesh:
Kovinic has her moments, but Noskova has very quietly become a potential star. Will this be the Czech’s breakout performance? I don’t know. But there’s a solid chance.
Prediction: Noskova in 2
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Xinyu Wang vs Marie Bouzkova
Jack:
There will be tournaments at which Xinyu Wang will dominate using her serve—Roland Garros is not that tournament. Marie Bouzkova should be able to grind her lesser experienced foe off the court.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 2
Jim:
Bouzkova has had some very fine results over the course of her career, but one can’t help but want a bit more from the Czech particularly at the Slams. Just improving on her best showing of reaching the second round last year would be a start. With the protection of a seeding and not the worst first-round draw, that should be an achievable goal for Bouzkova.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 3
Yesh:
If Marie Bouzkova was consistently healthy, she’d be a contender at every Major. Unfortunately for her and the sport, she’s not. But she looks really good right now, and with no injury concerns she might be able to finally make the most of her potential here.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 2
Rebecca Peterson vs Fiona Ferro
Jack:
Things are looking brighter for Fiona Ferro, a former top 40 player. She made the final in Bellinzona and she made it through French Open qualifying against fairly challenging opponents. Rebecca Peterson isn’t the most explosive player in the world—with Ferro’s stock rising, there is a real opportunity for her to make the second round.
Prediction: Ferro in 2
Jim:
It’s good to see Ferro back in the main draw at a Slam. The Frenchwoman has had other matters than her tennis career to contend with, but she is a much better player than her current ranking of 465th in the world suggests and showed as much by coming through the qualifying. With Peterson low on confidence, this should be a winnable match for Ferro.
Prediction: Ferro in 3
Yesh:
Ferro’s ranking has plummeted due to some time away from the courts, but her run in qualifying showed that she’s right back where she was when she stepped away. Expect a statement from the Frenchwoman in this one.
Prediction: Ferro in 3
Coco Gauff vs Rebeka Masarova
Jack:
Coco Gauff’s form has been nothing close to last year’s when she made the French Open final. Her lack of confidence on the forehand has seeped into the rest of her game, impacting on her usually solid defensive game. Rebeka Masarova won’t have the repeated firepower to dispatch Gauff but there will likely be rocky moments as the American struggles to find her footing.
Prediction: Gauff in 3
Jim:
Gauff probably hasn’t been playing well enough this season to expect a repeat of her run to the final, but it would also be a real surprise if she lost this match. There is a work for the American to do on the fundamentals of her game, but the player she is right now is still good enough to beat Masarova.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Yesh:
Gauff hasn’t quite been in the form that saw her reach the final last year, but she’s not far enough off for Masarova to be a real threat. Expect the American to move on.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
