After an entertaining start to the French Open, the first-round action will continue on day three with 20 matches on the schedule. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Casper Ruud vs Elias Ymer, Gael Monfils vs Sebastian Baez, Holger Rune vs Christopher Eubanks and Taylor Fritz vs Michael Mmoh. But who will book their place in the second round in Paris?
French Open Day 3 Predictions
Andrea Vavassori vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Jim: Andrea Vavassori, somewhat unusually for an Italian, is not really at his best on the clay. He does cover the court very well, however, which can serve him well on this surface. But he isn’t likely to grind Miomir Kecmanovic down over the course of five sets.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 4
Damian: Vavassori doesn’t really seem to have a clay-court-oriented style, but he can grind like the best and plays very intelligent tennis. Is that going to be enough against Kecmanovic? Probably not with the Serbian being so solid and unlikely to fall victim to Vavassori’s killer slice and variety.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 4
Jack: Vavassori is a dangerous qualifier. The Italian knows how to take the game into his own hands with his brave brand of serve and volley on a clay court. It might actually be a decent means of countering the unflinching solidity of Kecmanovic. Vavassori will probably give the Serbian a run for his money but this should fall the way of Kecmanovic.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 5
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Hugo Gaston vs Alex Molcan
Jim: Provided his body co-operates, Hugo Gaston should be right up for this match. The Frenchman loves playing in Paris and the conditions usually suit him well. But if he isn’t fully fit (and he probably isn’t), Molcan’s consistency should give the Slovakian the edge.
Prediction: Molcan in 4
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Damian: You just know this one will be full of drama. Gaston has produced in front of the home crowd on many occasions in the past and Molcan is definitely vulnerable at the moment. The Frenchman’s fitness is in doubt though and that could be an issue. It’s not a confident selection, but he usually overperforms here.
Prediction: Gaston in 5
Jack: The French crowd goes crazy for Gaston. Roland Garros and the Paris Masters in 2021 against Wawrinka and Alcaraz, respectively; Roland Garros against Alex De Minaur last year—Gaston knows how to channel the crowd and that cannot be underrated. For all of Alex Molcan’s clay court pedigree, I can easily see Gaston lighting up the spectators with his finesse.
Prediction: Gaston in 5
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Grigor Dimitrov vs Timofey Skatov
Jim: Roland Garros hasn’t been a particularly happy hunting ground for Grigor Dimitrov, but he should be feeling confident after reaching the final in Geneva and this looks like a winnable match for a player of his abilities.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 4
Damian: Right after making his first final in five years, Dimitrov should have some added confidence in Paris this year. Timofey Skatov was really out of form coming into the qualifying and even though he’s made it into the main draw, I’m not really sure he’s found it. He’s usually a bit too passive and the jump in quality will be huge here.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 4
Jack: Dimitrov and Roland Garros have never clicked. He has defeated one top 40 player (defeated Cilic in 2019) and lost to 10 over the course of his twelve appearances. He’ll be a little vulnerable in his first round against Skatov but should still have a high enough base level to get the job done.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 4
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Daniil Medvedev vs Thiago Seyboth Wild
Jim: This is a tough first-round draw for Daniil Medvedev – a player who barely a year ago was vocal in his complaints about being forced to endure clay-court tennis. His actual record on the surface isn’t bad, however, and wasn’t even before he won the title in Rome. Thiago Seyboth Wild is good enough to win a set, but Medvedev should have the edge.
Prediction: Medvedev in 4
Damian: What a terrible draw for Seyboth Wild, who would be a real dark horse in many other qualifier spots in the draw. His 2023 form has been absolutely remarkable and it’s basically what he was playing in Santiago three years ago, but repeated over a longer period of time. Medvedev will probably force him to overhit though.
Prediction: Medvedev in 4
Jack: Medvedev certainly could have been given an easier first-round draw than Seyboth Wild. The young Brazilian will come in with nothing to lose and won’t shy away from hitting as big as he can to get the win. For all of Seyboth Wild’s explosiveness, however, he won’t be able to lean on his first serve in this match-up. Rome was also no fluke from the world #2 whose clay court game has markedly improved this year.
Prediction: Medvedev in 3
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
