The second round starts on Day 4 of the 2023 French Open. We get to see 16 matches on Wednesday as players try to advance to the Round of 32. Who do you think will move on? As always, our writers share their thoughts on who will win. We split the day’s 16 matches between three articles. In addition to this article, our others feature Carlos Alcaraz vs Taro Daniel, Andrey Rublev vs Corentin Moutet, and Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Roberto Carballes Baena. Predicting this set of matches are Jakub Bobro, Damian Kust, and Jack Edward.
French Open Day 4 Predictions
Lucas Pouille vs Cameron Norrie
Jakub:
Norrie’s opening win over Benoit Paire provides little confidence for the Brit’s chances here after a mediocre clay spring. Pouille is in the best form in years, feeding off the energy of the home crowd and delivering back-to-back wins over Jurij Rodionov. If he brings that level, I can definitely see Pouille taking it here.
Prediction: Pouille in 5
Damian:
After one match with an inspired Frenchman, Norrie gets another one. This one might be even tougher with a less risky playstyle, but scandalous amounts of talent as well. I don’t know if Pouille will hold up physically as this is his first run in a while but if he does, he’s got every chance of winning this match.
Prediction: Pouille in 5
Jack:
Lucas Pouille is turning into the home crowd’s story of the fortnight. He was down and out and now he’s been pulled back to his feet by a phenomenal run through qualifying to the second round. Can he ride that wave into what would be an applaudable upset over Cam Norrie? I think the Frenchman will approach this match with enough of a gung-ho attitude.
Prediction: Pouille in 5
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Fabio Fognini vs Jason Kubler
Jakub:
Fognini ousted Felix Auger-Aliassime with the Canadian suffering some health and fitness struggles. Kubler battled past lucky loser Facundo Diaz Acosta in five sets and though the Australian is a solid player, Fognini can set himself up for a nice “last dance” run here if he shows up for this match.
Prediction: Fognini in 4
Damian:
Fognini defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime, but the Canadian was struggling with a hamstring injury and some bug. However, this could be just the opening the Italian needs here. Kubler is in pretty mediocre form and while he can play on clay, he doesn’t quite have the upside of his opponent.
Prediction: Fognini in 5
Jack:
Fabio Fognini’s win over Felix Auger-Aliassime wasn’t as surprising in hindsight. The Canadian was battling a stomach bug that left him feeling physically wary. Fognini can still play beautiful tennis, however, and should be able to find an appropriate level to dispatch Jason Kubler, an Aussie with no Top 50 wins on clay.
Prediction: Fognini in 5
Karen Khachanov vs Radu Albot
Jakub:
Khachanov got absolutely played off the court by Constant Lestienne in the first two sets, winning just four games against the Frenchman, who was recovering from injury. Once Lestienne started to run out of gas, Khachanov stepped in and dropped just six more games. Albot took out American wild card Patrick Kypson but I don’t expect an upset here.
Prediction: Khachanov in 4
Damian:
Khachanov didn’t have a clue how to deal with Constant Lestienne’s variety in the opening round and only the Frenchman’s fitness saved him there. Luckily for him, magicians like that aren’t really common in the French Open field. Albot is a very nice draw and someone he should feel a lot more comfortable playing against.
Prediction: Khachanov in 3
Jack:
Karen Khachanov overcame a slow start against Constant Lestienne and he now looks primed to exploit very slow conditions in Paris. Radu Albot will likely struggle against the consistently heavy shots of the Russian. Khachanov should be very comfortable this fortnight.
Prediction: Khachanov in 3
Novak Djokovic vs Marton Fucsovics
Jakub:
Djokovic played a solid opener against Aleksandar Kovacevic, an exciting player with little red clay experience. Fucsovics will be a step up from that, managing to win a set in all of their non-grass meetings. The Hungarian overcame Hugo Grenier in his opener and should push Djokovic a bit more.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Damian:
This has always been a competitive matchup and it should tell us more about Djokovic’s form than his first round did. But while it was always competitive, the winner was always the same. Expect something similar with Fucsovics making the Serbian uncomfortable for a while, but being unable to keep it up.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Jack:
Novak Djokovic’s first match against Alexsandar Kovacevic told us very little about his current form. Marton Fucsovics will be able to give us a few more answers. The Hungarian’s sturdy groundstrokes could prove difficult for the Serb if he’s not feeling confident in his offensive strikes. Djokovic tends to find a way in the early rounds, however, no matter the circumstances.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
