We wrap up the second round of both men’s and women’s singles on Day 5 of the French Open. On Thursday, we’ll find see who finishes out the Round of 32 lineup. As always, we here at LWOT share our thoughts on all of the matches for you. We split the day’s 16 matches between this article and three others–featuring Holger Rune vs Gael Monfils, Tommy Paul vs Nicolas Jarry, and Taylor Fritz vs Arthur Rinderknech. Predicting Thursday’s matches are Shane Black, Damian Kust, and Jack Edward. Who do you think will advance?
French Open Day 5 Men’s Predictions
Yannick Hanfmann vs Francisco Cerundolo
Shane:
No. 23 seed Francsico Cerundolo is a dark horse to advance deep into the second week in Paris. Yannick Hanfmann’s serve will keep him in it, but ultimately the Argentine’s ability to dig from the corners will lead him to victory.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 4
Damian:
Hanfmann finally got in as a lucky loser and that doesn’t make him any less dangerous. This could be one of the underrated ties of the round. Cerundolo is in some nice form himself and might not be one of the easiest seeds to upset right now. The free-flowing power of the Argentinian’s forehand can be something else at times.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 5
Jack:
Yannick Hanfmann will be feeling it in his legs after a long and winding road into the second round of the French Open. Francisco Cerundolo, meanwhile, is one of the few to get through his first round in under three hours and will be ready to punish any dips in the Hanfmann serve with his insane forehand. Hanfmann is a quality player but he would be forgiven for having ran out of steam.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3
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Jiri Lehecka vs Marcos Giron
Shane:
Marcos Giron has the level to hang with the best in Paris, but his consistency lags behind. The same can be said for Jiri Lehecka, who came to Paris having lost four consecutive matches. In what should be a very close battle, I favor the 21-year-old Czech’s variety.
Prediction: Lehecka in 5
Damian:
Lehecka was in a bit of a slump recently, but he managed to overcome that in his win against Struff. All the things we were saying about his improved shot selection and play in the forecourt at the beginning of the year still stand. If he can execute his game at a high standard, he should be coming through here.
Prediction: Lehecka in 4
Jack:
That’s a great win for Jiri Lehecka over Jan-Lennard Struff, though it’s tough to read too much into it. Historically, it’s been difficult to rely on the Czech star from match to match. Meanwhile, Marcos Giron dispatched Hamad Medjedovic in four one-sided sets, overcoming a short dip to knock out the dark horse with aplomb. The American isn’t to be underestimated going into this match—Lehecka will probably get the job done but it won’t be clinical.
Prediction: Lehecka in 5
Zhizhen Zhang vs Thiago Agustin Tirante
Shane:
Zhizhen Zhang and Thiago Agustin Tirante are both on the precipice of reaching the third round in a Slam for the first time. Tirante has had a successful Challenger season on the clay but will have to raise his level to best Zhang. I favor Zhang’s ability to win easy points off the serve and control baseline rallies.
Prediction: Zhang in 4
Damian:
Brilliant opportunity for both players and it should be a huge battle for control over the proceedings. The brute force of Zhang from both wins gives him the advantage, although if Tirante’s backhand is holding up like it’s been so far, he’s actually a bit more capable on the defense than his opponent.
Prediction: Zhang in 5
Jack:
Neither Zhizhen Zhang’s win over Dusan Lajovic or Thiago Agustin Tirante’s win over Botic Van De Zandschulp in the previous round is as impressive as it would have been even a month ago, the former ending in a retirement and the latter carrying mental scars from the Munich final. Still, between the two players, it’s Tirante’s game that looks a little more polished on this surface.
Prediction: Tirante in 5
Casper Ruud vs Giulio Zeppieri
Shane:
Casper Ruud has had an up-and-down season but has transitioned nicely onto his best surface, the clay. Giulio Zeppieri has been impressive in Paris, advancing through three qualifying rounds without dropping a set. However, Ruud’s baseline consistency on the clay will be too much to overcome.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Damian:
Zeppieri has improved so much this year and it would be vital for his progress to see him push Ruud here. He might do that if the lefty forehand is firing, but it’s also pretty unlikely that he’ll be able to keep it over the course of a best-of-five match. The Norwegian should be pretty safe here.
Prediction: Ruud in 4
Jack:
Giulio Zeppieri is no walk in the park for Casper Ruud. The young Italian swings with reckless abandon and could take the racket out of Ruud’s hands for some of the match. For all of the Norwegian’s problems this season, however, he’s still had some promising showings on the red dirt.
Prediction: Ruud in 4
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
