The third round of the men’s singles at the French Open begins on Day 6. There are eight matches scheduled for Friday, and our writers share their thoughts on all of them for you. We split the matches between this and a separate article. Predicting today’s matches are Jim Smith, Andreas Pelekis, and Jordan Reynolds.
French Open Day Predictions
Zizou Bergs vs Grigor Dimitrov
Jim:
This has the makings of a close contest. Grigor Dimitrov is the better player, and vastly more experienced, but he can struggle on the clay and has never been past the third round in Paris. The heavy conditions will not help him either. That said, he has managed them expertly so far and whilst the power of Zizou Bergs will pose him a different challenge, the Bulgarian should have just about enough to advance.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 5
Andreas:
Dimitrov’s renaissance in 2024 has continued in Paris, as he’s yet to drop a set in two matches. For Bergs, he reached the third round of the French Open for the first time of his career. Bergs has an aggressive style of play that should match Dimitrov’s power, but it’s hard to bet against the Bulgarian in this one.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 3
Jordan:
Bergs has already enjoyed a great tournament and can swing freely in this match. Dimitrov will need to be on his game, with Bergs capable of exploiting his weaker backhand on clay. Overall, though, Dimitrov’s serve and forehand should still be able to get him out of trouble.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 4
Hubert Hurkacz vs Denis Shapovalov
Jim:
Hubert Hurkacz is playing the best clay-court tennis of his career to date, whilst Denis Shapovalov has found a rich vein of form and looked very sharp in ousting the 25th (and admittedly short of form) Frances Tiafoe in the second round. If Shapovalov can temper his power with some accuracy, he could well win this match, but he will also need to return very well and that area of his game remains a weakness that a player of Hurkacz’s quality could exploit.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 4
Andreas:
In one of the tournament’s more entertaining second round matches, Shapovalov took out Frances Tiafoe in four sets to reach this stage of the event; this clay court season almost seems like a small renaissance for him. Hurkacz hasn’t been at his best this tournament, but winning a close four-setter against Brandon Nakashima should give him some confidence. A win on Friday for Hurkacz would get him into the fourth round of the French Open for the second time.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 4
Jordan:
It is great to see Shapovalov finding some form again. He defeated Frances Tiafoe in the last round, but his tournament will probably end here. Even on a clay-court, Shapovalov’s backhand return is a big issue for him against Hurkacz’s huge serve. That is likely to be the difference in this matchup.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 4
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Zhizhen Zhang
Jim:
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ level has been slightly up-and-down over the clay-court swing but that is often the way with the Greek and he would surely have taken a title in Monte Carlo, runner-up in Barcelona and quarterfinal showing in Rome coming into Paris. Zhang Zhizhen is playing some very fine tennis himself, but the Greek’s clay-court nous should give him a decisive edge here.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 4
Andreas:
Tsitsipas looks good in this year’s French Open, a tournament that has traditionally been his best. He should be the heavy favorite against Zhang, who hasn’t played a Top 10 player since February. It will be interesting to see how the Greek’s backhand holds up, a shot that continues to hamper Tsitsipas in big moments.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
Jordan:
Zhang is a danger to any player in the world when he finds his best level. But clay is Tsitsipas’ best surface for dealing with the challenge that he poses. The Greek can protect his backhand more effectively, which will give Zhang less opportunities to attack.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 4
Jannik Sinner vs Pavel Kotov
Jim:
Pavel Kotov has had a fine tournament, but with the way Jannik Sinner has been playing so far at the French Open, and indeed so far in 2024, there can surely only be one winner. Sinner’s combination of power from the baseline and athleticism should give him far too much for Kotov.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Andreas:
Kotov has had a breakout Roland Garros, reaching the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time after wins over Cameron Norrie and Stan Wawrinka. Nearly in the Top 50, he’ll have the odds stacked against him with Jannik Sinner playing some of the best tennis of his career. Sinner should be the heavy favorite here.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Jordan:
Kotov’s big serve and his shotmaking make this a tricky test for the world No. 2. Sinner’s first round opponent Christopher Eubanks has a similar style to Kotov, although the Russian is more comfortable on clay. But I think Kotov will struggle to create chances on Sinner’s serve, which will leave him under pressure throughout the contest.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
