Men’s tennis action continues on Day 5 at the Paris Olympics as the Round of 16 kicks off and concludes with eight men’s singles matches around the Roland Garros grounds. We have a separate article featuring the other four matches, including Novak Djokovic vs. Dominik Koepfer. As always, we at LWOT will provide our roundtable predictions for all Day 5 matches. But who will advance to the quarterfinals?
Paris Olympics Day 5 Men’s Predictions
Alexander Zverev vs Alexei Popyrin
Shane
Zverev is the reigning Gold medal winner, and frankly, I like his chances of repeating. He is 18-2 in his last 20 clay-court matches and is undoubtedly one of the best in the world on this surface.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
Ateet
Zverev struggled a little bit in the hot conditions in his second-round match but will be pleased to win in straight sets. His serve was as good as ever and got him out of trouble in crucial moments. Popyrin got a fantastic win against Stan Wawrinka but Zverev’s level might prove to be too much for the Australian player.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
Jordan
Popyrin’s huge serve means he can never be completely ruled out of a match. Nonetheless, Zverev’s high level this year makes this is a tough ask for be Australian. I doubt Popyrin will create many chances on Zverev’s serve, which will leave him under constant pressure.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
Damian
Zverev is looking great so far and will be tough to stop and another final run at this venue is looking very doable. Doesn’t seem like Popyrin will be a big problem. The Australian is perfectly fine on clay, but you have to be so consistent to defeat a world-class defender like Zverev and that will likely prove too tough for him.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
Casper Ruud vs Francisco Cerundolo
Shane
This should be a treat between two players who absolutely love the clay. Both guys had to grind through a three-setter last round but should be ready to go after a day of rest. We know how much Ruud loves Roland Garros, but Cerundolo’s recent form is hard to ignore. Give me the Argentine in a mini upset at the Paris Olympics.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3
Ateet
Casper Ruud struggles against serve and volley net-rushers and Andrea Vavassori made his life tough. Vavassori was serving huge and Ruud was a little on edge but he figured out some patterns to get comfortable and won comfortably in the end. The match with Francisco Cerundolo will be completely different, with both clay-court specialists, having big forehands as their main weapon. Cerundolo is coming off a title win and should be pretty confident. Ruud hasn’t played his best so far and I can see an upset potential.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3
Jordan
Cerundolo is one of the most in-form players in the world on clay right now. His explosive forehand and athleticism are likely to push Ruud hard. The two-time French Open runner-up also needs to play better than his last round. However, the Norwegian usually finds a way to get through the early rounds on clay, and I will back him to do that again.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Damian
Cerundolo has done very well at this venue the past two years and although he’s coming off that title run in Umag that ended on Saturday, he still managed to make the third round. This is where things might get tricky with the accumulated fatigue, even if Ruud has been looking vulnerable so far.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Tommy Paul vs Corentin Moutet
Shane
Paul is a dark horse to medal in these Games. He has dropped just 11 games in two matches and continues to be one of the most consistent players on tour. You never know what you are going to get with Moutet, which makes it impossible to pick him in this match. Since January, Paul has lost just once to a player ranked outside the top 50.
Prediction: Paul in 2
Ateet
Tommy Paul is slowly becoming a threat on every surface and will be hard to stop for anyone this week. He lost just three games against Jakub Mensik to reach the third round. Corentin Moutet did not play his second-round match as Jan-Lennard Strufff withdrew before the match. Moutet is the last hope of the home crowd and will give his all to reach the quarterfinals. Both these players play with a lot of variety but Paul is more consistent and will hurt Moutet’s serve.
Prediction: Paul in 3
Jordan
Paul will have to contend with a passionate French crowd supporting the last local player in the draw. The American is pretty good at keeping his cool in all atmospheres though, and that will help him here. There will be many long rallies between two men who do not possess overwhelming firepower, but Paul is likely to be the more consistent player.
Prediction: Paul in 2
Damian
Moutet received a walkover from Struff and should be pretty fresh for that match, we also know how dangerous he can be at this venue with the fired-up crowd. Paul seems to be a pretty tricky opponent for him though as the American has decent power to help him get easy points and also the athletic + shotmaking skills to respond to all the variety.
Prediction: Paul in 2
Carlos Alcaraz vs Roman Safiullin
Shane
Alcaraz should love his chances to reach the Gold medal match with other elite clay-courters like Djokovic, Zverev, and Tsitsipas on the other side of the draw. Safiullin dispatched the Spaniard in two sets at the Paris Masters last October, which should give Alcaraz more fuel for revenge at the Paris Olympics.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 2
Ateet
Alcaraz would be pleased to win his second-round match against Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets. Griekspoor played incredibly in the second set and Alcaraz was struggling on his serve but raised his level in the tiebreak to win. Roman Safiullin made a big statement to Bagel Tomas Martin Etcheverry who loves to play on clay. Safiullin has beaten Alcaraz but I expect the Spaniard to win on clay.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 2
Jordan
I expect this to be the most one-sided of the third-round matches. There is nothing Safiullin does better than Alcaraz, especially on clay. The French Open champion to progress easily.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 2
Damian
Safiullin getting to that third round is already a bit of a surprise as he’s not a master of the clay and hasn’t been doing well this season in general. Now that he’s facing Alcaraz though, it’s getting even tougher to imagine him making his way forward in the event. The title favorite should keep rolling.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
