The second round of the women’s singles wraps up on Day 5 of the French Open. We get 16 great matches on Thursday, but who will reach the third round. As always, our writers share their thoughts on all of the matches. We split the 16 matches between four articles–the other three feature Coco Gauff vs Tereza Valentova, Madison Keys vs Katie Boulter, and Victoria Azarenka vs Sofia Kenin. Predicting these matches are Jordan Reynolds, Damian Kust, and Manuel Traquete. Who do you think will advance?
French Open Day 5 Predictions
Paula Badosa vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Jordan:
Badosa defeated Naomi Osaka in a thrilling opening round battle, but she cannot afford any complacency here. Ruse plays her best tennis on clay and will try to rip her forehand at every opportunity. It would not surprise me if Badosa got pushed hard and had to play well in crucial moments to progress.
Prediction: Badosa in 3
Damian:
Ruse loves to threaten a Grand Slam upset and she was completely bossing the match against Badosa at the US Open before coming up just short. The Spaniard was struggling with her chronic back issue again recently, but when healthy she’s playing the best tennis of her career. Tough to side against her after a confidence-building win over Osaka.
Prediction: Badosa in 2
Manuel:
Badosa managed to come through a very tricky first round against Naomi Osaka and will surely be extremely motivated now to go on a strong run here. On paper, this second round should cause her far less issues than her opening match.
Prediction: Badosa in 2
Nao Hibino vs Hailey Baptiste
Jordan:
Both women caused surprises in the opening round. Baptiste beat the seeded and recent semifinalist in Strasbourg Beatriz Haddad Maia, while Hibino defeated Mutua Madrid Open quarterfinalist Moyuka Uchijima. Expect plenty of lengthy rallies between two women who do not hit with overwhelming power. I favor Baptiste slightly more in this matchup.
Prediction: Baptiste in 3
Damian:
Hibino has been on a tear since saving a match point against Andreescu in the qualifying, going on to upset Uchijima in the opening round. Again, this doesn’t seem as lopsided as it looks on paper and while I’m not really sure how this will go, I’ll side with the Japanese to continue this magical run.
Prediction: Hibino in 3
Manuel:
Hibino spent seven hours on court in qualifying to make the main draw but still managed to beat her countrywoman Uchijima in the first round to make it here. It has already been quite a successful tournament for her but this should be the end of the line against a Baptiste who played excellent tennis to overcome Haddad Maia in the first round.
Prediction: Baptiste in 2
Anhelina Kalinina vs Lois Boisson
Jordan:
Kalinina destroyed Elina Avanesyan in the last round, but this matchup is entirely different. Avanesyan gave Kalinina time on her shots, which is when the Ukrainian thrives most. Boisson’s big-hitting style that took out Elise Mertens is a change that Kalinina will have to cope with. Despite Boisson being ranked outside the Top 300, I feel she could cause another upset in front of her home fans.
Prediction: Boisson in 3
Damian:
After the disappointment of getting injured last year just before Roland Garros and not making an appearance despite insane form, Boisson is back with a bang after defeating Elise Mertens in the opening round. The magic might continue here–Kalinina’s fine but not really a world-beater at the moment.
Prediction: Boisson in 3
Manuel:
It’s not every day you see a #113 vs #361 matchup at a Slam, but at least it should be very interesting and unpredictable. Boisson played really well in the first round and if she keeps that up she might well continue her dream run.
Prediction: Boisson in 3
Mirra Andreeva vs Ashlyn Krueger
Jordan:
Krueger’s best chance against Andreeva would be on a fast court when her serve and groundstrokes are firing. Defeating the 18-year-old on the clay in Paris seems highly unlikely. Andreeva possesses the athleticism and defense to soak up pressure and then strike at the right times.
Prediction: Andreeva in 2
Damian:
Krueger demolished Andreeva at the US Open last year, but the Russian phenom has made so much improvement since. She’s also likely to be able to handle the firepower much better on clay and should be able to rely on instinct in this matchup. If she holds up mentally at this event, she could even go all the way.
Prediction: Andreeva in 2
Manuel:
Andreeva has been rising up fast and is expected by many to win a Grand Slam title soon. Based on what she showed at this tournament last year, she is most definitely a contender to get it done here and should be able to clear this round with relative ease.
Prediction: Andreeva in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
