Expect plenty of entertaining tennis on day four at Roland Garros. There are 16 matches on the slate and, as ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Alexander Zverev vs Tomas Machac, Novak Djokovic vs Valentin Royer, and Joao Fonseca vs Dino Prizmic. But who will reach the third round at the French Open?
French Open Day 4 Predictions
Rafael Jodar vs James Duckworth
Ateet: Teenage sensation Rafael Jodar made his French Open debut in style as he dismantled Aleksandar Kovacevic. Jodar is already a dark horse in this tournament, and James Duckworth doesn’t have the weapons to stop him.
Prediction: Jodar in 3
Harsh: A lot of eyes are on Jodar as the Spaniard continues his meteoric rise through the rankings. He did not disappoint in his first round and he should be feeling highly confident about his chances against Duckworth. Expect Duckworth to struggle against an in form Jodar due to the shot quality that the Spaniard brings from the baseline.
Prediction: Jodar in 3
Zain: James Duckworth served well and showed his attacking tennis in the first round, but against Rafael Jodar, that is unlikely to help him out. Jodar has just been playing like a top-8 player since the start of the clay season, despite his young age and this being his first appearance at the French Open. In the first round, he had a statement victory, and I expect him to continue his run with another dominant win.
Prediction: Jodar in 3
Tommy Paul vs Lorenzo Sonego
Ateet: Lorenzo Sonego got a favourable first-round match, but he barely won it in the fifth set. His form has been terrible this season, and Tommy Paul should come through this comfortably.
Prediction: Paul in 3
Harsh: A mouth watering battle in the second round. Paul peaked at the right time to reach the finals at Hamburg right before the French Open and the American did start solidly here as well. Sonego has not had any momentum this year and despite a hard fought win in his first round, Paul is much more stronger off of both wings.
Prediction: Paul in 3
Zain: This is expected to be an exciting second-round clash, as both players employ aggressive styles from the back of the court. Sonego is marginally the more aggressive player, while Paul is the better defender, mover, and the more creative baseliner. In a baseline duel, I think Paul has the defensive capabilities to counterpunch Sonego, and if he does so effectively, he should advance to the third round.
Prediction: Paul in 4
Ugo Humbert vs Quentin Halys
Ateet: Ugo Humbert will face a countryman once again in the second round, but he won’t mind it. It’s a much better draw than facing a clay-courter who can expose Humbert’s game. However, Quentin Halys will feel the same way and must like his chances of making the third round once again. I have Halys going through based on the first-round performance.
Prediction: Halys in 5
Harsh: In the battle of the Frenchmen, Humbert starts as the favourite. Halys is a decent baseliner but Humbert has more variety and is the speedier of the two. Expect Humbert to be solid and get the victory.
Prediction: Humbert in 4
Zain: This all-French clash at the French Open is expected to have a passionate crowd behind it. While Humbert has the bigger weapons in this match, namely his forehand and serve, Halys is the more comfortable clay-court player of the two. I expect Halys to use that better clay pedigree to his advantage and lure Humbert into making uncharacteristic errors. If Halys manages to do that, his baseline game should be enough to carry him through to the third round.
Prediction: Halys in 4
Andrey Rublev vs Camilo Ugo Carabelli
Ateet: Andrey Rublev did well to not let his first-round match go to a fifth set, which looked extremely likely when Ignacio Buse served for the fourth set. He should expect another tough test against Camilo Ugo Carabelli, but his firepower and serve under the sun will prove to be too much for the Argentine.
Prediction: Rublev in 4
Harsh: Rublev survived a tough test in his first round taking out the Hamburg champion Buse. He now faces Ugo Carabelli who is pretty good clay courter but Rublev’s aggressive game style should be good enough to penetrate the defenses of the Argentinian.
Prediction: Rublev in 3
Zain: Rublev had one of the tougher first-round clashes against Ignacio Buse, which he did well to overcome in four sets. Now against Ugo Carabelli, another player who is a traditional clay-court grinder and likes to rely on heavy topspin, Rublev will need to be sharp from the get-go again. Although Ugo Carabelli should not be taken lightly on the slower clay surface, I still think Rublev’s serve and forehand advantages in this match-up are just too big to ignore.
Prediction: Rublev in 4
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
