Day 2 at the 2017 French Open will feature tournament favorite Rafael Nadal against home hero Benoit Paire, plus young gun Alexander Zverev battling with Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco. Other names in action include Americans Jack Sock and Bjorn Fratangelo, plus French grinder Gilles Simon. Steen Kirby and Yesh Ginsburg are on hand to offer their previews, with predictions.
(4)Rafael Nadal vs. Benoit Paire
Steen: Nadal is coming off three clay titles this Spring, while Paire has never taken a set off the Spanish #1 and hasn’t been at his best form in quite some time. Rafa is resurgent and should show it, muscling his way past a home favorite in routine fashion. Nadal in 3
Yesh: Once upon a time, Benoit Paire might have been a player that people thought could challenge Nadal on clay. Not beat him, but at least challenge him. Now? He’ll be lucky if this match lasts two hours. Nadal in 3
(31)Gilles Simon vs Nikoloz Basilashvili
Steen: Simon and Basilashvili have had poor clay court seasons but they both made decent runs in Lyon prior to this week. The veteran Frenchman is far from elite these days, but he’s still hard to put away. Basilashvili is rising, but he should perform better on hard courts, and Simon will likely grind his way to a win in best of 5. Simon in 5
Yesh: Gilles Simon is a grinder, and he can wear down all but the biggest hitters on clay. He’s far from his peak, but he won’t need it to win this match. Simon in 4
Feliciano Lopez vs. (Q)Bjorn Fratangelo
Steen: Lopez beat Fratangelo in Houston this year but as usual he hasn’t had a great clay court season, and this is his worst surface. Fratangelo is good on clay, which is rare for an American, and came through qualifying. Lopez isn’t easy to break, but look for Fratangelo to edge this. Fratangelo in 4
Yesh: Bjorn Fratangelo was named after the greatest clay-courter ever (at least, at the time he was named) and started living up to that by winning the French Open Juniors a few years back. This young gun is talented, and Feliciano Lopez is vulnerable on clay. Fratangelo in 5
(9)Alexander Zverev vs. Fernando Verdasco
Steen: The red hot Zverev has a win against Verdasco this year and the Spaniard has had a rough season. A young player on the rise like Zverev should be winning matches like this, while Verdasco is a declining veteran who is unlikely to be able to keep up against Zverev’s comprehensive game, including his solid backhand. Zverev in 3
Yesh: Zverev is coming off a huge win in Rome and got a bit of a poor draw in Fernando Verdasco. Verdasco can beat anyone at his best, which unfortunately is a rare occurrence these days. Still, he has the game and experience to make the youngster work for it. Zverev in 4
(14)Jack Sock vs. Jiri Vesely
Steen: Sock has two wins this year against Vesely and has developed his game better than his Czech counterpart. Sock usually beats lower ranked players on clay, and only struggles against some of the best players on the surface. Short of Vesely channeling his best tennis, the American should win this. Sock in 4
Yesh: Jack Sock is probably the best American to play on clay since Andre Agassi, which isn’t saying much. He just hasn’t managed to put it together well to make a deep run at the French Open. Jiri Vesely is a good test for him. Sock’s forehand is lethal on clay. Sock in 4
Main Photo:
