American hopes are usually not strong at the French Open but Reilly Opelka remains in contention against faces Daniil Medvedev as he seeks a third round upset, while Steve Johnson will take on Pablo Carreno Busta. Our panel has all of your predictions for day 6.
Daniil Medvedev vs Reilly Opelka
Damian Kust: Medvedev is looking better than expected but it’s not like he’s a title contender all of a sudden. Neither is Opelka, but the conditions seem to really suit the American this year, allowing him a lot of time to set up the killer forehand. Medvedev is usually among the better retrievers in the game but on clay, his shots can often lack penetration. Very contrasting styles, so it should be lots of fun. Opelka in 5
Yesh Ginsburg: Before the tournament, I expected Opelka to advance from this match. Medvedev has looked impressive on the clay here so far, though, which makes me less sure. Medvedev in 5
Pablo Carreno Busta vs Steve Johnson
Damian: What a crazy run this has been from Johnson and looking at Carreno Busta’s shaky performance against Couacaud, he might even have a decent chance here. For a player that hadn’t won a match on clay in two years, not so bad. The Spaniard should find a way but it won’t be as comfortable as we would have thought before the tournament started. Carreno Busta in 4
Yesh: Steve Johnson has come through two amazing five-setters, but he’ll be out of gas by now. It would be awesome to see another win, but don’t expect it. Carreno Busta in 4
Fabio Fognini vs Federico Delbonis
Damian: Fognini was at his focused best in the first two rounds, while Delbonis has the most match wins on clay this year out of anyone. That should lead to a tight match, especially as the Italian leads their head-to-head on the dirt 4-3. His ceiling is probably higher than his opponent’s, but he’s also much more unstable. Enjoy. Fognini in 5
Yesh: Fabio Fognini looks locked in, and that makes him a danger to just about everyone in the draw. Fognini in 3
Alexander Zverev vs Laslo Djere
Damian: We’ve kind of gotten used to Zverev not looking great in the first round of majors, yet somehow pulling through. Expect the same here against an opponent who lacks the firepower of his previous opponents but has a lot more rally tolerance. Zverev’s serve should be a huge asset in this matchup. Zverev in 4
Yesh: Zverev has been playing poorly this tournament. His talent and huge serve have pushed him through, but he’s finally facing an opponent who is both talented and likes the clay. The German needs to up his game or he’ll be bounced here. Djere in 4
Main Photo:
