The first day of the French Open saw plenty of upsets, and Day 2 definitely has potential for more of the same. As always, we’re here to predict all of the matches for you. We’re splitting the day’s 24 matches between six articles. In addition to this article, our others feature Amanda Anisimova vs Naomi Osaka, Oceane Dodin vs Andrea Petkovic, Victoria Azarenka vs Ana Bogdan, Bianca Andreescu vs Ysaline Bonaventure, and Iga Swiatek vs Lesia Tsurenko. Predicting these matches are Jim Smith, Yesh Ginsburg, and Andy Watson. Who do you think will win?
French Open Day 2 Women’s Predictions
Maryna Zanevska vs Qinwen Zheng
Jim:
Maryna Zanevska put together a solid run to the quarterfinals last week in Strasbourg, continuing what has been a largely impressive season for the Belgian. Zheng Qinwen, meanwhile, clearly has a bright future, but she has won just one match since the Indian Wells Open in March. Expect Zanevska to have too much for the teenager here.
Prediction: Zanevska in 2
Yesh:
Each player here has a chance to make a statement at a Major, which is rare for them. This will be up to who finds her game first and more often. Zanevska naturally likes the clay better, but Zheng is more consistent.
Prediction: Zheng in 3
Andy:
Zheng is a great talent but more suited to the hard courts at the moment whereas Zanevska certainly knows her way around on the red dirt having won 79% of her clay court matches in the last twelve months.
Prediction: Zanevska in 2
Leolia Jeanjean vs Nuria Parrizas-Diaz
Jim:
It will be interesting to see how wild card Leolia Jeanjean acquits herself here. It is something of a free hit for the 26-year-old, who will be making her Grand Slam debut. That could make her dangerous, but Nuria Parrizas Diaz is an experienced campaigner and, like most of her compatriots, at home on the clay. She should have enough to get past the Frenchwoman.
Prediction: Parrizas-Diaz in 2
Yesh:
Jeanjean got a wild card here, and she’s been decent enough in ITF tournaments in France recently. Unfortunately, that’s nowhere near enough to challenge a good clay court player like Parrizas-Diaz.
Prediction: Parrizas-Diaz in 2
Andy:
The French wild card gets a great chance here to play at Roland-Garros for the first time at 26. It’ll be a tough assignment though as Parrizas-Diaz is a player established in the top 100. She is an experienced clay court player and will be too solid for the debutant in this match.
Prediction: Parrizas-Diaz in 2
Irina-Camelia Begu vs Jasmine Paolini
Jim:
Jasmine Paolini had been making impressive strides, but she has lost way of late and comes into this year’s French Open without a win to her name on the European clay in 2022. She has faced some tough draws, but it still does not inspire much confidence in her chances up against the experienced Irina-Camelia Begu.
Prediction: Begu in 2
Yesh:
Paolini is rising in 2022, while Begu looks towards the back end of her career. I’ll take Paolini to have a chance at a real run here.
Prediction: Paolini in 3
Andy:
This will be a tight match. I just about favor Begu as she has the more solid serve and it could come down to who can get one or two cheaper points on serve at the death.
Prediction: Begu in 3
Angelique Kerber vs Magdalena Frech
Jim:
Angelique Kerber made a welcome return to form in Strasbourg and will be hoping to continue that revival at the French Open. Magdalena Frech has also been playing some solid tennis of late, reaching a semifinal and a quarterfinal in her last two outings, albeit below tour-level. Still, that suggests that she has enough to challenge the German, but perhaps not quite enough to beat her.
Prediction: Kerber in 3
Yesh:
Kerber looked like she was on her way out of the game a while ago, but just made a very impressive run to the title in Strasbourg. She’s found her clay form and should be fine until she meets more elite players.
Prediction: Kerber in 2
Andy:
If this match had taken place last week then I think I would’ve predicted Frech to win. But since then Kerber has gone and won a title and looks back to somewhere near her (current) best. If Kerber can replicate her form here then Frech doesn’t have the game to win.
Prediction: Kerber in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
