Alexander Zverev stares down a tough second round match against Sebastian Baez at the French Open, our panelists have predictions for every day 4 match as the men’s second round singles gets underway at Roland Garros.
Sebastian Baez vs Alexander Zverev
Yesh Ginsburg: Sebastian Baez is a future star, slowly improving. Giving a scare to the #3 seed would be a huge step for him. I think he’s ready to take that step–and more. Baez in 5
Damian Kust: The two have already played a very tight match in Rome this year, one that was decided by a very tight opening set tie-break. Sebastian Baez will have his chances here, but can he pull off the upset? Alexander Zverev has been very consistent at beating lower-ranked opposition recently, but the Grand Slams have had him come up with some poor performances in the past. He’s the favorite, but it shouldn’t come easy. Zverev in 5
Grigor Dimitrov vs Borna Coric
Yesh: I think we’re past the point of waiting for Grigor Dimitrov to put it all together and win big tournaments, but he’s still incredibly talented and playing reasonably well at the moment. Dimitrov in 3
Damian: These two have surprisingly never played an official match before, but in general, this would have been a very tricky matchup for Grigor Dimitrov on clay. Borna Coric is coming back from a long hiatus though and the Bulgarian is quietly having a great run on the dirt this year. He reached the semifinals in Monte Carlo and then lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in three consecutive events, once holding match points. Dimitrov in 4
Jason Kubler vs Cameron Norrie
Yesh: Norrie did not play his best at the start of the opening round, but he looks like he’s finding his legs on these clay courts now. Norrie in 3
Damian: It’s been a great effort from Jason Kubler to qualify and make the second round. The Australian’s forehand is a serious weapon, but the rise in the quality of the competition he’s faced will be extreme here. Cameron Norrie is going to be very tough to hit through, particularly in the best-of-five format. Norrie in 3
Borna Gojo vs Filip Krajinovic
Yesh: Borna Gojo was a college star and now has won a match at a Major. He won’t win another this week, as Krajinovic is just too solid. Krajinovic in 3
Damian: Borna Gojo spent almost five hours on court defeating Alessandro Giannessi, while Filip Krajinovic fended off Reilly Opelka in three sets. The Croat’s game isn’t that well-suited to clay courts, but he’s been able to work his way around from the qualifying here. However, Krajinovic’s baseline game has so much quality and fatigue might become an issue if this one goes long too. Krajinovic in 4
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