The second round starts on Day 4 of the 2023 French Open. We get to see 16 matches on Wednesday as players try to advance to the Round of 32. Who do you think will move on? As always, our writers share their thoughts on who will win. We split the day’s 16 matches between three articles. In addition to this article, our others feature Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Roberto Carballes Baena, Andrey Rublev vs Corentin Moutet, and Novak Djokovic vs Marton Fucsovics. Predicting this set of matches are Andreas Pelekis, Damian Kust, and Jack Edward.
French Open Day 4 Predictions
Diego Schwartzman vs Nuno Borges
Andreas:
Schwartzman impressed in his opening round match, pulling through a tight fifth set and coming from two sets to love down. Borges also won in a fifth set tiebreaker, so both players will ultimately be fatigued. Giving the edge to Schwartzman, who’s playing solid tennis for the first time in a while.
Prediction: Schwartzman in 4
Damian:
Both players survived five-setters with Borges almost choking massively against John Isner and Schwartzman coming back from two sets to love down against a struggling Bernabe Zapata Miralles. It’s actually really hard to predict who might get the win here, but I think the Portuguese can play better on Wednesday, while it will be a longer way back for Schwartzman.
Prediction: Borges in 5
Jack:
Diego Schwartzman’s comeback against Bernabe Zapata Miralles could be considered an upset. The Argentinian has had a horrendous season—a first round loss at Roland Garros would only have been the tip of the iceberg. Schwartzman dug incredibly deep though and looked a man renewed by the end of the match. I now consider him the slight favourite against a formidable opponent in Nuno Borges.
Prediction: Schwartzman in 5
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Roberto Bautista Agut vs Juan Pablo Varillas
Andreas:
Similar to Schwartzman, Bautista Agut gave fans flashbacks of his best tennis from years past, cruising past Wu Yibing. Varillas won from two sets down, and knows how to play great tennis on the dirt. Varillas nearly took out Auger-Aliassime at last year’s Roland Garros, so there will definitely be a ton of motivation from Varillas in this one. Bautista Agut should be just too solid in the end, but expect a good one.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 5
Damian:
Varillas survived his opening round against Juncheng Shang from two sets to love down after the Chinese didn’t manage to keep it up physically (he had mono recently). His form isn’t great and while Bautista Agut isn’t exactly flying either, his floor is a lot closer to his ceiling and he should manage it a bit better.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 4
Jack:
Juan Pablo Varillas will be ready to turn the rally pace up a notch with his forehand to try and hit through Roberto Bautista Agut. The Spaniard was extremely impressive in his first round dismissal of Yibing Wu, however. Even on a surface that doesn’t max out his potential, he looks ready to absorb anything and everything that’s thrown at him.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 3
Ugo Humbert vs Lorenzo Sonego
Andreas:
Humbert scored a vintage win over Mannarino in his opening round match, dropping just seven games under the lights on Chatrier. Sonego also played well, taking out NCAA star Ben Shelton in four. Sonego seemed to be a bit agitated in that match, struggling with the conditions early on. Humbert’s far more comfortable and relaxed on the terre bateau, and I think the Frenchman should just win this.
Prediction: Humbert in 5
Damian:
It would have been straightforward for Sonego last year, but Humbert has made such a big jump on clay recently. He’s using the drop shot effectively and can stay patient if required. He gained so much confidence in Cagliari and Bordeaux as well. Should be tight, I’ll give a slight nod to the Frenchman.
Prediction: Humbert in 5
Jack:
This is one of the more intriguing second rounds of the day. Both Ugo Humbert and Lorenzo Sonego will look to hit the cover off the ball—it’s just a question of who can hit the biggest for the longest. It’ll be very close but I’m expecting a flip result from Monte Carlo. Humbert is riding a wave of confidence that can’t be ignored when you consider how powerfully he’s hitting his shots.
Prediction: Humbert in 5
Carlos Alcaraz vs Taro Daniel
Andreas:
Alcaraz cruised through his opening match, yet Daniel won easily in a far more surprising fashion. Losing only six games to Christopher O’Connell, he’s surely up to the challenge against the World No. 1. Daniel can maybe win a set if he brings his absolute best, but I feel that Alcaraz will be too overwhelming.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 3
Damian:
Alcaraz should be cruising here and his draw until the quarters really looks great. Daniel was comfortable in his opening round, but that was mostly on Christopher O’Connell’s injury. He’s a solid player, but doesn’t really have the redline quality that you need to produce to do damage to the greats of the game and would need to rely on Alcaraz’s errors. They’re not coming.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 3
Jack:
Taro Daniel’s had some promising wins this season. They’ve generally come on a hard-court, however, where he can use the speed of the courts to aid his first serve. He’ll struggle to take time away from Carlos Alcaraz in Paris, leaving the world #1 to dictate proceedings as he sees fit.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
