Day 4 at Roland Garros means the start of round 2 on the men’s side of the draw with Dominic Thiem, and French favorites Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon among the players in action. Our panel of Steen Kirby, and Yesh Ginsburg offer their previews and predictions.
Pablo Carreno Busta vs. Federico Delbonis
Steen: Delbonis dominates the h2h but PCB is the better player right now. This looks to be a tricky match for the highly ranked Spaniard but he deserves to be backed to pull out the win. Carreno Busta in 5
Yesh: Carreno Busta got through a tough, emotional match in Round 1. Delbonis is a slightly tougher opponent, but Carreno Busta should be able to get through this one much more easily. Carreno Busta in 4
Dominic Thiem vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Steen: These players have met three times this season, with Thiem winning all three meetings, including the one on clay. Thiem dominated his opening round tilt and while the young Greek Tsitsipas has talent, Thiem should outpace him by some margin. Thiem in 4
Yesh: Tsitsipas is a rising future star, but Thiem is here already. He’s probably third-best in the world on clay right now, and he’s not getting beaten early. Thiem in 3
Kei Nisihkori vs. Benoit Paire
Steen: These veterans haven’t met in some time but Paire did defeat Nishikori at the French Open in 2013 which should boost his confidence. Nishikori was somewhat shaky in the opening round, but Paire’s one sided game will likely get exposed against the multi talented Japanese ball striker. Nishikori in 3
Yesh: Paire can be a tricky opponent, and with a French crowd behind him he may even be able to pull off an upset. If his game is on, he might be able to hit his way out of a big match. But when’s the last time Paire’s game was on? Nishikori in 4
Martin Klizan vs. Gael Monfils
Steen: Monfils is favored but coming through qualifying Klizan has some found some form. When Klizan has his rhythm he’s tough to defeat, and Monfils has had a poor season. I could easily see him getting frustrated and tossed out in the second round at home. Klizan in 4
Yesh: Gael Monfils has been off his game a little this past year, but his talent is still undeniable. Klizan is a solid player, but Monfils always plays his best in Paris, and should be able to come through. Monfils in 4
Gilles Simon vs. Sam Querrey
Steen: Simon is playing well but Querrey is one of the better clay courters among the American contingent. Given Querrey had an easy round 1 win and Simon may be playing on fumes after reaching the final in Lyon, I’ll go with Querrey here. Querrey in 5
Yesh: Sam Querrey had an atrocious clay season. And then his first French Open match came, and he was back to his best. Querrey has performed better in Slams than other tournaments recently, and I see this trend continuing. Querrey in 4
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