The second round of the French Open wraps up on day five as 16 men look to punch their ticket into the final 32. No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner leads the way, squaring off against Frenchman Richard Gasquet in his final professional tournament. Our other prediction pieces feature Novak Djokovic vs Corentin Moutet, Alexander Zverev vs Jesper de Jong, and Gael Monfils vs Jack Draper. Ateet Shrivastava, Andreas Pelekis, and Tope Oke offer their insights. But who will advance?
French Open Men’s Day 5 Predictions
Matteo Arnaldi vs Flavio Cobolli
Ateet
Arnaldi made an incredible comeback from two sets down to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime in the first round. Arnaldi’s defense and shot-making kept improving from the third set onwards, and he never looked like losing the match after that. It was the longest match of the first round, which could have an effect on Arnaldi against his compatriot, Flavio Cobolli, who easily defeated Marin Cilic and extended his win streak to six. It should be a great clash, but I have Cobolli as a slight favourite.
Prediction: Cobolli in 5
Andreas
This should be an exciting all-Italian clash, with both players of similar ages and ranks. Arnaldi won their only meeting on clay in 2023. Cobolli, off the heels of an ATP 500 clay title in Hamburg, seems to be playing a little better with less tennis behind him this week. On the other hand, Arnaldi played a grueling five-setter against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Prediction: Cobolli in 4
Tope
Flavio Cobolli made light work of Marin Cilic in the opening round, seemingly preserving his energy while securing a straight-sets victory. On the other hand, Matteo Arnaldi had to rally to overcome Felix Auger-Aliassime, showing remarkable resilience to clinch the match in five sets, but that exertion will likely take a toll on him, and with less time to recuperate, it wouldn’t be surprising if the red-hot Cobolli continues his sparkling form.
Prediction: Cobolli in 4
Tallon Griekspoor vs Gabriel Diallo
Ateet
Tallon Griekspoor made numerous errors in the first set against Marcos Giron but found his best level after that and won the match in four sets. He hit 59 winners in the match and dominated behind his first serve. Diallo, on the other hand, inflicted the biggest upset of the first round by taking out the in-form Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets. Diallo is a great mover for his height, and his extra firepower troubled Cerundolo. Griekspoor will need to be sharp to win this.
Prediction: Griekspoor in 5
Andreas
Griekspoor defeated Marcos Giron in four sets in the first round, while Diallo is coming off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament: stunning 18th seed Francisco Cerundolo. The Canadian is more baseline-oriented and has a powerful game, which should work better on these courts compared to Griekspoor’s all-court, volley-centric style of tennis. Look for the Canadian to make a breakthrough here.
Prediction: Diallo in 4
Tope
Griekspoor has been performing exceptionally well this season, and it’s puzzling how he hasn’t moved up the rankings enough to be seeded for this event. Perhaps what is even more shocking was Francisco Cerundolo’s defeat by Gabriel Diallo, who didn’t even concede a set in the process. However, following up such a strong performance in the next round is always challenging, and the Dutchman should have enough to repel the Canadians’ firepower.
Prediction: Griekspoor in 5
Ugo Humbert vs Jacob Fearnley
Ateet
Ugo Humbert played one of his best matches at the French Open to beat Christopher O’Connell in straight sets. Humbert has never advanced to the third round at his home Slam and will have a good chance to do so if he plays his best tennis. Jacob Fearnley is a solid player, and his game is more suited for clay. However, it won’t be easy to play against a French player.
Prediction: Humbert in 5
Andreas
Fearnley is a tough player to face on the tour, but Humbert is an experienced clay-court player and a comfortable seed on his home courts. Humbert won his opening match in straight sets, and I expect this to be similarly straightforward unless Fearnley can dig into return games and target the Frenchman’s weaker backhand.
Prediction: Humbert in 3
Tope
While Jacob Fearnley lacks French Open experience, he will have received a confidence boost from that emphatic first-round win over Stan Wawrinka. His chances are on the up by the fact that the struggling Ugo Humbert doesn’t exactly have a strong Roland Garros record himself and will be playing under pressure, allowing the young Englishman to enjoy himself on the dirt. Sound the upset bells.
Prediction: Fearnley in 5
Jannik Sinner vs Richard Gasquet
Ateet
Jannik Sinner faced a stern challenge from Arthur Rinderknech in the third set but overcame it with his patience and superior ability. He will face another Frenchman in the second round, and the crowd will be even more electric in this one, as this will most probably be the last professional match of Richard Gasquet’s career. These two met at this same stage last year, and I expect the same outcome.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Andreas
It’ll be interesting to see how the soon-to-be-retired Gasquet battles in front of his home fans, but Sinner is playing too well right now. The Italian has lots of power that should be able to break through Gasquet’s game.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Tope
This should be an easy win for Sinner, and the real question is by how many games the match will be decided. Sinner has made it a habit of overpowering his opponents with speed and accuracy that few can compete with. Gasquet will highlight his farewell with his graceful one-handed backhand, but at 38 years old, he is clearly struggling, and expecting him to make this match competitive against someone at the height of his game is a tall order.
Prediction: Sinner in 4
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
