The French Open tennis tournament moves into the second round. That’s where we’ll pick up our tennis picks.
Looking back to yesterday, we had a very successful day on the women’s side of things as we went 3-0. We had Simona Halep to beat Jana Cepelova and she really had no problems with her. Cepelova was only able to capture five games in total. We also had Aggie Radwanska to take care of business against Fiona Ferro and also breezed through. Ferro only won a total of two games in the entire match. Lastly, we also cashed in with Caroline Garcia. Garcia was taking on Nao Hibino but the latter didn’t put up much of a fight. Hibino only won four games in total, losing the match 6-2, 6-2.
Looking ahead to Wednesday, the tournament, as any women’s tennis analyst knows, is considerably wide open, much more than usual. The top seed, Angelique Kerber, is out. The second seed, Karolina Pliskova, has never done much of anything in clay-court tournaments. Another top-10 seed, Johanna Konta, is gone. Fifth seed Elina Svitolina has never reached a Grand Slam tournament semifinal. This can either put pressure on players, or give them a sense of opportunity. Here are three of the more interesting matches on Wednesday:
Sara Errani vs. Kristina Mladenovic
In the first round, Mladenovic was constantly wincing due to pain in her back. She had to briefly leave the court to get that injury treated. She trailed 3-0 in the third set to Jennifer Brady but managed to work her way back and win in a match which lasted roughly three hours. Will Mladenovic feel a lot better in this match? It’s hard to say exactly how well she will feel, but it’s pretty reasonable to say that she will be less than 100 percent. Errani has a huge weakness – her first serve – but as long as Mladenovic doesn’t win too many easy points as a returner, Errani can draw Mladenovic into long and physical rallies, and that is something Mladenovic will want to avoid as much as possible. However, if Mladenovic can’t hit through the court, she won’t find easy ways to win points, and Errani can win a war of attrition. Even though Mladenovic is injured, this is a match she can realistically win. However, Errani is enough of a tested veteran to know how to take advantage of Mladenovic’s weaknesses. She will win a close three-set match. Take her with your tennis picks in this spot.
Pick: Errani in three sets
Oceane Dodin vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova
This is a very tough match for Kuznetsova, because Dodin has begun to gain some attention on the WTA Tour as one of its younger and more impressive players. It’s a matchup between youth and experience, with Kuznetsova being a two-time Grand Slam champion who has been playing close to 15 years on tour. Dodin will make this match close, but Kuznetsova has so many ways to win a point. She is not limited to one shot or one playing style. Kuznetsova will have enough to win, but just barely. Go with Kuznetsova for your tennis picks in this matchup.
Pick: Kuznetsova in three sets
Ons Jabeur vs. Dominika Cibulkova
This is a match which revolves around Cibulkova. The pint-sized Slovakian has reached a Grand Slam final in the 2014 Australian Open. She won the 2016 WTA Finals by beating Angelique Kerber in the final. She has climbed to some high places. Yet, she has also lost in first rounds of Grand Slam events in recent years. She blows very hot and cold, so in many ways, this match is an indication of how well she is playing… and how well she is expected to play. Cibulkova cruised through her first-round match, and did not overplay in the clay season. She is probably fresh enough to not feel worn down by this tournament, and Jabeur is not an opponent who has made a significant mark on the WTA Tour to this point in her career. Cibulkova seems like a safe choice for your tennis picks here.
Pick: Cibulkova in straight sets
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