The French Open tournament now heads into the third round. This is the half of the draw for the ATP in which chaos is not supposed to be part of the equation. Will order be maintained, or will some upsets emerge from especially surprising sources? Top players have to remain vigilant, or this tournament could get away from them. Here is a look at our tennis picks from Friday’s card.
Diego Schwartzman vs. Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic made quick work of Joao Souza and advanced to the third round with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 victory. Last year, Djokovic was the outright favorite for the French crown. This year though, he is playing himself back into form as a serious contender. He has looked good so far but he’ll have to be sharp against Diego Schwartzman if he is to stay clear of the upset.
Schwartzman is diminutive but packs a real punch. The Argentine may appear paralyzed with his serve but can hurt opponents from both wings, the forehand and backhand sides. Schwartzman had to scrape his way out of trouble by hanging on longer than usual in the first round, winning in a marathon final set (9-7) against next generation star Andre Rublev. His second-round victory was more of a routine affair as he beat Stefano Napolitano in straight sets. Schwartzman likes to take the attack to the opposition but to beat Djokovic, he’ll have to be just as good at defending. Can he maintain the mixture for three hours? No. Lay the juice with Djokovic in this spot.
Pick: Djokovic in straight sets
Dominic Thiem vs. Steve Johnson
Dominic Thiem is as comfortable on clay as a duck is in water. Thiem is relentless on clay. The more he plays the better he becomes. At least, that’s how he approaches the game. On Wedneday, his second-round opponent Simone Bolleli was playing some fine tennis and perhaps deserved a set. Thiem looked hurried by the Italian’s groundstrokes and fell behind early but found his gear in time to save and eventually claim the first set. A disappointed Bolleli faded in the second set and went on to lose the match in straight sets. Thiem, although glad about his victory, could’ve done better with his break point conversions. The Austrian created a mammoth 30 break chances but could only break on six occasions. If that doesn’t change, he’ll have trouble beating Steve Johnson, who relies heavily on his serve and won’t grant as many chances.
Johnson is having a hard time playing tennis. The American may have won the second round in four sets against Borna Coric, but his heart is still with his recently deceased father. For Johnson, it’s more emotionally draining than physically taxing. It’s painful but he has handled it well so far. Johnson has appeared to be a strong man despite all the emotions, and he’ll have to continue being that way if he desires to continue his dream run. However, it’s unlikely he’ll have much left in the gas tank to beat Thiem.
Pick: Thiem in straight sets
Grigor Dimitrov vs. Pablo Carreno Busta
Grigor Dimitrov started the year with a bang, but coming into Paris, he hadn’t done anything to suggest he’ll be a factor on his least favored surface. With straight-set wins over journeyman Stephane Robert and 35-year-old veteran Tommy Robredo, he has now matched his best result at the French Open and has also gained his lost confidence. A much sterner test in the form of Pablo Carreno Busta awaits Dimitrov in the third round.
Like Dimitrov, Carreno Busta has had a couple of easy victories. With wins over Florian Mayer and Taro Daniel, the Spaniard is looking confident. Both know the magnitude of this third-round clash. A winner will be favored to make his first Roland Garros quarterfinal. With a career-best result on clay to play for, this match promises to be an enticing contest. It’s hard to pick a winner but Dimitrov, the Bulgarian, has more weapons and better-quality groundstrokes. He can reshape rallies in ways which will keep Carreno Busta off balance,
Pick: Dimitrov in four sets
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