Federer v Monfils, Berdych Also Battles Tsonga; French Open 4th RD Picks And Pans; Serena Survives
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A week into the second Grand Slam, from 128 we are down to just 16 players in the men’s draw at the French. And many of the 16 are just who you thought would be there.
Rafael Nadal looks good. Looks really good.
Novak Djokovic has been his usual self. Roger Federer has gotten through an easy draw. David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych are hanging around. We have a quintet of Frenchmen and even a young, rising American, Jack Sock.
About the only interesting that happened today was Sock crushing Borna Coric. Sock is four years older than Coric at 22, but I thought the young Croat would have put up a bigger fight. Credit to the American, we need the help. Coric, though, will likely turn the tables and quickly take the upper hand in this budding rivalry.
Speaking of youth, the young Australians – Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis – still have a lot of maturing to do after getting walloped by Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, respectively. They have a lot of game and firepower and they’ll get they claim of tennis gold, just not now.
Because right now all roads lead to more chalk. More of the Big Four. More of the same. More Rafa.
First though, we start with Sunday’s fabulous fourth round line-up.
Kei Nishikori v Teymuraz Gabishvili
Neither guy has dropped a set I don’t think. And Nishikori is coming in a little cold after three full days off thanks to Ben Becker’s withdrawal.
Gabishvili does have a couple of wins over Nishikori, one via retirement and another in qualies, but Nishikori just won in straights last month in Barcelona, and I think that’s what happens here.
Kei’s no fluke and the Russian’s time is up.
The pick: Nishikori in three
Gilles Simon v Stan Wawrinka
Boy, is this one tough to call. And no surprise, the two have split four meetings. But I think Stan is the better and fresher player. And I don’t think clay is Simon’s best surface. Nor does he do well this late in Grand Slams – he’s never made a semi and just one quarter.
Gilles is also coming off a 5-set win and also from an injury earlier this month. Stan has lost one set so far and I think he loses another tomorrow. But that’s it.
The pick: Wawrinka in four
Tomas Berdych v JW Tsonga
For some reason, Berdych really has Tsonga’s number winning six of eight, only losing to the Frenchman indoors. So with the way Berdych has been playing this year – beating those he should and also losing, for the most part, to those he should – and with the fact Tsonga is just getting back into form ripping through the draw, I begrudgingly like the Czech here (I’m a big Tsonga fan).
Tsonga hasn’t lost a set yet, but he’s had a really nice draw, beating no one of any real consequence. Berdych’s had a good draw as well, dropping two sets, so looking at results this week it’s pretty even. The head-to-head, however, is not.
The Pick: Berdych in four
Gael Monfils v Roger Federer
In the main event it’s the fourth try for Gael Monfils to beat Roger Federer at the French Open. For Federer fans this has been a nightmare matchup of late.
Federer barely beat Monfils 8 months ago at the US Open. Then he lost to him on the clay at Davis Cup finals where he working out a back issue. Then Monte Carlo.
“Monaco was so early in the clay court season it was always going to be tough, even though I wasn’t hitting ball so bad, but still not quite understanding how passive or aggressive I needed to play,” Federer said.
All things being equal, I would take Monfils here. He can track too many balls down and eventually Federer misses. But because Gael has needed five sets in his last two matches, I do wonder about fatigue. And I also wonder why he had to go five sets with guys like Diego Schwarztman and then Pablo Cuevas who did everything he could to lose the match (and he succeeded!). Is he really playing that well?
The difference is, those South Americans can get Gael on the merry-go-round, making him run and run, retreat and retreat, but then they get tight finishing. We saw Cuevas miss a couple crucial volleys in the fourth set up a break (or was it two breaks?), and he lost his mojo. Game over.
Federer will likely do the same but will be more keen to attack and finish. And he’s a much better finisher than either Schwartzman or Cuevas ever will be, he just needs to minimize the mistakes.
Gael will have the crowd in a frenzy, many of whom will root for Roger, but I don’t think it will be enough to beat Federer in a Slam for the first time.
The pick: Federer in 4
In the women’s draw today, Serena Williams has looked rather wobbly in the last two rounds. After dropping a set to Anna-Lena Friedsam on Thursday, she again dropped the opener, this time to the dangerous former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka. Vika then got up a break in the second 4-2, but lost it. And again in the third 2-0, lost that and the match. So Serena survived 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 for her 50th match win in Paris.
“I was just really down and out in that match, and I just feel like, you know, I just really zeroed in,” Serena Williams said. “I really focused and I really wanted to win that.”
There was some controversy over a call at the end of the second, but really the set was going to Serena anyway. I don’t care.
“She really stepped it up,” Azarenka said. “Nobody is probably harder … for me to play against.”
Serena now meets Sloane Stephens in the fourth round in what should be a fun match since Sloane is (surprise) playing well in a Slam. Sara Errani, Alison Van Utvanck, Timea Bacsinzsky, Andreea Mitu and Petra Kvitova were also winners.
Former champions Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic are back tomorrow.
Tennis in the U.S. is again on Tennis Channel to start the day then NBC.
SUNDAY FRENCH OPEN SCHEDULE
Philippe-Chatrier Court 11:00 AM Start
Elina Svitolina (UKR)[19] vs. Alize Cornet (FRA)[29]
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[14] vs. Tomas Berdych (CZE)[4]
Gael Monfils (FRA)[13] vs. Roger Federer (SUI)[2]
Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[28] vs. Garbine Muguruza (ESP)[21]
Suzanne-Lenglen Court 11:00 AM Start
Ana Ivanovic (SRB)[7] vs. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)[9]
Kei Nishikori (JPN)[5] vs. Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS)
Stan Wawrinka (SUI)[8] vs. Gilles Simon (FRA)[12]
Lucie Safarova (CZE)[13] vs. Maria Sharapova (RUS)[2]
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