Ten out of sixteen players in the women’s draw are not seeded, a huge number for a tournament with 32 seeds: Collins, Ferro, Zhang, Siegemund, Badosa, Swiatek, Trevisan, Garcia, Podoroska, and Krejcikova. This means that at least two matchups, Siegemund-Badosa and Podoroska Krejcikova, will beget a surprise guest in the list of Final Eight invitees. It’s not something that happens at every Major – one Cinderella story, perhaps, but not two.
In the men’s draw, the dark horses amount to six: Sinner, Sonego, Altmaier, Korda, and Gaston. However, there is no match slated between two of them, so they could theoretically all bow out between today and tomorrow – it is a statistically more conventional amount, and, at any rate, it was widely anticipated that this would be a peculiar Slam. The favourites in the men’s draw, however, are still competing, with Djokovic losing no sets and 15 games, Nadal zero and 19, Thiem nil and 28, probably due to a much tougher draw (Cilic, Sock and Ruud are all better than Ymer, Berankis, Galan, Gerasimov, McDonald and Travaglia).
THE REASONS BEHIND SO MANY UPSETS
According to Garbine Muguruza, who had just lost to Collins and was therefore quite sensitive on this theme (especially because she has actually won a “normal” French Open in the past), the singular conditions of the fortnight are levelling the competition, allowing for more shakeups. It is indeed a good point, although it doesn’t seem to apply to those who are literally off the charts like the aforementioned three krakens of the men’s draw, although it should be highlighted that four more players haven’t lost a single set so far – Schwartzman, Dimitrov, Altmaier, and Sinner.
WHO LOST THE FEWEST SETS AND GAMES (MEN’S EDITION)
As already mentioned, Djokovic has dropped a meagre 15 games in three matches, followed by Nadal with 19, Dimitrov and Schwartzman with 22 (the Bulgarian has played one fewer set due to Carballes Baena retiring), Thiem with 28, Sinner with 31, and Altmaier with 38. Carreno (34 games) and Fucsovics (31) have dropped one set. Tsitsipas (32), Korda (40), Zverev (46), Khachanov (also 46) and Sonego (51) have conceded a couple. Rublev lost three sets (48), and Gaston four (49).
Today’s matchups are, in the bottom half of the draw:
- Sonego vs Schwartzman
- Gaston vs Thiem
- Zverev vs Sinner
- Korda vs Nadal.
And here’s tomorrow’s fourth rounds:
- Djokovic-Khachanov
- Carreno Busta-Altmaier
- Fucsovics-Rublev
- Dimitrov-Tsitsipas.
My predictions for the quarter finals are:
- Schwartzman vs Thiem (I hope to be wrong for chauvinistic reasons)
- Zverev vs Nadal (Ibid.)
- Djokovic-Carreno (what a rematch, after what happened last time)
- Rublev-Dimitrov.
The 16 survivors spring from 12 countries (Italy, Spain, Russia and Germany have two representatives, Serbia, Austria, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, the US and Argentina have one each) – 14 of them are Europeans, two are from the Americas.
WHO LOST THE FEWEST SETS AND GAMES (WOMEN’S EDITION)
Four ladies are still perfect in terms of sets lost, and will square off in the fourth round: Halep (12 games lost) and Swiatek (13) will meet today, while Kvitova (22) and Zhang (30) will do it tomorrow. Svitolina (21) and Podoroska (19) have dropped one set. Everyone else is at two sets lost: Garcia (37), Krejcikova (35), Jabeur (35), Ferro (33), Badosa (30) Collins (29), Trevisan (28), Siegemund (28) Bertens (27), and Kenin (26).
Today’s matches are will involve the top half of the draw:
- Halep-Swiatek
- Trevisan-Bertens
- Svitolina-Garcia
- Podoroska-Krejcikova
As for the bottom half, the bouts are:
- Jabeur-Collins
- Ferro-Kenin
- Kvitova-Zhang
- Siegemund-Badosa.
The Europeans will be 11 (France and Czechia have two players each, while Italy, Germany, Spain, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, and the Netherlands have one). The rest of the world is represented by the US with two, and by Argentina, China and Tunisia with one. No country has four players left, with four European nations sporting three – Italy, France, Spain and Germany.
HAWK-EYE VS HUMANITY
A common theme of Week 1 has been the players collectively calling for the use of Hawk-Eye on clay. Several have been hurt by wrong calls, like Mladenovic, Shapovalov, Trevisan, Sonego, Fritz, and more. Djokovic has been the most outspoken: he wants to get rid of human linesmen and lineswomen – “That way, I won’t risk striking anybody else,” he humorously and self-deprecatingly said before adding, “I understand that this is a supplementary cost for the organisers, but the progress in modern technology should allow to do it.” To be fair, a mistake at a crucial moment can cost millions to the victim.
Garbine Muguruza is in favour of the use of Hawk-Eye, but not of the riddance of linespeople. “I’m traditional, I like having human beings around me and not just machines – tennis courts would have no atmosphere left.” For what it’s worth, I tend to agree with her, especially because of the tens of thousands of umpires, linesmen and lineswomen who volunteer all around the world in junior events, Futures and Challengers (and would continue to do so, not every tournament can afford to pay for electronic judges), hoping perhaps to one day reach the big leagues. Nole’s idea would deprive the game of so many impassioned enlistees and valuable professionals who wouldn’t even get into the game, since their dream career wouldn’t exist anymore. This also means the definitive loss of many jobs in each country, and that the quality of professionals would go down.
My impression is that the Co-President of the PTPA hasn’t really thought through the practical consequences of the choice he’s advocating for. I will tell him that the first chance I get. At the same time, I would like to remind the French Open officials that they do have the money to implement the Hawk-Eye technology on each court, although perhaps that’s a conversation for a time when more than a thousand daily fans will be allowed through the turnstiles. Not all events, even on hardcourts, have the same fortune, for instance those who don’t even refund the people who had already bought the tickets for an event that was played behind closed doors…
Article originally published on Ubitennis.com and translated by Tommaso Villa.
