Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic will all play their third round matches on Saturday against unseeded opposition, with Nadal taking his turn over on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. But the tighter, more fascinating contests on this day will likely be in the women’s singles draw. Four of them feature seeded players facing off, three include recent Major winners, two are all-American affairs, and one involves the defending champion.
Saturday’s play will begin at 11:00am local time on all courts except Chatrier, which starts at 12:00pm.
Karolina Muchova (18) vs. Sloane Stephens – 11:00am on Court Simonne-Mathieu
24-year-old Muchova reached her first Slam semifinal at February’s Australian Open by defeating world No.1 Ash Barty in the quarters. She subsequently missed two months of action due to an abdominal injury. But she returned to the court without much rust, defeating both Naomi Osaka and Maria Sakkari in Madrid. Stephens was a finalist here in 2018, and a quarterfinalist a year later, but this would mark her first time in the fourth round of a Major since. In their first career meeting, Stephens previous success in Paris, combined with her refreshed form this week, might just be a winning formula. While Muchova has a diverse, aggressive style that makes her a dangerous opponent, she was just 1-2 lifetime at this event prior to this fortnight.
Sofia Kenin (4) vs. Jessica Pegula (28) – Second on Court Suzanne-Lenglen
This is a rematch from earlier this year at the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne, which Kenin pulled out in three sets. But since that match, Kenin was only 2-7 heading into this event. That led to her father no longer working as her coach. Despite all that, last year’s runner-up has played well this week, especially in a victory over former champion Jelena Ostapenko. However, Pegula has certainly been the better player this season. The 27-year-old is 23-9, and achieved her first Major quarterfinal in Melbourne. Jessica recently debuted inside the top 30, as David Witt has helped elevate her game to a new level. She’s proven herself to be a dogged competitor, and I suspect she has the confidence necessary to knock out last year’s Australian Open champ.
Elise Mertens (14) vs. Maria Sakkari (17) – Third on Court Simonne-Mathieu
These are two of the WTA’s most consistent performers. Mertens has now reached the third round or better at 13 consecutive Majors, while Sakkari has steadily climbed the rankings to her current peak at No.18. Mertens has much more established herself at Slams, though Sakkari has advanced more easily to this stage, averaging less than three games lost per set. And at tour level, Sakkari leads their head-to-head 2-1, which includes their only encounter on clay. She’s the better mover and more powerful ball striker, though Mertens touch and guile can be challenging on any surface. I give the slight edge to Mertens based on her experience at this level. Plus, Mertens rarely loses to players ranked below her.
Iga Swiatek (8) vs. Anett Kontaveit (30) – Not before 4:00pm on Court Philippe-Chatrier
Who is going to stop Iga Swiatek? The 2020 champion has now won nine straight matches and 18 straight sets at Roland Garros, with none of those sets even going to a tiebreak. But Kontaveit could test her, as her penetrating groundstrokes can dictate play when they’re firing. And Iga has never defeated Anett in two previous meetings. At last year’s Australian Open, Kontaveit prevailed 7-5 in the third, after nearly three hours. However, almost 18 months later, Swiatek is a much more developed and confident player. On this court, Iga is a strong favorite to notch her first win over the 25-year-old Estonian, as long as the new pressure of being the favorite to win the event doesn’t get to her.
Jennifer Brady (13) vs. Coco Gauff (24) – Fourth on Court Suzanne-Lenglen
Australian Open runner-up Jennifer Brady came into this event only 3-4 since that career highlight, and surprisingly split with her coach, Michael Geserer. But she’s now working with Brad Stine, best-known for coaching Jim Courier during the 1990’s. Brady survived a tough battle with Frenchwoman Fiona Ferro in the last round. Coco Gauff is yet to drop a set this week, and is on a seven-match winning streak, dating back to her title run last week in Parma. Their only previous matchup was last summer in Lexington, where Brady prevailed in straight sets. But based on her current winning ways, Gauff might just be the favorite to achieve her first appearance in the fourth round of the French Open.
Other Notable Matches on Saturday:
Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Ricardas Berankis – Djokovic is 3-0 against the veteran from Lithuania, which includes a second round meeting here last October, which Novak won 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Rafael Nadal (3) vs. Cameron Norrie – The 25-year-old Brit is set to debut inside the top 40, and is looking to reach the round of 16 at a Major for the first time. Nadal is 2-0 against Norrie, with both wins coming earlier this year.
Roger Federer (8) vs. Dominik Koepfer – Koepfer is a 27-year-old lefty who advanced to the fourth round of the 2019 US Open. The only lefthander not named Nadal that Federer has ever lost to at Roland Garros is Hicham Arazi, who defeated Roger in the opening round 19 years ago.
Elina Svitolina (5) vs. Barbora Krejcikova – Svitolina is a three-time quarterfinalist in Paris, but she’s lost in the third round two out of the last three years. Krejcikova has achieved more success on the doubles court, though she’s having a breakout season in singles, and just won the title last week in Strasbourg.
Saturday’s full schedule is here.
