The halves of the draws felt rather lopsided before the tournament even began. And after only three days of play, they feel even more uneven. The women’s bottom half has seen Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova withdraw, and top 10 seeds Bianca Andreescu and Kiki Bertens lose their opening round matches. The men’s bottom half lost Dominic Thiem on Monday, meaning we’re guaranteed a first-time finalist in men’s singles. Which players will take advantage and reach next weekend’s championship matches?
Wednesday’s play will begin at 11:00am local time on all courts except Chatrier, which starts at 12:00pm. And with rain forecast in the afternoon, players scheduled on Chatrier will be relieved to find a roof above their heads.
Belinda Bencic (10) vs. Daria Kasatkina – First on Court Simonne-Mathieu
Bencic already survived a tough first round draw in Nadia Podoroska, a semifinalist here last autumn. Now she faces one of the WTA’s most talented competitors. Kasatkina has rebounded after a tough few years on tour, winning two titles earlier this year. Dasha actually has seven more wins this year than Bencic. These players have split four previous meetings, all contested on hard courts. Kasatkina was a quarterfinalist here in 2018, while Bencic has never advanced beyond the third round. With her confidence back, and considering how the clay can reward her diverse style of play, Kasatkina could easily pull off the upset.
Karen Khachanov (23) vs. Kei Nishikori – Second on Court Philippe-Chatrier
They just played a few weeks ago in Madrid, with Nishikori prevailing in three sets. That victory put Kei ahead 3-2 in their rivalry. But he will not be the fresher player on this day, as Nishikori is coming off a five-set opening round match against Alessandro Giannessi. By contrast, Khachanov advanced in straight sets, dropping just six games. But the 25-year-old Russian is only 2-7 this season against top 50 opposition, while Kei’s last four losses all came at the hands of the top 10. That statistic, along with their recent history, would indicate that Nishikori should advance.
Ellen Perez and Saisai Zheng (13) vs. Coco Gauff and Venus Williams – Third on Court 9
These days, it’s not often a first round doubles match gets much attention, but this one certainly will. In a multi-generational team, 17-year-old Coco Gauff partners with 40-year-old Venus Williams. Gauff has twice upset one of her idols at Slams, so it will be refreshing to see them sharing a side of the court. Perez and Zheng have teamed at four other events this year, so of course they’ll have the edge in experience. But Gauff and Williams are both accomplished doubles players, and they just might be the favorites to prevail in their debut as a team. Regardless, it will be a delight to watch two of the sport’s most likable athletes play together.
Serena Williams (7) vs. Mihaela Buzarnescu – Not before 4:00pm on Court Philippe-Chatrier
Serena is vying to win consecutive matches on clay for the first time since this event two years ago. Her opponent today was having a stellar season in 2018, highlighted by reaching the fourth round here in Paris, and winning the title in San Jose. But after suffering an ugly ankle injury later that summer, she hasn’t been able to regain that form. Serena had moments in her first round victory where she looked quite sharp, and others where she didn’t. But she remains the favorite today in her first career meeting with Buzarnescu.
Daniil Medvedev (2) vs. Tommy Paul – Not before 9:00pm on Court Philippe-Chatrier
On Monday, Medvedev finally notched his first career win at this tournament, defeating Alexander Bublik in straight sets. On Wednesday, he faces a 24-year-old American who reached the semifinals just last week in Parma. And just two days ago, Tommy Paul outlasted Christopher O’Connell of Australia 10-8 in the fifth. As fit as Paul is, that’s only the fourth five-setter of his career, so he’s not used to bouncing back and winning 48 hours after such a grueling encounter. I suspect Daniil will feel a bit more relaxed having ended his losing streak at this event, and will be able to dismiss Paul rather comfortably.
Other Notable Matches on Wednesday:
Sascha Zverev (6) vs. Roman Safiullin (Q) – Despite losing the first two sets of his opening match, Zverev advanced rather easily in five. Safiullin is a 23-year-old from Russia who just made his Major debut earlier this year in Melbourne.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) vs. Pedro Martinez – With Thiem already out of the tournament, Tsitsipas may just be the favorite to reach the final on this side of the draw. Martinez is a 24-year-old Spaniard who reached the third round of this event a year ago, and won a Challenger title on clay last November.
Aryna Sabalenka (3) vs. Aliaksandra Sasnovich – Sasnovich was a top 30 player back in 2018, but is now ranked outside the top 100. Two years ago in Wuhan, Sabalenka defeated Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2
Wednesday’s full schedule is here.
