The second round of the French Open wraps up on day five as 16 men look to punch their ticket into the final 32. Alexander Zverev leads the way, squaring off against Jesper de Jong. Our other prediction pieces feature Jannik Sinner vs Richard Gasquet, Novak Djokovic vs Corentin Moutet, and Gael Monfils vs Jack Draper. Ateet Shrivastava, Tope Oke, and Shane Black offer their insights. But who will advance?
French Open Men’s Day 5 Predictions
Alex de Minaur vs Alexander Bublik
Ateet
It got tricky for Alex de Minaur towards the end, but he did well to close out the match in three sets. Djere pushed him, but the Australian kept coming back. Bublik had an easy first-round match, but this would be a lot harder, and I can’t see him being disciplined enough to win rallies against de Minaur.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3
Tope
Alex de Minaur has won their last three meetings, including one on clay in Barcelona four years ago, without dropping a set in any of those encounters. Although Bublik has had a solid performance on clay this season, the world number nine should advance to the next round here.
Prediction: de Minaur in 4
Shane
Both de Minaur and Bublik cruised through their respective first-round matches without dropping a set, setting the stage for an intriguing second-round battle. Bublik has the firepower to battle with the tour’s best, but someone as consistent as de Minaur presents a challenge. The Aussie should wear Bublik down.
Prediction: de Minaur in 4
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Jiri Lehecka
Ateet
This should be a cracking contest between two hard-hitters of the tennis balls. Lehecka wasted no time and won his first round in straight sets. He leads the head-to-head against Davidovich Fokina, but they have never met on clay before, which could be a significant factor. The Spaniard plays with more spin and is a better mover. Lehecka will have to serve extremely well to win this one.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 5
Tope
Lehecka holds a 2-0 advantage in their head-to-head encounters, but this will be their first meeting on clay, a surface that Davidovich Fokina favors; however, his recent form has dipped since reaching the semifinals at Monte Carlo in early April. The Czech has never advanced beyond this stage at the French Open and will be looking to buck the trend.
Prediction: Lehecka in 4
Shane
Based on the surface, you have to think the Spaniard is the favorite entering this match. However, I am a huge fan of Lehecka’s game and believe he has an opportunity to make some noise in the second week of the French Open. Look for the young Czech to get on the front foot and win a tight battle.
Prediction: Lehecka in 5
Denis Shapovalov vs Filip Misolic
Ateet
Shapovalov played his best match of the season on clay and easily defeated Pedro Martinez in the first round. Consistency is always an issue with the Canadian, but if he can maintain this level, he will be in the third round. Misolic saved a lot of break points in the first round and might need to do so again to have a shot at winning this match. He has been the better player this clay season, but Shapovalov’s top level can be devastating.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 5
Tope
Denis Shapovalov easily won his first-round match, defeating Pablo Martinez while losing only five games, and is now looking to achieve a third consecutive third-round appearance at Roland Garros. He will next face Filip Misolic, who saved 12 of 15 break points to defeat Yunchaokete Bu. He has shown decent form leading up to this Grand Slam, having won the Prague Challenger just two weeks ago and reached the quarter-finals of the Zagreb Open. Shapovalov is the clear favorite going into the match and is expected to prevail, though Misolic can make it difficult.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 5
Shane
Shapovalov is sneakily playing some solid tennis this season. Misolic cruised through qualies and did well to take down Bu in the first round, but as long as the Canadian is fully fit, I see him having no problem reaching Round 3.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 3
Alexander Zverev vs Jesper de Jong
Ateet
No. 3 seed and last year’s runner-up, Alexander Zverev, played a fantastic match in the first round to get his revenge over Learner Tien. Zverev hit his forehand as well as he could and was very aggressive behind that wing. If he can continue this level, not many can beat him.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Tope
Alexander Zverev secured his spot in the second round without facing any break points against American teenager Learner Tien in straight sets. He will face Jesper de Jong, who made a remarkable comeback from two sets down to defeat Francesco Passaro to make consecutive appearances in the second round, and he aims to progress further this time. However, he faces a tough challenge against the world number three. The two have met once before, in Hamburg last year on clay, where Zverev comfortably won, and I expect a similar outcome here.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Shane
Zverev is the massive favorite for many reasons. He is great at the French Open and should be much fresher than de Jong, who is coming off a five-set battle in Round 1. The German should cruise.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch – Imagn Images
