- Andrey Rublev, bringing a 7-1 record on clay in 2020, will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
- Stefanos Tsitsipas will play Pablo Cuevas for the second tournament in a row
- The 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko will challenge Karolina Pliskova
PARIS, France – The second round comes to a close and we pick three of the best matches to watch on Day Five of Roland Garros 2020.
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Andrey Rublev [13] v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina | No H2H
In the first round, Andrey Rublev came back from two sets down for the first time in his career eventually defeating Sam Querrey. His reward is a second round clash against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, scheduled as the final match on Court Simonne Mathieu. The Spaniard reached the semi-finals in the boys’ singles here three years ago and came off a fourth-round exit at the US Open last month.
The No.13 seed has an impressive 7-1 record on clay this season. Using his powerful and accurate forehand, he can dictate the points, turning defence into attack thanks to his solid baseline play. The Spaniard has one of the most effective drop shots on tour, a key point this year in Paris. He’s a quick mover but Rublev is expected to seal the win, although not a straightforward one.
Prediction: Andrey Rublev to win in four sets.
Jelena Ostapenko v Karolina Pliskova [2] | H2H: Pliskova leads 3-2
Jelena Ostapenko hadn’t won a match at Roland Garros after her surprise title run in 2017. In the second round, she faces a daunting task in the second round as she takes on No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova.
The former Top 5, now ranked at No.43, confessed her need to regain consistency in her game. The Latvian aims yet to break back into the Top 10.
Pliskova admitted there’s plenty of room for improvement after her comeback win in the first round. The former Roland Garros champion understands the threat her opponent poses. At the same time, under these strange conditions, anything can really happen.
Prediction: Pliskova in three sets.
Stefanos Tsitsipas [5] v Pablo Cuevas (URU) | H2H: Tsitsipas lead 3-0
The last match on Chatrier will see No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas take on Pablo Cuevas for the second time in a week. The Greek won in two tight sets at Hamburg last Thursday. A runner-up in Germany, Tsitsipas recovered from 0-2 down for the first time in his career to defeat Jaume Munar in the opening match in Paris.
Cuevas, an experienced clay courter, will aim to extract errors from his opponent thanks to his heavy topspin forehand. The Uruguayan, however, must end a 9-match losing streak against Top 10 opposition to reach the third round here. And we don’t often see Tsitsipas offer two stuttering performances in a row.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in four sets.
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