- Andrey Rublev will face Kevin Anderson in his bid to seal his best result at Roland Garros
- Petra Kvitova will meet Canadian youngster Leylah Fernandez
- Aryna Sabalenka, coming off a semifinal showing in Strasbourg, will play Ons Jabeur
PARIS, FRANCE – A chance to secure a spot in the second week of Roland Garros beckons as we remarkably get through the first week of the autumnal Roland Garros.
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Kevin Anderson v Andrey Rublev [13] | H2H Anderson leads 1-0
Eleventh seed Andrey Rublev will bid for a career-best result at Roland Garros when he faces Kevin Anderson in the third round on Saturday.
They haven’t met their first round match at the 2015 US Open. The then-World No.14 South African defeated the then World No.198 in four sets. The Russian, however, has never lost a Grand Slam match to a player ranked as low as No. 118 Anderson.
Rublev is the obvious favourite coming into this match, but the tricky weather conditions in Paris have suited Anderson’s game so far.
He’s expected to hit every ball early at full force using his massive groundstrokes to control the points. But he’s unlikely to win more than a set.
Prediction: Rublev in four sets
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Petra Kvitova [7] v Leylah Fernandez | No H2H
Petra Kvitova began her Roland Garros campaign in with a couple of comfortable wins. The third round against young and talented Canadian Leylah Fernandez could be a different affair for the lefty.
The Canadian teenager won the Roland Garros junior title last season. She showed her resolve in the opening matches to reach her first Round-32 clash at Grand Slam level.
Kvitova is working to add more spin to her groundstrokes, aiming to reduce the amount of unforced errors. The Canadian knows hot to counter hard-hitting opponents and looked often eager not to change her strategy. In the end, that could cost her dearly.
Prediction: Petra Kvitova in three sets
Aryna Sabalenka [8] v Ons Jabeur [30] | First Meeting
Eighth seed Aryna Sabalenka faces No.30 seed Ons Jabeur in the third round. After a disappointing hardcourt season, she came off a semi-final showing on clay in Strasbourg.
Jabeur, after a consistent start to the season, obtained unpredictable results since the resumption of the tour as her first-round loss in Rome testifies.
Clearly Sabalenka will try to exploit her massive groundstrokes to produce winners off both wings. Taking more risks, the Belarusian tends to become error-prone in tight matches.
Predictably the Tunisian will look to put Sabalenka under pressure in the long rallies. The first strokes in the rallies are expected to have a crucial role in the match. Given Sabalenka returns better, she can be considered the favourite in this encounter.
Prediction: Sabalenka in three sets.
READ MORE | Tennis | Roland Garros 2020 | Latest Tennis Schedules & Draws
Play continues on Day 7 of Roland Garros at 11am (10am BST).
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