Tennis | Roland Garros 2022 | The future of tennis begins third round action on day six

By Tony Fairbairn

  • Carlos Alcaraz [6] v Sebastian Korda [27]
  • Belinda Bencic [14] v Leylah Fernandez [17]
  • Amanda Anisimova [27] v Karolina Muchova
PARIS, FRANCE – Roland Garros will get a glimpse into the future of tennis on both the men’s and women’s game on day six as third round action gets underway at the second grand slam of the season.

 

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Carlos Alcaraz [6] v Sebastian Korda [27] H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Carlos Alcaraz [6] v Sebastian Korda [27] H2H: Tied at 1-1
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Carlos Alcaraz survived a tough scare in the second round as he saved match point and overcame Albert Ramos-Vinolas in a tough five set battle. The Spaniard’s tough mental and physical fortitude saw him overcome a massive test in what will be a beneficial match in terms of his career. However Alcaraz will want to avoid too many matches like that in the future as energy conservation is key if you want to win a grand slam especially with the draw he has.

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It doesn’t get any easier for the sixth seed as he takes on Sebastian Korda in the third round. The rising American star is the only player to beat Alcaraz so far in this clay court swing and will be heading into this match with confidence after a straight sets win over in-form Richard Gasquet. The American’s mixture of attacking play mixed with incredible athleticism makes his game style a perfect fit with the clay and now the American will look to back that theory up with a deep run in Paris.

This could be an entertaining match as both players have great athleticism and fantastic aggressive qualities. Alcaraz will be much better than he was in his defeat to Korda at Monte-Carlo but it’s whether he will have a lot left in the tank to go the distance against the American. This match could be a future grand slam final, so fans will get a glimpse into the future when these two meet in the third round on Friday.

Prediction: Alcaraz in four sets.

 

Belinda Bencic [14] v Leylah Fernandez [17] H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Belinda Bencic [14] v Leylah Fernandez [17] H2H: Fernandez leads 1-0
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Belinda Bencic produced a statement win in her last round as she comfortably dispatched Bianca Andreescu in straight sets. The Swiss is in confident form and striking the ball cleanly with aggression. When Bencic is in confident form then there isn’t many players in the world that can stop her and the 14th seed will hope that’s the case in Paris as she looks for a deep grand slam run on her weakest surface.

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From one Canadian to another for Bencic as she takes on US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the third round. Fernandez hasn’t backed up her ranking since reaching her first grand slam final in New York but the Canadian will be looking to put that right on arguably her favourite surface. Fernandez’s mix of movement, intelligence and power makes for a dangerous combination on the red dirt as she seeks another big grand slam run.

This match is on Bencic’s racket and at the moment it looks like she is not looking to be conservative in the way she approaches matches anytime soon. Fernandez will look to mix up the pace of rallies and dictate the tempo as often as possible but Bencic’s experience and power might be too much for the Canadian to handle here.

Prediction: Bencic in three sets.

 

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Amanda Anisimova [27] v Karolina Muchova   H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Amanda Anisimova [27] v Karolina Muchova H2H: First Meeting
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Amanda Anisimova’s season gets better by the day as two statement wins over Naomi Osaka and Donna Vekic has seen her into the last 32 with ease. The former semi-finalist’s mix of power and impressive movement has seen her become one of the form players this season and the American will look to keep that up and make a deep run in Paris. Will this year be her time to win a grand slam title?

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A tricky third round match awaits Anisimova though as she takes on the slice and dice of Karolina Muchova. Muchova is only just coming back from injury but the Czech Republican earned a big win over last year’s semi-finalist Maria Sakkari in two tiebreaks to reach the third round. Although this is Muchova’s weakest surface, her game style makes it an awkward proposition for any opponent and she will look to keep frustrating her opponents as the tournament continues into the latter stages.

This will be a big test of Anisimova’s progress and grand slam credentials in terms of her style of play but also her mental fortitude. Muchova will use depth, spin and power to put the American off her game however Anisimova’s confidence right now is sky high and the American’s clean ball striking should be enough to edge through.

Prediction: Anisimova in three sets.

 

 

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