By Tony Fairbairn
- Novak Djokovic [3] v Marton Fucsovics
- Jessica Pegula [3] v Camila Giorgi
- Stan Wawrinka v Thanasi Kokkinakis [WC]
PARIS, FRANCE – Novak Djokovic continues his quest for a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title against Marton Fucsovics on day four of Roland Garros.
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Novak Djokovic [3] v Marton Fucsovics H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Novak Djokovic [3] v Marton Fucsovics | H2H: Djokovic leads 4-0 |
| Roland Garros 2023 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €97,000 |
| Fourth on Court Philippe-Chatrier (Not before 19:15 BST) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime Sign up for 30 day free trial of Prime Video and a 7 day free trial of Discovery+ Player |
Despite only winning five matches in the build-up to Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic looked in impressive form in his opening match against Aleksandar Kovacevic. Although there was a mini-blip in the third set, Djokovic will be pleased that he’s starting to build confidence as he searches for a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title in Paris. However the third seed is experienced enough to know there’s a lot of tennis to be played between now and then with the Serb looking to send another statement of intent to the rest of the field in his second round encounter.
The next obstacle in Djokovic’s bid for history is a familiar opponent in the form of talented Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. Although Fucsovics has lost their previous four encounters, the Hungarian has proved to be a threat to the Serb in the past and will hope that he can use his effortless power from the baseline to break down Djokovic’s game. Fucsovics hasn’t had the best form recently but a win on the biggest stage of them all could turn his season around and become a platform for bigger things.
Djokovic will look to use the slow night-time conditions to his advantage as he looks to produce efficient returning and extend the rallies using his effortless footwork. Meanwhile Fucsovics will look to make a high percentage of first serves and be as aggressive as possible forcing Djokovic to play shorter balls which will allow the Hungarian to hit winners. This will be a test of the Serb’s physicality but on paper this should be fairly straightforward given how slow the conditions are in Paris.
Prediction: Djokovic in straight sets.
Jessica Pegula [3] v Camila Giorgi H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jessica Pegula [3] v Camila Giorgi | H2H: Pegula leads 7-2 |
| Roland Garros 2023 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €97,000 |
| First on Court Philippe-Chatrier (10:45 BST) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime Sign up for 30 day free trial of Prime Video and a 7 day free trial of Discovery+ Player |
Jessica Pegula has had to deal with injury issues in the build-up to Roland Garros but the third seed’s win over Danielle Collins showed why she is one of the best in the world at the moment. The American’s ability to be consistent from the baseline and counter-attack allows her to expose the weaknesses of her opponent which has been evident over the last 12 months. Now Pegula looks to make her big breakthrough in Paris and show the world that she is ready to contend for tennis’ big titles.
Next for Pegula is a familiar opponent in Camila Giorgi who Pegula has beaten on seven occasions in the past. Giorgi’s streakiness makes her a dangerous opponent for any play as she proved against Alize Cornet in her first round match. The Italian has the weapons and patience to defeat the top players and will now look to prove that on her weakest surface as she looks to cause another upset as well as be in contention for a Wimbledon seeding.
Pegula will look to continue to build her confidence from the baseline and counter-attack Giorgi’s power with variety and depth. Meanwhile the Italian looks to use the angles to make the American move while producing a high percentage of first serves. This will be a tough test for Pegula that will put her game under a little bit of pressure but after a slow start the American should have the quality to edge through to the third round.
Prediction: Pegula in three sets.
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Stan Wawrinka v Thanasi Kokkinakis [WC] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Stan Wawrinka v Thanasi Kokkinakis [WC] | H2H: First Meeting |
| Roland Garros 2023 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €97,000 |
| Second on Court Simonne-Mathieu (11:30) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime Sign up for 30 day free trial of Prime Video and a 7 day free trial of Discovery+ Player |
Stan Wawrinka is slowly looking to build his way back to form as he looks to go deep at Grand Slams at the age of 38. The former champion’s five set win over Albert Ramos-Vinolas showed that he still has the resilience and physicality to compete at this level and will be hoping his game can still cause the top players trouble. Now Wawrinka will be looking for consistency as he aims for back-to-back wins on the main tour for the first time since Indian Wells.
A tough test awaits Wawrinka in the next round as he takes on the powerful game of Thanasi Kokkinakis. The Australian’s win over Dan Evans was his first win at Roland Garros for eight years and Kokkinakis is hoping this is the start of bigger things as he looks to climb back into the world’s top 100. As the grass court season approaches, Kokkinakis knows a big tournament in Paris could give him the confidence and momentum heading into the rest of the season.
Wawrinka will look to be smart with his returning as he looks to put Kokkinakis under pressure by making him play one shot extra. Meanwhile Kokkinakis will look to dominate on his serve and set the tempo of the rallies with his baseline power. This match could go all the way but Wawrinka’s clay court IQ should give him the edge in this tight contest.
Prediction: Wawrinka in five sets.
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