By Tony Fairbairn
- Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Paula Badosa
- Daniil Medvedev [5] v Tomas Machac
- Elena Rybakina [4] v Elise Mertens [25]
PARIS, FRANCE – Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will aim to continue their Roland Garros title charge into the second week as they take on tough third round tests on day seven of the second Grand Slam of the season.
 |
|---|
Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Paula Badosa H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Paula Badosa | H2H: Sabalenka leads 4-2 |
| Roland Garros 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €158,000 |
| Second on Philippe Chatrier (Not before 12:30 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 |
There have been no struggles for Aryna Sabalenka so far as the world number two continues to cruise through and prove that she is the nearest challenger to Iga Swiatek’s Roland Garros dominance. The 26 year-old has been simply irresistible at Grand Slam level this year as she is yet to drop a set, having won 18 consecutive sets in 2024. However Sabalenka will know as the competition gets tougher, the level of play gets higher and Sabalenka can’t afford to be complacent as a place in the second week edges nearer.
Next for Sabalenka is good friend Paula Badosa who has overcome a poor run of form to reach the third round. The Spaniard has shown her determination and grit in order to reach the third round as both her wins over Katie Boulter and Yulia Putintseva have been won 7-5 in the fifth. After a bad luck of injuries, Badosa is determined to get her ranking back into the top 100 and the former quarter-finalist will know a big win here could be the start of something special for the rest of the season.
Sabalenka is looking to dictate play on her serve and will aim to use her forehand in order to create angles and force Badosa out of position on court. Meanwhile Badosa will aim to force Sabalenka behind the baseline with the use of her backhand as she will need to be aggressive from the start of the match. Despite Badosa’s fighting qualities, the Spaniard’s level is not at the standard it needs to be in order to challenge Sabalenka in this match.
Prediction: Sabalenka in straight sets.
Daniil Medvedev [5] v Tomas Machac H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Daniil Medvedev [5] v Tomas Machac | H2H: Medvedev leads 1-0 |
| Roland Garros 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €158,000 |
| Second on Suzanne Lenglen (11:30 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 |
Daniil Medvedev may just like the clay after all as the world number five is enjoying a consistent run of results on clay. Medvedev enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals in Madrid and has overcome the disappointment of failing to defend the Rome title by reaching the final at Roland Garros. Now Medvedev will hope the faster conditions can work in his favour as he aims for a spot in the second week in Paris for the third time in his career.
A tricky third round test awaits in the form of Geneva finalist Tomas Machac. The Czech Republican is enjoying his best run of form of his career as he has beaten both Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic this season playing some aggressive and consistent tennis. Having narrowly missed out on a Roland Garros seeding, Machac will be confident that he can continue his rise up the rankings as he looks to add another big win to his collection.
Medvedev will aim to create depth to force Machac into uncomfortable positions as he aims to continue his impressive serving. Meanwhile Machac will look to use angles to force Medvedev out of position as he will look to finish points off at the net. This will be a competitive match with another upset potentially being on the cards here given Machac’s recent form.
Prediction: Machac in five sets.
 |
|---|
Elena Rybakina [4] v Elise Mertens [25] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Elena Rybakina [4] v Elise Mertens [25] | H2H: Rybakina leads 4-1 |
| Roland Garros 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €158,000 |
| First on Philippe Chatrier (13:00 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 |
Elena Rybakina’s big-serving style on the court might not be for everyone and her introverted personality in the press conference might not be to everyone’s taste but the Kazakh won’t care if she continues her current form. After a sensational couple of tournaments in Stuttgart and Madrid, the fourth seed is now into the third round having played some professional tennis. Another win would see her into the second week and the Kazakh will be seen as a title contender heading into the latter stages as she aims to win her second Grand Slam title.
A tough test awaits Rybakina in the third round in the form of Elise Mertens. The Belgian has been consistent this season but hasn’t really built on her run to the Hobart final back in January. Despite that Mertens will be happy with her tournament and will believe that she can trouble any player on this surface with her effective serving and athletic movement as she looks for a big win to boost her confidence.
Rybakina will look to use her serve to neutralize Mertens’ returning intelligence as she will aim to create depth on the backhand. Meanwhile Mertens will need to be aggressive on the first shot as she aims to dictate the tempo of the rallies. This should be an entertaining contest but Rybakina should have too much consistent quality for the Belgian.
Prediction: Rybakina in three sets.
How to Watch/Follow Roland Garros 2024
| Live Stream | 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 |
| Live Scores | Tennis Scores Powered By TNNSLIVE |
 Sign up to PBLC for free to support ongoing contributions from Britwatch Sports |
|---|
| Follow Britwatch - Sport in General, Brits in Particular! | |
|---|---|
| Soundcloud | |
| YouTube | |
| We may receive compensation for products purchased via affiliate links on this website | |