By Tony Fairbairn
- Carlos Alcaraz [3] v J.J. Wolf [LL]
- Naomi Osaka v Lucia Bronzetti
- Nicolas Jarry [16] v Corentin Moutet
PARIS, FRANCE – Carlos Alcaraz and Naomi Osaka look to overcome a lack of fitness and form as they begin their Roland Garros campaigns on day one of the second Grand Slam of the season.
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Carlos Alcaraz [3] v J.J. Wolf [LL] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Carlos Alcaraz [3] v J.J. Wolf [LL] | H2H: First Meeting |
| Roland Garros 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €73,000 |
| Second on Philippe-Chatrier (12:30 BST) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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It hasn’t been an ideal clay court season for Carlos Alcaraz as he tries to bid for a maiden Roland Garros title. The Spaniard suffered an injury at the start of the clay court season before falling in the quarter-finals in Madrid to Andrey Rublev. However the Spaniard is determined to improve his form throughout the tournament in what is turning out to be the most unpredictable Roland Garros of all time on the men’s side with Alcaraz now looking to complete 75% of the career Grand Slam.
First up for Alcaraz is lucky loser J.J. Wolf who lost in the final round of qualifying to Jesper De Jong but has another chance to show his qualities. The American has a big serve and likes to dominate on the forehand with the 25 year-old recording some big wins already in his career. The world number 107 will now aim to bring his best tennis on the biggest stage as he pushes for a place inside the world’s top 100.
Alcaraz will aim to use variety to bring Wolf into the net as the Spaniard will hope to use his forehand to its maximum potential after admitting he still has pain in that arm. Meanwhile, Wolf will look to be aggressive on serve as he attempts to neutralize Alcaraz’s power and agility on return. Wolf can cause Alcaraz a few problems but the Spaniard should have enough quality to win in straight sets even if he is a wounded animal at the moment.
Prediction: Alcaraz in straight sets.
Naomi Osaka v Lucia Bronzetti H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Naomi Osaka v Lucia Bronzetti | H2H: First Meeting |
| Roland Garros 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €73,000 |
| First on Philippe-Chatrier (Not before 11:00 BST) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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Naomi Osaka is gradually feeling comfortable on clay as she continues her return to the tour. The last time Osaka was at Roland Garros, the former Grand Slam champion was suffering from mental health problems and her confidence was at an all-time low. Now things couldn’t be more different as Osaka has recorded four victories over Madrid and Rome including wins over Marta Kostyuk and Daria Kasatkina as Osaka aims for a career best result in Paris.
World number 48 Lucia Bronzetti stands in Osaka’s way of more progress with the Italian struggling for confidence recently. The 25 year-old has struggled for form on the clay and is in desperate need of victories with unforced errors rattling off Bronzetti’s racket. However a winnable big match could be the motivation Bronzetti needs as she looks for only her fourth win this clay court season.
Osaka will aim to dominate on serve as she will use her forehand to change the tempo of the rallies and open up space on the court. Meanwhile Bronzetti will need to be aggressive on serve as the Italian will look to use the backhand to create depth and force Osaka behind the baseline. This could be a tricky match for Osaka but the former Australian Open champion’s recent form suggests she should edge into a potential second round meeting with Iga Swiatek.
Prediction: Osaka in three sets.
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Nicolas Jarry [16] v Corentin Moutet H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Nicolas Jarry [16] v Corentin Moutet | H2H: Tied at 1-1 |
| Roland Garros 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €73,000 |
| Fourth on Simonne-Mathieu (15:30 BST) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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Nicolas Jarry is on a wave of confidence at the moment having reached his maiden Masters 1000 final in Rome. The Chilean’s power, agility and all-court efficiency has made him a dark horse to go deep at Roland Garros this year and with the amount players in poor form, there is no reason why he shouldn’t favour himself to have a deep run. Now Jarry aims to continue his aggressive streak and send an early statement to the rest of the field.
If Jarry wants to progress he will have to overcome the Parisian crowd and an energetic Corentin Moutet. The Frenchman is as charismatic as they come with each match being unpredictable and prime-time entertainment. However as well as Moutet’s antics, the Frenchman provides substance producing power and variety to outsmart his opponents as he looks to produce yet another long and classic match in front of his home crowd.
Jarry will be aggressive on serve as he looks to utilize the angles available to power past Moutet’s defensive skills. Meanwhile Moutet will use variety to mix up the tempo of the rallies and force errors from Jarry’s powerful game. This should be an entertaining match with the crowd expected to play a big part but Jarry should have enough quality on serve and consistency to edge over the finishing line.
Prediction: Jarry in four sets.
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