By Tony Fairbairn
- Carlos Alcaraz [3] v Sebastian Korda [27]
- Ons Jabeur [8] v Leylah Fernandez [31]
- Hubert Hurkacz [8] v Denis Shapovalov
PARIS, FRANCE – Carlos Alcaraz will aim to reach the second week of Roland Garros when he takes on fellow rival Sebastian Korda on day six of the second Grand Slam of the season.
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Carlos Alcaraz [3] v Sebastian Korda [27] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Carlos Alcaraz [3] v Sebastian Korda [27] | H2H: Alcaraz leads 3-1 |
| Roland Garros 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €158,000 |
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A slight blip for Carlos Alcaraz as he lost a set in his second round clash with Jesper De Jong but the Spaniard’s quest for a first Roland Garros title continues. The question remains about Alcaraz’s fitness and whether his body can hold up for the whole two weeks but the quality of the Spaniard’s play neutralizes that issue. Now the third seed will continue to show why he should be considered the favourite for the title as his nearest rivals continue to struggle through the draw.
A mouth-watering clash awaits Alcaraz in the third round as he plays one of his rivals in this generation of young players in the form of Sebastian Korda. The American has been struggling for form recently but the world number 28 has recorded back-to-back wins for the first time since Dubai at Roland Garros. The 23 year-old’s mixture of slice, athleticism and net play makes him a dangerous player on clay and the American will look to use that skillset to test Alcaraz’s inconsistent game.
Alcaraz will look to create angles on the backhand side as he aims to force Korda out of position as well as using depth to pin the American behind the baseline. Meanwhile Korda will use the forehand to rush Alcaraz’s play as he will look to bring the Spaniard to the net, creating uncomfortable rallies for Alcaraz. It will be a tricky test for the third seed but one he should pass given his overall quality and confidence.
Prediction: Alcaraz in four sets.
Ons Jabeur [8] v Leylah Fernandez [31] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Ons Jabeur [8] v Leylah Fernandez [31] | H2H: Jabeur leads 3-0 |
| Roland Garros 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €158,000 |
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Ons Jabeur seems to have found her rhythm in recent weeks with the Tunisian fighting for every point and recording some big wins. Belief was gained when Jabeur reached the quarter-finals and the world number nine has continued that momentum into Roland Garros where she has recorded two good wins. Now Jabeur aims to bring her unpredictable and funky tennis to the second week of Roland Garros as she would love nothing more than to win a maiden Grand Slam title over the next month.
Standing in Jabeur’s way is fellow former Grand Slam finalist Leylah Fernandez who is into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since reaching the quarter-finals of Roland Garros in 2022. That is a crazy stat and one that shows how Fernandez has failed to back up her US Open final from three years ago although injuries have also played its part in that. The Canadian will now aim to show her true potential and bid for a place in the last 16 for a second time in Paris.
Jabeur will use her slice to disrupt to Fernandez’s rhythm as she looks to mix up the tempo of the rallies and wait for the perfect opportunity to hit winners. Meanwhile Fernandez will need to serve consistently well as she aims to be aggressive early on the point avoiding involving herself with longer rallies. This should be a good contest and the same result as Madrid is expected here which is a three set win for the Wimbledon finalist.
Prediction: Jabeur in three sets.
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Hubert Hurkacz [8] v Denis Shapovalov H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Hubert Hurkacz [8] v Denis Shapovalov | H2H: Hurkacz leads 4-1 |
| Roland Garros 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €158,000 |
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Despite not being known for his clay court prowess, Hubert Hurkacz has had a decent showing this season. A title in Estoril was followed by beating Rafael Nadal in Rome as he has shown some high-quality performances over the last few weeks. However Hurkacz has struggled in the best of five set format on clay and two tight wins over Shintaro Mochizuki and Brandon Nakashima shows that Hurkacz has a long way to go before he can start thinking about going deep at Roland Garros.
Next up for Hurkacz is an erratic Denis Shapovalov who seems to have gained some form at Roland Garros having beaten Frances Tiafoe in the last round. The Canadian’s high risk brand of tennis hasn’t always been successful but Shapovalov knows that if he has a good day at the office he can beat any player on the tour. Having overcome injuries and dips in form, Shapovalov will now look to show his potential as he searches for a place in the second week of Roland Garros.
Hurkacz will aim to be consistent on serve as the Pole uses the backhand to rush Shapovalov’s play and neutralize the Canadian. Meanwhile Shapovalov will need to be aggressive on return as the Canadian aims to use the backhand to create angles and expose Hurkacz’s inconsistencies over a best of five set format. The more consistent player should win this match and that would seem to be Hurkacz but expect there to be ups and downs throughout this mammoth contest.
Prediction: Hurkacz in five sets.
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