By Tony Fairbairn
- Hubert Hurkacz [30] v Joao Fonseca
- Mirra Andreeva [6] v Cristina Bucsa
- Felix Auger-Aliassime [29] v Matteo Arnaldi
PARIS, FRANCE – Hubert Hurkacz will aim to continue his confident form from Geneva when he faces one of the best young talents in the game in the form of Joao Fonseca on day three of Roland Garros.
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Hubert Hurkacz [30] v Joao Fonseca H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Hubert Hurkacz [30] v Joao Fonseca | H2H: First Meeting |
| Roland Garros 2025 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €78,000 |
| Fourth on Court Seven (15:30 BST) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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Injuries have hindered Hubert Hurkacz’s progress over the last six months as he has struggled to recover his past form. However the Pole will be boosted by his performance in Geneva last week where he reached the final before losing to Novak Djokovic in a last set tiebreak. This will give the Polish number one confidence as he will hope that he can finally produce a deep run at Roland Garros as his mixture of power and variety is a recipe for success on clay.
The first big test for Hurkacz will come against one tennis’ hottest prospects in the form of Joao Fonseca. The Brazilian has had an incredible year which all started at the Australian Open where he defeated Andrey Rublev. Since then Fonseca has won his first ATP title in Buenos Aires as well as producing a deep run in Miami. However, the clay court season hasn’t gone according to plan for Fonseca and this will be a great learning experience for him as he looks to add grit to his explosive game style over the next few years.
Hurkacz will be aggressive on serve as he will look to take the forehand early and force Fonseca into erratic errors. Meanwhile Fonseca will use the forehand to get the rally going, forcing Hurkacz on the backfoot allowing time to get his explosive shots into play. This will be one of the best first rounds of the tournament but Hurkacz’s recent confidence and form makes him slight favourite in what should be a long and engaging contest.
Prediction: Hurkacz in four sets.
Mirra Andreeva [6] v Cristina Bucsa H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Mirra Andreeva [6] v Cristina Bucsa | H2H: First Meeting |
| Roland Garros 2025 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €78,000 |
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What a season it has been for Mirra Andreeva so far. The sixth seed has been in imperious form so far this year, winning two WTA 1000 titles and continuing to break new ground on the regular tour. However, it was actually at Roland Garros last year where Andreeva made a name for herself by reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final and Andreeva will look to do the same here this year as she continues her incredible form. The question is can Andreeva live up to the expectations that are put on her shoulders at such a young age?
The first severe test of that question will be against Spaniard Cristina Bucsa. The Spaniard has produced some good results on clay over the past few years but this year has struggled to get going as she has dropped to 98 in the world. However, the lack of form could loosen her expectations and tennis up with the Spaniard having nothing to fear in Roland Garros. A mixture of power and efficient net play could be a dangerous combination in this tournament as she looks to use her clay court IQ to her advantage in this match.
Andreeva will be clever with the serve as she looks to create angles on the forehand side to move Bucsa from side to side. Meanwhile Bucsa will look to force Andreeva behind the baseline and finish points off at the net. This will be a good early test for Andreeva but the sixth seed should prevail in straight sets here.
Prediction: Andreeva in straight sets.
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Felix Auger-Aliassime [29] v Matteo Arnaldi H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Felix Auger-Aliassime [29] v Matteo Arnaldi | H2H: First Meeting |
| Roland Garros 2025 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €78,000 |
| Fourth on Court Six (15:30 BST) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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After an optimistic start to the season, it has been an abysmal run of results for Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian seems to have lost all momentum and is struggling to find confidence at the moment. However, this is a surface that Auger-Aliassime has produced big results on in the past and this is a tournament that has inspired his best form in the past. A similar pattern will hope to be produced here from Auger-Aliassime otherwise he could face a big drop in the rankings if things don’t improve.
First up for Auger-Aliassime in Paris is Italian Matteo Arnaldi who has already shown he is capable of springing an upset or two. It was in Madrid when Arnaldi defeated Djokovic on his way to the fourth round and has shown on more than one occasion this season why he is one of the most improved players on the tour. However, the Italian will now need to show he can produce this level at the Grand Slams as he will believe with an aggressive gameplan that he can go far in this tournament.
Auger-Aliassime will dictate play on serve, using the forehand to put Arnaldi on the backfoot. Meanwhile Arnaldi will use variety to mix up the tempo of the rallies while implementing depth on the backhand side. This should be an intriguing contest with both players needing a win. Based on current form, Arnaldi is capable of springing a shock unless Auger-Aliassime brings his clutch Roland Garros form with him.
Prediction: Arnaldi in four sets.
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