We wrap up the men’s and women’s first rounds on Day 3 of the French Open. 20 women will book their places in the second round on Tuesday. But who will those women be? As always, we here at LWOT share our thoughts on the matches for you. We split all 20 of the matches between five articles. Our other four articles for Day 3 feature Victoria Azarenka vs Bianca Andreescu, Iga Swiatek vs Cristina Bucsa, Coco Gauff vs Rebeka Masarova, and Ons Jabeur vs Lucia Bronzetti. Predicting this set of matches are Jack Edward, Shane Black, and Andreas Pelekis.
French Open Day 3 Predictions
Ylena In-Albon vs Claire Liu
Jack:
Claire Liu hasn’t been in the best of form, even on a surface that allows her to grind her opponents down. Ylena In-Albon will know her opponent is there for the taking. The Swiss qualifier is warmed up and hitting big enough to take the win here.
Prediction: In-Albon in 2
Shane:
This match is a significant opportunity for two players outside the top 100 to pick up a Slam victory. Claire Liu has been the more established player on tour, but she is just 1-5 on the clay this year. Ylena In-Albon clawed her way through three rounds of qualifying and should gain an advantage given her comfortability on the courts of Roland Garros.
Prediction: In-Albon in 3
Andreas:
In-Albon is also rather new to the top tier of tennis, and qualified for the main draw. Liu hasn’t played her best on clay this year, missing some opportunities to make good runs at WTA 125Ks as a top seed. Could be a very close one, but expect the American’s experience to shine through.
Prediction: Liu in 3
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Alison Riske vs Mirra Andreeva
Jack:
Alison Riske-Amritraj hasn’t won a main draw tour match since the US Open last year, nine straight losses ago. She also hasn’t played on clay since Roland Garros last year. She is absolutely not in the form to pull off the upset against Mirra Andreeva, who is proving she is no flash in the pan.
Prediction: Andreeva in 2
Shane:
The decline for Alison Riske-Amritraj has been rapid and steep. The former world No. 18 has won just one match since the 2022 US Open. 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva has won 29 matches over that same period. Andreeva won three qualifying matches without dropping a set and favors the clay as her best surface. As long as she can control her nerves, I like her to advance to the second round.
Prediction: Andreeva in 3
Andreas:
One of the breakout stars of 2023, Andreeva ravaged her way through the qualifying draw, taking out the top seed Osorio. Riske seems to be past her peak, and can often be overpowered by big hitters. Only 16 years old, Andreeva surely brings lots of power. Reminding me of Gauff’s run in 2019 Wimbledon, Andreeva should win this.
Prediction: Andreeva in 3
Barbora Krejcikova vs Lesia Tsurenko
Jack:
Barbora Krejcikova isn’t as sure-fire a bet at the moment as she usually is. There have been some questionable losses recently, allowing her opponents to outhit her on a surface she’s won a Slam on. In spite of some rocky moments, Krejcikova should be good enough to allow no more than one set for Lesia Tsurenko.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 3
Shane:
2021 champion Barbora Krejcikova gets a tricky Round 1 matchup against Lesia Tsurenko. Both women have played well this season and should bring their best tennis on Tuesday. Tsurenko has the chops to push Krejcikova, but ultimately I see the 27-year-old Czech’s variety leading her to victory.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Andreas:
One of the favorites to win in Paris, the 2021 French Open champion is in far better form than last year; Krejcikova disastrously lost the first round to Diane Parry last year. The loss has still hurt her ranking to this day, as she’s only the 13th seed but is playing far better than that number. Tsurenko is far too injury prone on tour, and Krejcikova has more weapons.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Elena Rybakina vs Brenda Fruhvirtova
Jack:
For all of Brenda Fruhvirtova’s success, her game hasn’t been consistently put under the microscope by WTA-level players. Her serve will likely do nowhere near enough damage against the repeated blows of Elena Rybakina. There may be a Grand Slam breakthrough in the future but not yet.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Shane:
Elena Rybakina comes to Roland Garros as the No. 4 seed and winner of six straight matches en route to her title in Rome. She is playing with unmatched confidence, allowing her to raise her level on the biggest stages. 16-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova has a bright future in this sport but will be overwhelmed by Rybakina’s power.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Andreas:
Not the easiest of first rounds for Rybakina, but the Kazakh is still the overwhelming favorite. It’s quite possible that Rybakina could struggle early on with typical first round nerves and pressure, yet she shouldn’t need a third set to win this one. The younger Fruhvirtova of the Fruhvirtova sisters, this is her second Grand Slam main draw.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
