We wrap up the first round of the women’s singles on Day 3 of the French Open. 20 matches are scheduled, and–as always–we here at LastWordOnTennis will share our thoughts on all of them with you. We split the day’s matches between five articles. In addition to this one, the other four feature Victoria Azarenka vs Nadia Podoroska, Victoria Azarenka vs Nadia Podoroska, Madison Keys vs Renata Zarazua, and Aryna Sabalenka vs Erika Andreeva. Predicting these matches are Jordan Reynolds, Manuel Traquete, and Liam McBride.
French Open Day 3 Predictions
Elise Mertens vs Maria Lourdes Carle
Jordan:
Mertens is generally very good in the early rounds of Grand Slams, while struggling after that in later rounds against higher-ranked players. Her game is solid in all departments and there are not many weaknesses to exploit. The prospect of an upset in this one seems minute.
Prediction: Mertens in 2
Manuel:
Mertens hasn’t been having a good clay season so far, but she’s still easily the better player of the two here. Carle is solid on this surface and could cause some issues, but Mertens should prevail.
Prediction: Mertens in 3
Liam:
It’s the first time that the Belgian and Argentinian will face off making it all the more intriguing. Moreover, it’s Carle’s first match on the Grand Slam stage. Carle has enjoyed solid results on the ITF tour as of late however stepping up to the main tour has proved a bit of a struggle. Up against the consistent ball striking and clay-court know-how of Elise Mertens, who has reached the second week three times here, it’ll be an uphill battle.
Prediction: Mertens in 2
Petra Martic vs Kristina Mladenovic
Jordan:
Mladenovic does not play many singles matches these days. Although the Frenchwoman will have a home crowd behind her, martic will fancy her chances here. The Croatian is not enjoying the best of seasons, but she should be able to extend the rallies and grind down Mladenovic.
Prediction: Martic in 2
Manuel:
Martic has won seven of their nine previous matchups, showing that she has a very clear upper hand in this matchup. She hasn’t been playing well lately, but she should still be able to advance to the second round here.
Prediction: Martic in 2
Liam:
The head-to-head between the two heavily favors World #81 Matric by seven wins to two. That’s why she goes into this clash as a clear favorite. We saw particularly in their last clash in Lyon how aggressive Martic was with her return position, leveling the playing field on her opponent’s serve. It won’t be all plain sailing for Martic though, as the French crowd will cheer on their home woman. Expect a tough battle from the baseline, but Martic will ultimately prevail.
Prediction: Martic in 3
Arantxa Rus vs Angelique Kerber
Jordan:
Clay has been Kerber’s least successful surface during her illustrious career but her results on the dirt have been pretty strong since her comeback this year. A problem for Rus is that her typical tactix on clay is hitting cross-court with heavy topspin to get her opponents on the back foot. Unfortunately for her, that will be into Kerber’s forehand, which is the German’s biggest strength.
Prediction: Kerber in 2
Manuel:
Even back in her Slam-winning days, Kerber never felt comfortable on clay (Roland Garros being the only Slam she has never won, hasn’t even made it past the quarterfinals). This should be a very close match, but it’s fair to give Rus a slight edge at this point.
Prediction: Rus in 3
Liam:
Their game styles are similar, both are aggressive left-handers who look to take the racket out of their opponent’s hands. The former World #1 does it that bit better, though. Even if clay hasn’t always been her strongest surface, with a disappointing record for a player of her stature, her experience will shine through in this clash. Kerber’s recent form has been promising as she competed well with Swiatek in Rome. Don’t expect a late run into the second week from the German. However, she will win with ease on Tuesday afternoon.
Prediction: Kerber in 2
Elena Rybakina vs Greet Minnen
Jordan:
Rybakina is the only player to beat Iga Swiatek on clay this year and she will have high hopes of going very far in Paris. It is difficult to see how Minnen causes a big shock. She is not well suited to dealing with the barrage of power that Ryabkina will throw at her.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Manuel:
Rybakina is one of the world’s best players and main contenders to the title here, while Minnen is on the back of a four match losing streak. On paper, this is one of the most one-sided matches of this first round.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Liam:
For the second Roland Garros running, Elena Rybakina’s preparation has been less than ideal due to falling ill in the weeks before. Before that though, she was in spectacular form, winning in Stuttgart and getting to the semifinals in Madrid. Whether she is a contender will come down to her fitness but against the World #85 she shouldn’t come across too many hurdles.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
