Expect plenty of entertaining tennis on day five at the French Open with 16 second-round matches on the slate in Paris. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Daniil Medvedev vs Miomir Kecmanovic, Gael Monfils vs Lorenzo Musetti, and Casper Ruud vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. But who will advance?
French Open Day 5 Predictions
Novak Djokovic vs Roberto Carballes Baena
Damian: Djokovic didn’t look great at all in his opening-round win over Herbert, but the best thing about his draw is that he can pretty much sleepwalk through the first two rounds. Carballes Baena has done some good work over the years improving his serve and attacking arsenal. It’s still a relevant question though – how does he win points against Djokovic regularly?
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Ateet: Djokovic’s first-round opponent put in an inspired performance and made Djokovic earn every set. Djokovic was clutch in important moments and finished the job in straight sets. In the next round, he faces a natural clay courter in Roberto Carballes Baena, who has played some good tennis this season on clay. This is a great match-up for Djokovic to get in rhythm.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Tope: Even though he won in straight sets against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the match was much closer than the scoreline suggested. The Serbian will have to up his level as he often does per match in Majors to overcome Roberto Carballes Baena who will be lurking to take advantage of any slip-up.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
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Tallon Griekspoor vs Luciano Darderi
Damian: This one seems very tight with Darderi having an awesome clay season after his maiden ATP title in February and probably being one of the most dangerous unseeded players. Griekspoor’s year hasn’t had the highlights of 2023, but he continues to be a solid part of the tour. It should be a tight one, the Italian should be marginally more confident right now.
Prediction: Darderi in 5
Ateet: Considering clay is not the best surface for Tallon Griekspoor, he has done quite well this year. He has a sneaky-good serve and plays aggressive tennis. Luciano Darderi had an easy first-round opponent and he ensured to get it done in straight sets. Darderi has won a lot of matches recently and will like his chances against Griekspoor.
Prediction: Darderi in 5
Tope: Another potential blockbuster looms between two explosive players. Luciano Darderi looked fatigued in his opener against Rinky Hijikata but he was able to dig deep to win in straight sets. His Dutch opponent, Tallon Griekspoor looked a bit tired in the third set against Mackenzie McDonald but rebounded to finish the Aussie off. A potentially fatigued Darderi will try to wrap this up early and I see him emerge all guns blazing.
Prediction: Darderi in 4
Mariano Navone vs Tomas Machac
Damian: Taking your Geneva form to Paris is never easy with the sudden change of conditions and Machac deserves so much credit for his straight-set win over Borges on Tuesday. Can he also take down a clay expert like Navone? He definitely can, but the Argentinian still holds an edge in my book on sea-level dirt.
Prediction: Navone in 5
Ateet: Two in-form players of this year face off in the second round. Navone had a solid match in the first round. His return game is world-class, but the serve needs improvement. Tomas Machac had a tough first round but he passed with flying colours. Reaching the finals in Geneva and defeating Djokovic must have given him a lot of confidence and he is showing that. This match should be spicy.
Prediction: Machac in 5
Tope: This is an interesting encounter between two 23-year-olds who seem to be going on an upward trajectory at almost the same time of their careers. While Tomas Machac is the more talented player, Mariano Navone has enormous experience grinding out wins on the dirt. In this coin toss, I’ll go with the Czech.
Prediction: Machac in 5
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Francisco Cerundolo vs Filip Misolic
Damian: It was such a professional performance from Cerundolo in round one. You never really know what you’re going to get from him, but that level of focus could take him far in this event. He played brilliantly in Paris last year and the longer format can often help him manage his inconsistency too. Misolic will need a sloppier Cerundolo to get through.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 4
Ateet: Cerundolo has been inconsistent in the European clay swing with some great performances and some bad losses. However, when he is playing well he can challenge anyone on clay and he displayed that in his first-round match against Yannick Hanfmann. Filip Misolic pulled off a miracle comeback in his first-round match. He lost the first two sets and was down a double break in the fourth set. Cerundolo is a much tougher opponent, who will not give him many chances.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3
Tope: Francisco Cerundolo put away his below-average European clay season to produce a masterclass in the straight sets defeat of Yannick Hanfmann in the first round. He meets a tough opponent in Filip Misolic who doesn’t seem to hand out wins easily. Feisty match ahead but the Argentine should eventually see this one through.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 4
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
