With the draw ceremony for the French Open taking place today, fans and players alike have their eyes peeled on the draw. Already the big talking point is 14-time champion at Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal, drawing a rematch against Alexander Zverev. The two famously did battle in the 2022 semifinal where the German retired in the second set tiebreak with the match having already hit over three hours during this affair.
Even with all the talk being on this match, there are still other intriguing battles on both the men’s and women’s sides. We pick a few of the best here.
Teenager Jakub Mensik has taken the ATP Tour by storm this year after making the finals in Doha. He picked up his first top-10 and top-5 win there taking out Andrey Rublev and is now the youngest player inside the top-100. He takes on two-time defending finalist Casper Ruud whose form on clay outside of Barcelona and Monte Carlo, has been less than stellar.
However with the injury and form question marks on many of the top players, this could be the Norwegian’s chance to potentially grab a maiden Grand Slam title. Ruud definitely enters this match as the favorite but do not be surprised if the Czech provides some entertainment and a battle.
It has not been the best year at all for Lorenzo Sonego at all. A winning percentage of 33 percent in tour-level events is well-below his usual standard. Facing off against Frenchman Ugo Humbert will not make things any easier. Despite the lack of form, Sonego and Humbert are both players who have shown they can perform well on all surfaces.
These two have faced off five times in their careers with Sonego leading the head-to-head 3-2. This is also a rematch of their meeting last year at the French Open where the Italian won in straight sets.
What’s going to make this match even better is the crowd. Humbert will have the backing of the home crowd, but Sonego, an Italian, a country who always has raucous fans who travel well, will also have proper backing. The battle won’t just be what takes place on the court, but a battle between the French and Italian crowds in the stands as well.
Humbert (left) and Sonego shake hands after their battle in Monte Carlo (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Alize Cornet vs Qinwen Zheng
A month ago, Alize Cornet announced that the French Open will be the final tournament of her career. One of the most successful Frenchwomen of this era, she will bid farewell at her home event. However, her career may end in round one at the hands of the Chinese number one, Qinwen Zheng.
The Frenchwoman’s unique game plus the backing of the home crowd could provide the spark to cause an upset. Despite Zheng’s success on hard courts, including reaching her first major final earlier this year in Australia, she has shown that she has a knack for success on the dirt as well. A 25-11 record on the clay over the last three seasons shows she is no pushover, including taking a set off Iga Swiatek at the French Open in 2022.
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Publish date : 2024-05-23 03:00:00
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