Each day of the tournament, we'll preview and predict three must-see matches at the French Open.
Nadal’s last match, a 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 shellacking of Nikolaz Basilashvili, was one of the all-time blowout wins in tennis history. The question now is whether Nadal can maintain something approaching that level; if he can, he’ll be receiving his 10th French Open trophy next Sunday. But it’s also possible that he’s peaked for the fortnight. If that’s the case, this could be an interesting match. Rafa and Bautista Agut have played just once, in Madrid three years ago, and Nadal won, 6-4, 6-3. Historically, Nadal has had his way with his fellow Spaniards, but Bautista Agut always plays to win, no matter who the opponent is, and he doesn’t stop competing. When he’s hot, he can slap the ball past anyone. But that can be said for a lot of Nadal’s opponents in Paris over the last 12 years; only two of them have stayed hot enough, for long enough, to beat him.
Winner: Nadal
This was a mid-tournament match that many of us drew a circle around—in our minds, if not on our computer screens—when the draw came out last week. Muguruza is the defending champion, while Mladenovic, perhaps the most improved player of 2017, is one of the tournament’s dark horses. If anything, their Sunday fourth-rounder feels like an even bigger collision now than it did a week ago. Through three matches, Muguruza has found a semblance of the powerfully self-contained form that took her to the title in 2016, while Mladenovic’s two great escapes—9-7 in the third over Jen Brady; 8-6 in the third over Shelby Rogers—have made her look like a player of destiny. Mladenovic won her only meeting with Muguruza, in two tiebreakers, in 2015. This rematch would have made a fine final, but we’ll take it in the round of 16, too.
Winner: Mladenovic
Nothing in the head-to-head history between these two men suggests that the last match on Chatrier will be competitive. Djokovic and Ramos Viñolas have met three times, and Djokovic has won all seven sets routinely. The last of those encounters came just a few months ago in Davis Cup. But since then, Ramos Viñolas, a quarterfinalist in Paris in 2016, has reached the final in Monte Carlo. At the same time, Djokovic has been mired in a season-long torpor, one that was still very much in evidence in the last round, when he had to come back from two-sets-to-one down to beat 41st-ranked Diego Schwartzman. Djokovic played down to his opponent’s level for much of that match. Ramos Viñolas is good enough to make him pay if he does the same thing on Sunday.
Winner: Djokovic
Tennis Channel's Daily Serve recaps Day 7 at Roland Garros:
