Each day of the tournament, we'll preview and predict three must-see matches at the French Open.
The Romanian and the Spaniard have one of the better under-the-radar rivalries in tennis. They’ve played 11 times, with Halep holding a narrow 6-5 lead, and seven of those 11 matches have gone three sets. It’s easy to see why neither of these women dominate their head to head. Neither is tall or powerful enough to blow the other off the court, but each is a natural shot-maker who is as adept at defense as she is at offense. Suarez Navarro won their only meeting at the French Open, in three sets, in the first round in 2013. But there’s more at stake in this early-day, round-of-16 encounter on Chatrier; whoever wins has a legitimate shot at her first major title.
Winner: Halep
Somehow Wawrinka and Monfils haven’t faced each other since 2011. In the five matches they have played, Wawrinka has won three and Monfils two. But they’ve never squared off on clay, and they’ve never squared off in Chatrier with a place in the French Open quarterfinals on the line. So far in Paris, the Swiss and the Frenchman have moved through the draw with quiet, and somewhat surprising, efficiency; neither has dropped a set in the first three rounds. Monfils, who is competing well at the moment, will have the crowd and the highlight-reel shots, and he should get at least a set. But Stan is competing the way he does when he wins major titles.
Winner: Wawrinka
The two Frenchwomen will play their first WTA-level match on Chatrier on Monday. But while they’ve never done battle on court, they have off of it. The countrywomen and sometime Fed Cup teammates aren’t on speaking terms at the moment—Garcia seems to be persona non grata among the French women since ending her doubles partnership with Kiki Mladenovic. Garcia is ranked 24th to Cornet’s 41st, but this kind of hothouse atmosphere may favor the drama-loving Cornet.
Winner: Cornet
