Before each day of play at Roland Garros, we'll preview and predict three must-see matches.
OK, this might seem like a flashback-to-2013 type of match-up; both of these guys have played better tennis in the past than they’re playing this year. But Almagro vs. Dolgopolov is of interest now for a few reasons. (1) They’re both entertaining shot-makers, they’ve both spent time in the Top 20, and we would normally see them facing off later at a Slam. Almagro’s one-handed backhand is among the game’s most spectacular shots, and Dolgopolov can do anything—too much, in fact—with a tennis ball. (2) Their head-to-head is 2-2, so this should be competitive. (3) The winner will likely play, and possibly challenge, Rafael Nadal in the second round. Winner: Almagro
The sixth-ranked Bouchard, a semifinalist at the French Open in 2014, is 1-0 against the 44th-ranked Mladenovic, and she’ll be the favorite again in their match in Lenglen on Tuesday. But she won’t be an overwhelming favorite. Bouchard’s record since the Australian Open is 3-9, and last year the 22-year-old Mladenovic, a home favorite in France, upset Li Na in the first round on the same court. Winner: Bouchard
A late-afternoon slugfest, with a dash of subtlety, in the Bullring. The 24-year-old Dimitrov has a 1-0 record against the 22-year-old Sock. He won their only meeting in three sets, on an indoor hard court, in Stockholm last year. This is a different surface and a different setting, but it’s hard to say whether that changes the dynamic much. Sock says that clay is his favorite surface, and Dimitrov is no slouch on the dirt himself. Dimitrov is ranked No. 11 and Sock No. 37, but the American may have had the better year so far, when you factor in the expectations for the two players. Sock will pummel, and Dimitrov will scramble, all over the Bullring, hopefully until the sun goes down. Winner: Dimitrov
Chances are, you're going to see this one for a while.
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