Five Best Men’s Second-Round Matches at the French Open Including Alexander Zverev vs Tomas Machac

The first round of the second Major of the year is in the books, as the competition now ramps up on the Parisian clay. Despite the draw still not totally separating the contenders from the fillers, we still do have a host of exciting second-round clashes to look forward to at the French Open.

Casper Ruud vs Hamad Medjedovic

After entering the tournament in great form, Casper Ruud had one of the closest calls in the first round, as heat stroke had him stressing out in a match where, once serving for the match, he went on to lose eleven consecutive games. While he did well to recover and battle through that, he will need to be even sharper against Hamad Medjedovic, as the Norwegian has been handed a brutal draw here.

Not only does Medjedovic have the attacking firepower to outhit Ruud, but he also has a very potent serve that should make Ruud’s return game even more important. Even though I still think Ruud has enough clay-court pedigree and experience to come through against a physically suspect opponent, this is a match that can comfortably go the other way as well, and one to look out for in the second round.

Joao Fonseca vs Dino Prizmic

I had this potential match circled even before a ball was played in Paris this year, as this is a clash between two very talented youngsters who arguably play their best tennis on the slower clay. Joao Fonseca will bring the firepower in this encounter, while Dino Prizmic will look to counterpunch and make this match physical.

This contrast of styles makes this a must-see match, with both players looking to impose their will against each other in what should be a ball-striking clinic, with the winner potentially going up against the great Novak Djokovic in the third round.

Alex de Minaur vs Alexander Blockx

While neither of these players is flashy enough, the overall quality in this matchup is just too much for me to ignore. Both Alex de Minaur and Alexander Blockx faced off against each other at Monte Carlo earlier this year, where the Aussie just edged out a straight-sets win, and given that the young Belgian has only improved since, this is likely to be closely played out as well.

Expect De Minaur to make this encounter physical by extending the rallies and getting Blockx to commit many unforced errors, while Blockx will need to serve big and be aggressive in his shot selection, as both players look for a deep run in Paris this year.

Tommy Paul vs Lorenzo Sonego

This matchup between two players who stick to the baseline but adopt very different styles from each other is set to be another popcorn match to kick off the second round at the French Open. Lorenzo Sonego’s approach to tennis is all-out attack, while Tommy Paul, being the more creative baseliner, can guarantee that this match has at least one Point of the Day candidate.

The question for me is whether the Italian’s aggression will be his own demise here, as Paul is one of the fastest movers on the court and can counterpunch power effectively, or whether Sonego can find the happy medium of attacking when needed and rein in his aggression when he starts to unravel from the back of the court.

Alexander Zverev vs Tomas Machac

But undoubtedly, the match that will probably have the most eyes on it in the second round is this intriguing contest between No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev and Tomas Machac. Both players had clinical first-round performances, which only adds to what can be expected from this clash.

Likely to be determined from the baseline, there are two important factors for me heading into this match. Can Zverev serve effectively with his back issues lately, and does Machac have high-intensity five-set tennis on the slow clay in him if need be, given all of his physical issues? The answer to both of these questions might very well end up deciding the match.

Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey Imagn Images