Day 7 at the French Open will see the final eight third-round men’s matches. After Saturday, the Round of 16 lineup will be set in Paris. As always, our writers here at LWOT share their thoughts on all of the matches. We split the matches between two articles–with the other article featuring Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Brandon Nakashima. Predicting these matches are Ateet Shrivastava, Harsh Bhoot, and Yesh Ginsburg. Who do you think will advance?
French Open Day 7 Predictions
Francisco Comesana vs Matteo Berrettini
Ateet:
Francisco Comesana defeated Luciano Darderi in five sets, which lasted over four hours. There were multiple momentum swings in that match, but Comesana had the last one in his favour. He will face another Italian, Matteo Berrettini, who played one of his best matches in a while to defeat Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets. If Berrettini can stay healthy, he has a genuine shot at reaching the later stages here.
Prediction: Berrettini in 4
Harsh:
Berrettini has looked good so far and with Sinner bowing out, his section of the draw is wide open. The Italian faces Comesana, who beat #14 seed Luciano Darderi in an entertaining five setter. That being said, Berrettini has the power to penetrate the defenses of Comesana and the Italian is likely to be in control of the match more often than not.
Prediction: Berrettini in 4
Yesh:
Berrettini’s career will be remembered as one of unrealized potential due to injury. Every time things look good for him, his body gets in the way. Things are looking good right now. As long as his body holds up, there are very few on this half of the draw who can touch him.
Prediction: Berrettini in 4
Moise Kouame vs Alejandro Tabilo
Ateet:
17-year-old Moise Kouame has given the local crowd a lot of joy and has shown great temperament and tennis to reach the third round. However, I don’t think he has much left in the tank, and Alejandro Tabilo, who got a walkover in the second round, should take advantage.
Prediction: Tabilo in 4
Harsh:
Kouame is making the most out of the wild card as the local fan favorite is into the third round. The Frenchman needed five sets in the second round, putting his recovery in question as he is just 17 years old. His opponent, Tabilo, meanwhile is well rested after getting a walkover in the second round, and he is much more experienced at this level. Expect Kouame to give it his all but Tabilo’s experience at this level should be the differentiator.
Prediction: Tabilo in 4
Yesh:
People are expecting way too much from Kouame at this point. He’s only 17, he’s never played this much consecutive tennis before, and he’s about to face the biggest match of his life. He might be a star in the future, but right now I expect him to get rolled.
Prediction: Tabilo in 3
Francisco Cerundolo vs Zachary Svajda
Ateet:
Francisco Cerundolo has the level to take advantage of the draw opening up if he can keep his composure and not fold mentally. Zachary Svajda has done brilliantly to reach this stage, but this match will be on Cerundolo’s racquet.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3
Harsh:
Cerundolo is another dark horse who can make the most of Sinner losing. The Argentinian plays a solid clay court game and is very dangerous on his day. He has been tested in his first two rounds but doesn’t look like anything concerning. He takes on Svadja who has looked in decent form thus far but there exists a gap in baseline quality especially in a best of five sets. Expect Cerundolo to dominate with his powerful forehand and open up the court beautifully.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3
Yesh:
Zach Zvajda has done amazing to get here, but he’s out of his depth on this one. Cerundolo is a strong clay-courter who enjoys playing in Paris. Svajda is decent enough, but not at this level and not on this surface.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3
Frances Tiafoe vs Jaime Faria
Ateet:
Frances Tiafoe won the longest match of his career as he defeated Hubert Hurkacz in five sets. Tifaoe served for the fourth set only to get broken and lose the set in a tiebreak. However, he showed a great attitude and did not get discouraged by it. Jaime Faria hasn’t dropped a set yet and is on a fantastic run. I expect another physical battle in this one, but I have more confidence in Tiafoe’s conditioning.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 5
Harsh:
Tiafoe came through a tough battle against Hurkacz in his second round and his next opponent, Faria, will no doubt put up a valiant effort. Faria came through qualifying and hasn’t dropped a set in his first two rounds. Tiafoe has historically not had his best results on clay but his serve and first strike tennis should enable him to open up the court better than his opponent. Expect Tiafoe to endure another hard fought victory.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 5
Yesh:
Tiafoe has a huge opportunity with an open draw here. And while he has been a bit off his best in recent years, he has looked solid this event. He also feels extra motivation to perform well after fellow D.C. resident Hailey Baptiste’s terrible injury. I think he’ll make his hometown proud, staying in this tournament a while longer.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
