Three to See, Roland Garros Day 4: Medvedev vs. Paul; Serena vs. Buzarnescu; Azarenka vs. Tauson
When Tommy was asked by Tennis Channel what we can expect from him at Roland Garros this year, he said, “Long matches.”
Daniil Medvedev vs. Tommy Paul
Now that Medvedev has finally won a round at Roland Garros, can he convince himself that he can win another? Or maybe that he doesn’t detest this surface, after all? The No. 2 seed will get a good dose of dirtball in his second match, which will be the night session in Chatrier. Paul is a baseliner with speed who doesn’t mind a grind. When the American was asked by Tennis Channel what we can expect from him at Roland Garros this year, he said, “Long matches.” Paul delivered in the first-round with a three-and-a-half hour win over Chris O’Connell. Will he have enough left to go the distance against Medvedev, too? If so, he might end up with the biggest win of his career. Or, he might help Medvedev find his clay-court groove. Winner: Medvedev
Serena Williams vs. Mihaela Buzarnescu
Was Serena’s tight first set against Irina-Camelia Begu, in which she saved set points and won a tiebreaker 8-6, a sign of lingering rust, or a sign of her determination to keep advancing, even if she doesn’t have her best? She didn’t play brilliantly, but she also didn’t have any trouble revving up her intensity to its highest pitch in her opening match. On paper, that should be enough for her against Buzarnescu, who is 33 and ranked No. 148. The left-handed Romanian is more talented than her ranking would indicate; she has been as high as No. 24, and she can be a dangerous shot-maker. But she can also be a streaky one who has trouble closing out big matches against top opponents. There aren’t many bigger for her than Serena on Chatrier. Winner: S. Williams
Victoria Azarenka vs. Clara Tauson
What’s the appeal of a match between the 16th- and 90th-ranked women in the world, on the third show court? Azarenka vs. Tauson will give us a generational battle, one that pits an 18-year-old up-and-comer against a 31-year-old former No. 1 trying to reclaim her place among the game’s elite. Who knows what we’ll see. The two have never played, and we don’t really know what we’re going to get from Tauson, who has a long way to go before she starts fulfilling her potential on a regular basis. But this big-hitting six-footer does have a lot of potential. Winner: Azarenka