Rafael Nadal will begin his bid for a 13th French Open title when he goes up against Egor Gerasimov on Monday. First-round also continues with a showdown between entertaining characters Gael Monfils and Alexander Bublik.
Egor Gerasimov vs. (2) Rafael Nadal
Nadal is by no means a slam dunk for a 13th title at Roland Garros as he heads into his 2020 campaign that will begin on Monday. Late September conditions are less conducive to his game than those of late May and early June, and in his only clay-court warmup event he lost to Diego Schwartzman in the Rome quarterfinals. Of course, Nadal was also a question mark heading into last year’s French Open (he lost in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, and Madrid) and that only ended with a convincing romp to a third consecutive title on the red clay of Paris.
Up first for the second-ranked Spaniard is Gerasimov, whom he has never faced. The 83rd-ranked Belarusian was playing the best tennis of his career in February but has been a disaster since the coronavirus hiatus. Gerasimov attempted to qualify at three recent tournaments and failed to do so on any occasion. The 27-year-old earned direct entry into the French Open, but he will be going directly out and doing so in a hurry.
Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 8-10 games
(8) Gael Monfils vs. Alexander Bublik
Not unlike the case with Gerasimov, the break from tennis could not have come at a worse time for Monfils. The ninth-ranked Frenchman was 16-3 prior to the stoppage with titles in Montpellier and Rotterdam. Since returning, though, Monfils is 0-2 with losses to Dominik Koepfer in Rome and to Yannick Hanfmann in Hamburg. By his own admission following the Hamburg exit, he is not feeling good on the court right now.
Bublik, on the other hand, is riding high after reaching the Hamburg quarterfinals as a lucky loser (lost in three sets to clay-court specialist Cristian Garin). This is a showdown between two of the most entertaining, unpredictable, and unreliable players in tennis. For the time being, it is the 49th-ranked Kazakh who is more reliable. That is not saying a lot, of course, but it does say that an upset is possible and even probable.
Pick: Bublik in 4
WWW?
How can Nadal win in 2 if it is a 3 in 5 matches in a grand slam!!!
Dazzled by the magnificence of the 12 time champ, his opponent will retire (possibly from tennis) after losing the first two sets.
LOL
Well, Ricky was close. Gerasimov hurt his ankle early in the 3rd but he toughed it out to lose in 3, winning 10 games.
Oh, yeah, vamos Rafa! I had the feeling that Rafa was mostly using this as a practice match, occasionally amping it up for a break or, once, a re-break.
I thought Rafa looked pretty good all things considering!
Gerasimov played some good tennis.
I didn’t think his first serve was very convincing but his forehand – normally the index of his confidence – was very solid.
Rafa in 3, Monfils in 5
Keep calm, stay focused, remain confident, be strong and enjoy the game, Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ei_U736XgAEAWRX?format=jpg&name=900×900
Rafa played well enough to win, considering it’s his first match in the rebuilt arena against an opponent he met for the first time.
His opponent (can’t spell it right his name) has a very good serve -both first and second! He’s willing and able to move forward to the net, and served and volleyed too, quite impressive and would be more difficult an opponent on the hard courts.
Rafa only managed to break serve once each in set one and set two, all because his opponent served so well. Rafa’s next opponent Mackenzie won’t be any easier as Mackenzie seems to have an unorthodox game. Vamos Rafa!
Yes luckystar, He played well. And I am happy fognini is gone. Don’t want Rafa meeting him and having his usual mental lapses and walkabouts for one set wit fognini. By the second week, Rafa should be good and ready to deliver.
Vamos Rafa
https://tennishead.net/rafael-nadal-struggled-progress-was-slow-coach-carlos-moya-lifts-lid-on-roland-garros-preparation/?related_post_from=90504
I’m surprised there is more chatter around novak getting 18 than rafa going for 20.
Yeah!….I am very surprised too Sanju!
I’m not! Its every year that they hope Rafa is going to lose. But more than that, Novak has played a lot more tennis and acquired 2 Masters tourneys so it would seem obvious to many that he is more in form.
VAMOS Rafa!