French Open R3 previews and predictions: Djokovic vs. Musetti, Paul vs. Cerundolo

Novak Djokovic could be tested for the first time at the French Open when he runs into familiar foe Lorenzo Musetti in the third round on Saturday. The winner will go up against either Tommy Paul or Francisco Cerundolo.

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (30) Lorenzo Musetti

Djokovic’s form was questionable at best heading into the French Open, but through two rounds it has been smooth sailing for the world No. 1. He kicked off his title defense with a 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4 win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert before cruising past Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

The competition gets a lot tougher in the third round on Saturday with Musetti on the other side of the net. Djokovic leads the head-to-head series 4-1, including 2-1 on clay after prevailing 7-5, 6-3 earlier this spring in Monte-Carlo. Their previous Roland Garros showdown saw the Serb come back from two sets down before getting a retirement from his opponent while leading 4-0 in the fifth set. Musetti’s lone victory came last year in Monte-Carlo via a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 decision. Like Djokovic, the 22-year-old Italian has not dropped a set this fortnight. He booked his spot in this showdown by beating Daniel Elahi Galan 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 and Gael Monfils 7-5, 6-1, 6-4. As poor as Djokovic had been previously in 2024, he always seems to raise his level at slams–so far that is what has happened in Paris. As such, the 37-year-old should win this one even if Musetti plays like he did against Monfils.

Pick: Djokovic in 4

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(23) Francisco Cerundolo vs. (14) Tommy Paul

Surprisingly, few matchups on the ATP Tour have been seen more frequently over the past 24 months than Paul vs. Cerundolo. They squared off on the grass courts of Eastbourne in 2022, met three times last year, and will now face each other for the second time this season. Cerundolo leads the head-to-head series 3-2 after battling to a 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-2 victory a few weeks ago in Madrid. The Argentine has won two of their three grass encounters, while Paul got the job done 7-6(2), 6-7(2), 6-3 at last summer’s Toronto Masters.

Their past history has been extremely competitive and both men are looking very good in Paris, so another entertaining contest is likely in the cards. Paul has improved to a sparkling 21-8 this season with straight-set beatdowns of Pedro Cachin and Fabio Fognini. In fact, the 14th-ranked American has dropped a total of nine games in six sets. Cerundolo has advanced with straight-set defeats of Yannick Hanfmann and Filip Misolic. The world No. 27 is still just .500 (15-15) during what has been a wildly inconsistent 2024 campaign. Moreover, Cerundolo has been past the third round of a slam only once and has never reached a quarterfinal. Paul, on the other hand, has advanced to at least the fourth round of three slams–including one semifinal–dating back to Wimbledon in 2022. On this stage, Paul should be able to continue his red-hot season.

Pick: Paul in 5

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