A couple of all-seeded affairs will headline Friday’s second-round schedule at Roland Garros, where David Goffin and Grigor Dimitrov are in action. Goffin is going up against Gael Monfils, while Dimitrov is facing Fernando Verdasco.
(8) David Goffin vs. Gael Monfils
The previous Goffin vs. Monfils showdown at a slam–also in the third round–failed to live up to its potential at last summer’s U.S. Open. Monfils retired due to a knee injury while trailing 7-5, 5-1 as Goffin took a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head series at the main-tour level. The Belgian lost their maiden meeting 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-4 at the 2016 Toronto Masters before he got the job done 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 a few months later in Shanghai.
Monfils is a one-time French Open semifinalist (2008) and three-time quarterfinalist, but simply reaching the third round this time around has to be considered a success. The injury-plagued Frenchman, struggling down at No. 37 in the world, had been just 2-5 in his last seven matches prior to arriving at Roland Garros. He dropped his opening set to little-known wild card Elliot Benchetrit but has since been on a roll, winning six straight sets by scorelines of nothing closer than 6-4 while crushing Benchetrit and Martin Klizan. But this is a whole different beast in Goffin, who is 8-1 in his last nine non-retirement matches at the French Open. The ninth-ranked Belgian has surrendered a grand total of 11 games in his last six sets since being pushed to the brink in the form of a two-set deficit against Robin Haase in round one. Monfils will likely be brilliant at times, but Goffin’s consistency should be way too much in the end.
Pick: Goffin in 4
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(30) Fernando Verdasco vs. (4) Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov and Verdasco will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers on Friday. All four of their previous meetings have required third and deciding sets, and it would not be a surprise to see this one go the five-set distance. The head-to-head series stands at 2-2, including 1-1 on clay following encounters in 2013 and 2015, with Verdasco most recently prevailing 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 earlier this season in Indian Wells. Dimitrov, in fact, needed five sets to survive his second-round date with Jared Donaldson–which the Bulgarian did in 6-7(2), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 fashion after four hours and 19 minutes. He entered the French Open with an 0-3 record in his last three matches but ended that losing streak with a 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(1) defeat of lucky loser Mohamed Safwat.
Verdasco’s scare came in the first round, when he outlasted Yoshihito Nishikori 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-5 thanks in part to Nishioka cramping late in the fifth set–just as Donaldson had done against Dimitrov. The 30th-seeded Spaniard made much quicker work of Guido Andreozzi on Wednesday, cruising 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Verdasco, who upset Alexander Zverev last year at Roland Garros, has advanced out of the first round 13 straight years, has reached the fourth round seven times and the third round on three other occasions, but has never advanced to the quarterfinals. Solid but unspectacular is how the 34-year-old can be defined in Paris, and that may be enough to oust Dimitrov.
Pick: Verdasco in 5
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Goffin in 5
Verdasco in 5
Im going with Dimitrov in 4 on the basis the tight match against Donaldson played him into form. 27 v 34 yr old, the 5-setter won’t matter much and is exactly what the doctor ordered for Dimitrov. Number 4 vs 35 in the world at major level.
Dimitrov in 4.
Goffin in 5.
Dimitrov in five and Goffin in four
Goffin in 5 (Monfils is progressing and the match will go on and on)
Verdasco in 5
Goffin in four, Dimitrov in five.But wouldn’t be surprised if Verdasco won
Reckon Cecchinato might ask PCB a few questions today also.
Looks like we’re in for a day of five set matches.
Dimi in deep trouble as expected. I doubt he is pushing it to five sets!
Sasha also in trouble, down two sets to one now, Dzumhur not an easy customer, he’s crafty.
I’m wondering just how many points are being lost through injudicious use of the drop shot. A lot I reckon.
Why does nole keep approaching the net!? He is just getting passed!
So Dimi loses in straight sets. When Verdasco comes to play, he’s tough to beat.
I noticed Dimi was wearing a heavy bandage on his right wrist. Is he carrying an injury?.
Its a little bit deeper than that. Verdasco is the far superior clay courter and Dimitrov is not a clay courter at all. Slice backhand is his most important shot for defense and control of the point which is useless on clay.
Verdasco will fold in front of Djokovic..has he ever performed against Federer or Djoko?
Yes he did, he beat Djoko twice during European clay season in 2010.
Zverev needs to learn some humility!!
I hope Thiem, Zverev and Goffin all reach qf…hope neither go out
Why sanju??
we need some cracker matches like djoko-goffin and thiem-zverev and then maybe djoko- zverev or thiem..
Honestly he gets on my nerves!!
Let Zverev worry about Zverev.
I knew Dzumhur couldn’t serve it out!!😡
Zvev is becoming far to full of himself!!
He won didnt he?
Agreed!!! He is only going through because his opponents let him back in!!! The way he behaves you would think he was playing great tennis!!!
Easy peasy for Kei Nishikori!
He’s two sets to nil up against Simon now, one more to go.
Another narrow escape by Sasha, i wonder how long more can he last in the draw!
Dzhumhar will have nightmare tonight, he had MP in the fifth set, was serving for the match in the fourth set yet failed both times!
Sasha was really fortunate but playing for nearly almost 8 hours in these last two matches, would he have enough left in the tank?
Djokovic about to get spanked by RBA
Zverev very lucky he hasn’t played against players with real weapons! If he had he would be out. Dzumhur doesn’t even have a serve!!
Now Thiem is down a break in the first set. This half of the draw, only Kei got through in straight sets so far, PCB looks ok; the other higher seed players suffered and Dimi couldn’t survive.
I’m glad Goffin got through in the end, though I feel he should’ve gotten through in four sets but let his lead in the third set slipped away after play continued the following day. It’s better that Goffin gets through as Monfils would lose easily in the next round when he’s so physically unfit/ ill.
I would want to see Goffin vs Verdasco or Djoko, and Goffin to reach his first slam SF, it’s time for him to do so as a top ten player and at 27/28 yo now. His game is good enough to reach a slam SF imo, if he can play the way he played against Haase in set three to five in their R1 match.