French Open Day 4 picks, including Tsonga vs. Melzer and Youzhny vs. Stepanek

The Grandstand’s Ricky Dimon and Jared Pine of the Second Serb preview and pick four of the best men’s singles matches on Wednesday at Roland Garros. Among those in second-round action are seeds Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Mikhail Youzhny.

(13) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Jurgen Melzer

Ricky: Tsonga is 3-0 lifetime against Melzer and their most recent meeting and only previous clay-court match was the most routine, with the Frenchman dominating 6-3, 6-0 last season in Monte-Carlo. This one will not be so straightforward, as Tsonga has been playing dismal tennis this season and Melzer has returned nicely from a shoulder injury. As such, this definitely has upset potential…but it’s hard to overlook Tsonga’s clinical straight-set win over a tough customer in Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Melzer’s recent 6-1, 6-1 loss to Jiri Vesely in Dusseldorf. Tsonga 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6.

Jared: A lot has been made of Tsonga’s slump in 2014, but on opening day at Roland Garros  the Frenchman proved once again that he is always at his best at his home slam with a straight-set victory over countryman ERV. Tsonga is 17-6 at RG, including a quarterfinal and semifinal the last two seasons. Melzer has only played clay-court events this year in his return from injury, but he posted several impressive wins the last two weeks in Rome and Dusseldorf. The Austrian is the only player who could trouble Tsonga before the crowd favorite’s highly-anticipated fourth-rounder against Novak Djokovic. However, I expect Tsonga to improve his winning streak to four over Melzer. Tsonga 6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.

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(15) Mikhail Youzhny vs. Radek Stepanek

Ricky: Each of their previous best-of-five matches has gone the distance (Youzhny has won both; a Davis Cup encounter in 2003 and at Wimbledon in in 2008). Overall, their last three showdowns have gone the distance–including most recently on the clay courts of Munich last season. Both veterans are coming off comebacks from two sets down in the first round, so why not another five-set encore? Youzhny’s win was perhaps more encouraging, at the expense of Pablo Carreno Busta (Stepanek beat Facundo Arguello). The Russian also took a set off Rafael Nadal in Rome. Youzhny 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Jared: It has been a tough year for Youzhny in 2014. Russia’s No. 1 player has collected just one victory over a top 50 player this year and was on the brink of elimination in the first round, trailing by two sets to his to his unseeded opponent. However, Youzhny will face a familiar adversary in the second round in Stepanek, whom he has beat in four of their seven meetings–including two five-set matches. The Czech got the better of Youzhny in their most recent meeting on the clay of Munich. This is Stepanek’s chance to get revenge in a big tournament from their Davis Cup rubber 11 years ago. Stepanek 5-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4.

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Jarkko Nieminen vs. (22) Jerzy Janowicz

Ricky: Mired in a slump rivaling that of Vasek Pospisil, Janowicz had not won a match since Rotterdam in February when he beat Victor Estrella Burgos in the first round on Sunday. While any win is a good one for Janowicz these days, it’s hardly reason to get excited. The Pole is still in disastrous form and he would much rather be facing Nieminen on grass or a fast hard court. Nieminen has a new lease on life after coming back from two sets to one down against Michal Przysiezny in his tournament opener. Nieminen 6-3, 7-6, 6-2.

Jared: It has been a dreadful season for Janowicz, who has won less than half the matches in which he has played. It won’t get easier for his second-round encounter with Nieminen. As a left-hander, the Finn represents the worst possible matchup for Janowicz. The Pole has won just three of 13 matches against left-handers on the tour level, largely because his second serve isn’t as effective against them. In his last match against a southpaw, Janowicz won just 39 percent of second serve points and double-faulted five times in 11 service games in the loss. Compare that to his first full year on tour, when he won 57 percent of second-serve points overall and double-faulted just once every four games. Nieminen is going to be able to break the Janowicz serve too many times in this match. Nieminen 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

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Robin Haase vs. Martin Klizan

Ricky: Both players are fresh off straight-set blowouts in the first round. Klizan’s was by far the more impress scalp–a beatdown of Kei Nishikori. Haase took care of an over-the-hill Nikolay Davydenko. Nishikori was not 100 percent, but give credit where credit is due. Klizan played great. Haase leads this head-to-head series 2-1, but the Slovak won their most recent meeting 7-5, 6-1 last year on the clay courts of Casablanca. Although each of Haase’s two ATP titles has come on the slow stuff, I think Klizan’s style of play is better suited to the surface.  Klizan 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Jared: Klizan may have benefited from Nishikori’s injury, but the Slovak maintained a high standard of tennis in the first set. Just a month ago, he won his first clay-court title–doing so as a qualifier. Meanwhile, Haase was the recent victim of a rout by Nieminen, a left-hander with a similar playing style as Klizan. The 24-year old southpaw won the last meeting between these two amidst a slumping 2013 season. This just isn’t a good matchup for Haase. Klizan 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

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