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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RBA wrestles 2nd set from Paire in a TB. RBA 2 sets up. Gulbis also….
Gillou serving for the match, RBA a break up in the 3rd, Gulbis a break up in the 3rd, Youzhny has woken up and taken the 3rd set, Granollers has woken up and is serving for the 3rd set…………
GSM, Gillou.
Gilles IN FORM these days
Can’t believe Step is playing at this level still. You usually only see him like this when it is Davis Cup. Was expecting he would be playing doubles at RG. Anyone know why he isn’t?
RT @bgtennisnation: “I am really impressed with 3namer Agut game now 2sets up vs Paire of Aces,-except for the really Awful yellow shirt an hat he is wearing”
What is it with RBA and yellow shirts?
why is anyone impressed with RBA beating Paire?
Paire has hit the wall.
Certainly like Tsonga at RG, and Nmen playing well of late (really enjoyed his intense style of play earlier at Indian wells!)…also like Haase and Stepanek.
I liked them BEFORE the matches started.
Fishface wins!!!
#CongratulatiosToMeeeeee!!!!
how did Youzhny manage to lose to Stepanek 6:0 first set?!! Is that the same guy who fought so hard against Rafa…pff…unbelievable…
What’s new? Don’t they all raise their game with Rafa the other side of the net?
Step about to serve for the match. Wowzer
Step-Gulbis R3
That should be a corker to see.
winner plays R. Federer
Not even Djokovic is able to prise the VIPs out of the hospitality suites at lunchtime 🙂
The front stands are virtually empty.
What is going on………………….Serena struggling to stay in the match
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE
Serena just suffered her worst ever defeat…2 and 2. Wow.
Serena Williams – the Favorite of odds makers – was sent packing! Who will be the next?
bad, but not worst
Mary Jo and Lindsay were both saying she had never lost fewer than 5 games. Maybe they’re talking just about majors.
Serena has gone out to Garbine Muguruza.
oh, well, Serena is out…she does not seem too concerned about her exit though…
Guess what,. 10 out of 12 ESPN ‘experts’ picked Serena to win the title.
Yeah…Fowler just clarified it. Worst loss at a major.
Tursunov cruising comfortably against Querrey
Berdych drops first set to someone called Nedovyesov
Young Vesely making Raonic work very hard
Klizan took first set, Haase about to level the score
Granollers beat Dolgopolov.
The Federazzi made Dolgopolov a hero after he defeated Rafa, but they became very quiet afer Dolgo beat Wawrinka, the AO champion. Now, Dolgo is hardly mentioned…
Funny, isn’t it ?
https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/466074807772389376/photo/1
Just continuing the string of players (Coleslaw, Mugro, Nishi, etc.) who are self-proving that their wins over Rafa had little to to with them and everything to do with Rafa.
Same reason that Nole is rated so high at the French this year.
How do you pick a guy with no current slam titles, no FO titles over a guy with eight FO titles, two current majors and who’s beaten Nole 5-0 at the French and 3-0 last three majors?
#Delusion
#ShortTermMemory
#FederazziDesperation
^^That’s more like it. When I left Granollers was losing to Dolgo.
#NormalServiceResumed
SCHWARTZMAN, Diego Sebastian has broken Fed. He leads 2:1 in the 1st set.
#Shortlived
Boris was caught coaching.
Surely there will be a big expose about this on Fedole-X.
#Hypocrites
What happened? I only watched a few games – I like Chardy and didn’t really want to see him being pummelled by Djokovic.
French gave standing-O for Muguruza.
So would they do this for anyone to upset Fed or Nole (i.e., surrogate Fed)?
#RhetoricalQuestion
#Hypocrites
But you can bet your bottom euo they’d stand up for anyone to take down Rafa.
#NoClass
I can think of at least three (politically incorrect – according to some) reasons they would do that with Serena (as opposed to with Roger and surrogate).
#TheMandatoryDoYou
Yes. I count three. Knowing the French, there maybe more.
Garbine is Spanish, too.
Yes but she’s never been much of a threat to Fed’s legacy as far as I know. 🙂
I’m getting irritated by Djokovic’s antics when he loses a point to Chardy. It’s plain bloody patronising to his opponent.
It really is. He’d never have that ball boy sit down next to him for a toast if he was losing a match.
I love the guy’s tennis and for the most part, he’s a good guy but not a fan of his selective antics depending on the score.
#Disrespectful
‘not a fan of his selective antics depending on the score.’
Exactly. He is so transparent.