An extremely intriguing fourth-round lineup at Roland Garros includes what should be two especially fun ones on Sunday. An all-seeded affair pits Stefanos Tsitsipas against Stan Wawrinka, while Kei Nishikori runs into familiar foe Benoit Paire.
(6) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. (24) Stan Wawrinka
Tsitsipas an Wawrinka will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers when they battle for a place in the French Open quarterfinals on Sunday. Wawrinka is not a typical No. 24 seed, but his comeback from various injuries has been slow going and thus the three-time Grand Slam champion is not near his career-best ranking of No. 3 (currently 28th). He is certainly on the way back up now, with a runner-up performance in Rotterdam, a quarterfinal showing in Madrid, and wins so far at Roland Garros over Jozef Kovalik, Christian Garin, and Grigor Dimitrov. Wawrinka has taken eight sets in a row, including all three against Dimitrov in tiebreakers on Friday and Saturday.
Tsitsipas’ second-round contest was also delayed by darkness, and he ended up losing the third to Filip Krajinovic on Saturday before ultimately prevailing 7-5, 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(6). The sixth-ranked Greek has been an absolute force at 250s and Masters 1000s dating back to last season and he made a run to the Australian Open semis earlier this year, but his sample size of Grand Slam success remains small. Wawrinka is a former champion of this event (2015) who is starting to look like the same kind of player that was on display from 2013 through 2017.
Pick: Wawrinka in 4
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(7) Kei Nishikori vs. Benoit Paire
These two familiar foes will be facing each other for the ninth time in their careers during fourth-round action on Sunday. Nishikori leads the head-to-head series against Paire 6-2 after winning four in a row–including a French Open showdown last spring, when the current world No. 7 improved to 2-0 against the Frenchman at this tournament with a 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win.
One of the best fifth-set players in tour history, Nishikori was up to his usual tricks on Friday when he battle back from two breaks down in the decider to defeat Laslo Djere 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3, 4-6, 8-6. Paire also survived a five-setter–9-7 in the fifth over Pierre-Hugues Herbert–but he got a retirement from Pablo Carreno Busta following two sets of their third-round tussle and should be well rested. Still, Nishikori endurance issues have never been a part of his particular physical woes he will likely be tougher than Paire from a mental standpoint.
Pick: Nishikori in 4
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Wawa maybe more tired now but tsitsi is inconsistent..makes needless errors ..Wawa serving first always advantage
Infact the fed Rafa semi if both get there is not going to be straightforward..fed is underdog n will play with nothing to lose..n he has won 4 straight Vs Rafa ..though none on clay but I feel now fed does not have any mental block Vs Rafa..
Exactly right, Sanju. However, it was never going to be straightforward unless Fed was exhausted. I think you’re right that he will play freely and the pressure will all be on Rafa.
However, while I have no doubt Nadal will be there I’m not sure about Fed. I am not underestimating Wawrinka, even if he’s tired, at this tournament. In 2015 QF I thought Federer played great, but he still lost in straights.
I think Stefano has more chance of beating Fed as he is so young and fit and will recover better. His return game is much better than Stan’s.
Massive hold by Wawrinka right there
Yes! Think he may sneak the win now…
They have been at it for over four and a half hours!
Stefanos took a heavy fall with the racquet in his hand that looked painful.
The entire crowd is cheering for Stan. Federer said in his post-match interview that he thought an all Swiss match would be nice for the fans.
Stan has so much more experience is these 5 setters. It seems like Stefanos will lose and Stan will be pointing at his head.
Match of the tournament so far
By far, Benny. The only one I have had a chance to watch too. It’s really great.
But I feel bad to Stef. Congrats to Stan. But they do need hawkeye on clay to be fair.
What a brutal match
In the end it luck was the difference.
Stefano must be gutted having squandered so many break points!
Will Stan have anything left on Tuesday?!!
Feed has had very easy matches so far. Will he be insufficiently prepared?
Nah. The fact that he’s played such quick matches and has cruised through the first four rounds is only a good thing for Roger. He’s confident and in rhythm, looking as good as ever on the dirt. At his age, the most important thing for him is preserving the energy. Now do I think he is the favorite against Wawrinka? I don’t know. Stan at the French is a whole different animal I think Roger would have preferred to play Tsitsipas for sure. As Roger and Stan are my two favorite players, I could not be more spoiled as a fan with this upcoming quarterfinal.
So who do you want to win if someone points a gun 🔫🔫 at your head and forces you to choose??!!
lol amy. Stop worrying about Fed and worry about your own guy 🙂
I am worried about him Freddy!!☺☺
I am worried about the fact what if he beats Rafa here (:-
Please sanju! Let’s see what happens in the qf!! Stan may be tired but he will be full of confidence. It’s not a done deal that Fed is gonna win.
Ahem. Let’s get Rafa into the semis before we worry about who/how he plays there. One Match At A Time. Nishi isn’t chopped liver.
Obviously Stan is still a very tough guy. I think he’ll recover well, although I favor Fed to win. I dunno though…Fed really has not faced “anyone” at RG this year. And Stan is not just anyone right now.
COME ONNNNNNN!!! STAN IS STILL THE MAN!! I was jumping around like a little kid when he made that slice to win the match. Really feel for Tsitsipas though. He’s a great player and great guy. Rooting for him to keep rising up the ranks. He will likely be top 5 after this week. Unbelievable for a 20 year old. Take notes Kyrgios haha
Ditto to EVERYTHING you said! (Which does not happen all that often!) Great match!! Yup, Stan IS still the MAN! Tsitsi has plenty of time ahead. As Rafa said after their AO semi, “Tsitsipas has not been destroyed enough yet.” Tsitsi is and will be a great player, but he does need seasoning.
No idea how Stan won that match. Well, his backhand…and his experience…and his fight.
Definitely the match of the tournament and maybe the year. Very tough loss for Tsitsipas, who wasnt’ able to convert all those break points. I think Stan’s level is sky-high at his best, but maybe not as consistent as it needs to be to beat the big three. However, should he beat them all in his next three matches to win the tournament, it will probably go down as the greatest slam title ever.
Benny, What Tsitsipas has done at 20 is not that unusual. At 20, Rafa had 2 slams, 6 x Masters, 6 x 500s and 2 x 250s under his belt and was World #2 and he had a positive h2h against the World #1. People try to forget what a teenage phenomenon Rafa was.
I also have to add that at 20, Djoko had won two Masters, reached a slam final (USO2007), and then won his first slam (AO2008) all before he turned 21. He had also beaten Fedal, the no.1 and no.2 guys back then.
Delpo at 20 almost going 21 had beaten both Fed and Rafa to win his USO title. Let’s see what Tsitsipas can do from now on.
Shall we discuss what Federer had accomplished before he turned 21? Ummm, well, he showed a lot of talent…and had a very good junior record. And then there’s Stan, proving that it’s never too late to win a few majors. Incidentally I give Magnus Norman a lot of credit for Stan’s late bloom.
Won a Masters (Hamburg), beaten Sampras the King of grass, at age 19.
Stan is not of the same calibre as the three ATGs, well I’m sure Tsitsipas can be like a Stan, provided he doesn’t mind winning his first slam at age 28.
thats a different era
Some excruciating tennis in the Paire -Nishi match. For set 2 they both had around 2 winners and 30 ues! I exaggerate very slightly!
Tsitsipas may turn into another Sasha at the slams, engaging in long matches when he has the chance to win them earlier. I feel he’s indecisive and sometimes careless with his shot selection and execution, wasting energy along the way.
He has to learn to up his intensity and hold it for as long as possible throughout the match; against top players, he can’t afford to play loosely, and spend energy unnecessarily.
He squandered so many chances against Stan, he had himself to blame for losing the match when he had his chances to break at the end of the fifth set and served for the match.
Doubt it. He’s more versatile. Plays way better moving forward. Actually plays with passion and heart consistently. Not so entitled like the German. Also not so predictable with his grounders, spins, slices, etc. Zverev probably won’t even get past Fognini. That guy is honestly a disaster. And he’s not nearly as likable as Tsitsipas either.
Tsitsi lost the match because Stan played smarter, like a wily veteran. Tsitsi really lost his cool, banging on his own head with his hand in addition to smashing his racquet and hitting a ball into the stands.
Tsitsi has the shots, the fire, the stamina and the self-belief a champion needs. But now he needs the temperament. He’s only 20; he’ll get there, and bad as he feels now, this will help him.
Benny,
I was wondering where you were. Missed reading your picks. I agree with you about Tsitsipas. I liked Sascha at one time, but really was put off by him letting it get to his head and developing an attitude. He has been struggling to find his way out of this slump.
I think experience decided the match with Stan and Tsitsipas. Tsitsipas should have won the match. But he could not get it done and I chalk it up to youth and inexperience. Also a bit of luck for Stan. But Stan has won RG and two other slams and that gave him the edge in the tough moments.
Tsitsipas will learn from this loss. He has shown great poise and depth and variety in his game. He’s the real thing. I truly hope he does not let it go to his head. His comments after Rafa beat him in Rome were simply wrong. It helps to look at things accurately. Because as someone said so well online, If he thinks the only difference was the conditions in Rome versus Madrid and not that Rafa played a whole lot better in Rome, then he needs glasses.
Thanks NNY same to you, always like reading what you have to say about the players and matches. I have been very busy these past several months so didn’t have as much time to keep posting on here. It was my first year of college and I was playing D2 tennis as well so I didn’t have much time to do anything other than train, work out, or study. Summer is here though so I’ll be posting again a lot more now and for the rest of the French and grass season (cannot wait for Wimbledon). Glad to be back. May start posting daily picks again too. Not sure if you guys kept the tradition going or if I need to reignite them again haha.
Welcome back, Benny. And I hope your own tennis season went well. D2 is no slouch!
Thanks Joe! It went pretty well. Went 3-3 in the spring in singles and 0-1 in doubles. Spent the first half of the season trying to prove myself as someone that could play consistently in the lineup, did an okay job of that as I was in and out of the lineup for second half of the season. First conference match I played, I got my butt kicked 0 and 0 by a lefty Spanish guy playing 5 singles hahahha. Still not the worst freshman year for me lol. Had a lot of fun and got a lot better as the year went on. As a team we did okay (mid 20s in national rankings but didn’t finish that strong)
I’m impressed, Benny! Mid-20s D2 is serious tennis. I’m a decent club player but I wouldn’t want to play you…even if I were 30 years younger!
goddamn Spanish lefties…
I agree with NNY, regarding Tsitsipas’s comment after losing to Rafa at Rome, and that’s why I said earlier on, that he let his recent successes got to his head.
I remember he was devastated after being hammered by Rafa at the AO; but after he beat Rafa at Madrid, he thought he had solved the Rafa riddle on clay. One victory and he thought he’s already there and what happened next at Rome? He lost to Rafa and all he had to say was the playing conditions differed from Madrid and Rome, not because Rafa played better at Rome. If Rafa wasn’t playing better at Rome, he won’t be able to beat Djoko in the final.
I was hoping for Stan to beat Tsitispas, and taught him some lessons. From the match, I could see that Tsitispas wasn’t ready to win a slam – I mean you won’t waste energy breaking serve and then played poorly to lose your own serve next, time and again. You won’t throw away your lead so casually as if you could gain back the lead that easily. He’s wasting precious energy and when it mattered as the match was extended to five sets, he would run out of energy thus feeling exhausted.
Stan OTOH paced himself nicely and was ready to go the distance. He played smart tennis and won the match because of his experience, not necessarily playing better tennis than Tstisipas.
I feel Tsitsipas is getting a bit arrogant after beating Fed, Djoko and Rafa in the past eight or nine months. He needs someone to teach him a lesson, and brings him down to earth, telling him he’s not there yet at the slams and he needs to be more humble and keeps working hard and playing smart tennis.
The Paire and Nishi match was quite entertaining, not because of its good quality but because of the erratic qualities that both players displayed. Nishi really made hard work of it, could’ve finished it in three or four sets yet he almost let the win slipped away in the fifth set!