Gilles Simon and Lleyton Hewitt are set for a blockbuster first-rounder on Sunday at Roland Garros. Meanwhile, a rematch is in store between Blaz Kavcic and James Duckworth.
(15) Gilles Simon vs. Lleyton Hewitt
Simon and Hewitt will be going head-to-head for the fourth time in their careers and for the second time this season when they clash in round one of the French Open on Sunday afternoon. All three of their previous encounters have gone Simon’s way and all have done so in convincing fashion. The Frenchman has never lost a set to Hewitt and no set has been closer than 6-3. They most recently faced each other in Miami, where Simon cruised 6-3, 6-3.
Hewitt appears to be on his last legs at 32 years old, but he is still inside the Top 100 at No. 82 in the world and he has an even 7-7 record this season. The Aussie has not won a match since he last met Simon, having posted an 0-2 record so far on clay. Simon is 23-13 for the year, which includes a quarterfinal run in Miami. The world No. 17 is coming off a quarterfinal loss in Nice to Pablo Andujar (Andujar beat Hewitt in the first round). As past history indicates, this is a terrible matchup for Hewitt; Simon can do everything his opponent can do and he can do all of it better.
Pick: Simon in 3
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Blaz Kavcic vs. (Q) James Duckworth
This is a rematch of an epic Australian Open encounter from earlier this year, won by Kavcic 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(3), 10-8 after four hours and 52 minutes of tennis in sweltering heat. Kavcic celebrated by getting taken immediately to the hospital, presumably for fluid replacement. The Slovenian has not done much since then, but he at least maintained a ranking that earned him direct entry into the French Open main draw. He has advanced at least one round in each of his six clay-court tournaments this spring (counting qualifiers and Challenger level events), including in Casablanca—where he extended Stanislas Wawrinka to three sets.
At No. 185 in the world, Duckworth had to qualify earlier in the week and he dropped only one set in three matches (to Diego Sebastian Schwartzman). The 21-year-old Aussie won a Futures title and a Challenger title on clay earlier this spring, but he is big hitter who would rather play on a faster surface to keep points short. Kavcic, meanwhile, is a baseline grinder who will be content to stay out there all day long (as he showed in Australia). Although it was a thriller, Duckworth’s loss at home on a hard court to Kavcic does not bode well for his Paris chances.
Pick: Kavcic in 4
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