French Open R3 previews and predictions: Medvedev vs. Machac, De Minaur vs. Struff

Daniil Medvedev will be in third-round action against tricky Czech talent Tomas Machac as the first week of play in Paris wraps up. Alex de Minaur, the fit Aussie, will battle Jan-Lennard Struff in what could be the match of the day.

(5) Daniil Medvedev vs. Tomas Machac

You never know what you are going to get with Daniil Medvedev at Roland Garros. The French Open is his worst major by some margin; in seven previous appearances he had lost in the first round five times. The fact that he is in the third round is better than he usually produces in Paris. Medevedev has had a good season on clay, which is to say that he hasn’t bombed out early so far.

Tomas Machac sits at a career high of 34th in the world on the strength of a pair of excellent results at the Miami Masters (QF) and Geneva (F). While this match is unlikely to produce picture-perfect clay-court tennis, Machac should be able to keep it competitive for a couple of sets. Medvedev won their only other meeting, but that was back in 2022 before Machac hit his stride.

Look for Medvedev to move through. Machac was taken to five sets in his second-round match against Mariano Navone. It’s likely that between his run to the final in Geneva last week and his efforts against Navone, he is eventually going to hit a wall.

Cheryl pick: Medvedev in 4

Ricky pick: Medvedev in 3

(11) Alex de Minaur vs. Jan-Lennard Struff

Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff is perhaps the most dangerous unseeded player left in the men’s draw. The world No. 41 is playing far better than his ranking suggests right now. He won the title in Munich a few weeks ago and dismantled his first two opponents this week, including an impressive win in round two over No. 19 seed Alexander Bublik.

This would have been a dangerous match for Alex de Minaur even if Struff was playing at his usual level. The two men have faced each other times and Struff has snagged two wins. The Aussie won their last encounter earlier this year at the Miami Masters, but Struff won their only previous meeting on clay. The German is not an easy matchup for “the Demon.”

This is shaping up to the match of the day on Saturday. Both players are in good form and they are both plenty fit enough to put on a five-set show for fans to enjoy. If they were playing on hard courts, it would be a slightly easier call to give the win to de Minaur–but the surface is an advantage for Struff. Expect a battle royale, with de Minaur just edging out Struff.

Cheryl pick: De Minaur in 5

Ricky pick: Struff in 5