French Open R4 previews and predictions: Wawrinka vs. Monfils, Murray vs. Khachanov

Three unseeded players remain in the bottom half of the draw and that includes Karen Khachanov, who will face world No. 1 Andy Murray on Monday. Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils are also in fourth-round action.

(3) Stan Wawrinka vs. (15) Gael Monfils

Wawrinka and Monfils will be facing each other for just the fifth time in their careers and for the first time since the 2011 Australian Open when they finally meet again in the French Open fourth round on Monday. The head-to-head series is tied up at two wins apiece, with all four of their previous encounters having come on hard courts. Both veterans, of course, are more than capable on clay. Wawrinka won this tournament in 2015 and owns seven clay-court titles–also in Monte-Carlo three years ago. Currently on a seven-match winning streak thanks in part a triumph last week in Geneva, the third-ranked Swiss has advanced at Roland Garros with straight-set victories over Jozef Kovalik, Alexandr Dolgopolov, and Fabio Fognini.

Monfils is an outstanding 30-10 lifetime on the red clay of Paris, but this is not the year anyone would expect for him to accomplish his biggest career goal of winning the French Open. The injury-plagued Frenchman played a mere two clay-court matches prior to this fortnight and lost both of them. A routine trek through the first three rounds, though, was just what the doctor ordered. Monfils destroyed Dustin Brown and Thiago Monteiro in straight sets before getting a third-set retirement from compatriot Richard Gasquet. The jury is still very much out on Monfils’ form, whereas Wawrinka has clearly heated up and may have too much offensive firepower for the crowd favorite.

Pick: Wawrinka in 4

[polldaddy poll=9761561]

(1) Andy Murray vs. Karen Khachanov

Clay has never been Murray’s favorite surface and he looked especially vulnerable heading into this French Open, but three players so far have tried and failed to take him out. Andrey Kuznetsov took a set, Martin Klizan did the same and almost forced a fifth, and Juan Martin Del Potro went toe-to-toe with the world No. 1 for most of two full sets before falling 7-6(8), 7-5, 6-0 on Saturday. Now it is the surprising Khachanov who gets a shot at the top-ranked Scot on Monday.

Khachanov has advanced through the draw with wins over Nicolas Jarry, Tomas Berdych, and John Isner, dropping one set to both Jarry and Isner in the process. The 21-year-old registers at 53rd in the rankings and will climb into the top 40 for the first time in his career next week even if he loses this match. Despite never being broken by Isner, Khachanov served at a horrendous 48 percent and double-faulted eight times. He now moves from one of the weakest returners in tennis to one of the best, so the Russian will have to turn in an exponentially better serving performance in order to have any chance against Murray–who produced one of his best matches of 2017 against Del Potro.

Pick: Murray in 4