The second week of the French Open will begin with both Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic taking the court on Sunday. Alcaraz awaits Lorenzo Musetti, while Djokovic is going up against unseeded Juan Pablo Varillas.
(1) Carlos Alcaraz vs. (17) Lorenzo Musetti
Alcaraz and Musetti will be squaring off for the third time in their careers when they clash in round four of the French Open on Sunday. Musetti surprisingly won their most recent encounter 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4 last year in Hamburg, but that was in between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and Alcaraz’s interest level probably wasn’t at its peak. They previously faced each other in the 2020 Trieste Challenger (also on clay), where Alcaraz prevailed 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.
Musetti hasn’t dropped a set at Roland Garros and he upset Novak Djokovic earlier this spring in Monte-Carlo, so he can’t be discounted. But it’s fair to say that the 21-year-old Italian blows hot and cold and when things go south they can go south in a hurry. Eight of his last 10 losses have come in straight sets, including six to opponents ranked 66th or worse–four outside the top 100. In Alcaraz’s two most recent matches against Taro Daniel and Denis Shapovalov, he has won the last five sets 6-1, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, and 6-2. With projected upcoming matchups against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic in the quarters and semis, respectively, the top-ranked Spaniard will be especially focused and eager to get of the court as quickly as possible.
Pick: Alcaraz in 3
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(3) Novak Djokovic vs. Juan Pablo Varillas
It has been a redemption story for Varillas at the 2023 French Open. Last spring at Roland Garros he led his first-round match against Felix Auger-Aliassime two sets to love only to lose in five. Well, the 94th-ranked Peruvian has won all three of his matches at this event in five sets–including comebacks from two sets down in each of the first two against Juncheng Shang and Roberto Bautista Agut. Varillas then upset Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2 on Friday.
Standing in Varillas’ way of the quarterfinals is none other than Djokovic, who has advanced with victories over Aleksandar Kovacevic, Marton Fucsovics, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The third-ranked Serb was tested at times on all three occasions, but he did not drop a single set. With Djokovic in strong form and Varillas on an unprecedented stage after coming off a trio of five-setters, this should be entirely one-way traffic.
Pick: Djokovic in 3
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