French Open 2014: Day 2 Schedule, Matchups Predictions for Roland Garros Bracket

After a wild start to the 2014 French Open at Roland Garros, tennis fans have already turned their attention to Day 2 and the exciting matchups that will come to fruition. 

With men’s top seeds Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in action on Monday, the excitement for the second Grand Slam of the year is through the roof.

Here is the full TV schedule for Monday, May 26 and the top matches from the Day 2 schedule for the men’s and women’s tournaments at Roland Garros. 

Date	Time (ET)	Round	Watch
May 26	5 a.m. to 10 a.m.	1st	ESPN2
May 26	12 p.m. to 3 p.m.	1st	NBC
May 26	10 a.m. to 7 p.m.	1st	Tennis Channel

*Check Roland Garros.com for full men's and women's brackets.

Men's Side
Player 1		Player 2	Court	Predicted Winner
Women's Side
Player 1		Player 2	Court	Predicted Winner
Novak Djokovic	vs.	Joao Sousa	Court Philippe Chatrier	Djokovic
Stan Wawrinka	vs.	Guillermo Garcia-Lopez	Court Philippe Chatrier	Wawrinka
Gilles Simon	vs.	Ante Pavic	Court Suzanne Lenglen	Simon
Rafael Nadal	vs.	Robby Ginepri	Court Suzanne Lenglen	Nadal
Martin Klizan	vs.	Kei Nishikori	Court 1	Nishikori
Facundo Bagnis	vs.	Julien Benneteau	Court 1	Bagnis
Maria Sharapova	vs.	Ksenia Pervak	Court Philippe Chatrier	Sharapova
Alize Cornet	vs.	Ashleigh Barty	Court Philippe Chatrier	Cornet
Dominika Cibulkova	vs.	Virginie Razzano	Court Suzanne Lenglen	Cibulkova
Petra Kvitova	vs.	Zarina Diyas	Court Suzanne Lenglen	Kvitova
Jelena Jankovic	vs.	Sharon Fichman	Court 1	Jankovic
Sloane Stephens	vs.	Shuai Peng	Court 1	Stephens

*For the full schedule, check out RolandGarros.com.

Top Matchups On Day 2

No. 1 Rafael Nadal vs. Robby Ginepri

The 2014 French Open is only a day old and there is already controversy. This time, the talk surrounds No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal’s first matchup taking place on Court Suzanne Lenglen instead of Court Philippe Chatrier.

Instead of the No. 1 seed playing his opening match on the main court of Roland Garros, it will be No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic who has been bestowed that honor. As Nick Nemeroff of Tennis View Magazine expressed on Twitter, many fans and experts think this was the wrong decision:

While many disagree with the move, tennis insider Tom Perrotta talks about how this is a smart scheduling decision by the officials at Roland Garros:

As for Nadal’s opponent, Robby Ginepri is an American player who is ranked No. 280 overall. Ginepri has never advanced past the fourth round at the French Open—he achieved the feat in 2008 and 2010—and will going head-to-head with one of the greatest players to ever step foot on the clay surface of Roland Garros.

Nadal is an eight-time French Open champion and is the defending tournament winner. With momentum coming into the tournament, no notable injuries and confidence on the familiar courts, Nadal should dominate Ginepri.

Predicted Score: Nadal Wins, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1

No. 2 Novak Djokovic vs. Joao Sousa

While the controversy surrounding No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic getting the top billing on Court Chatrier over Nadal may be the focus of fans and the media, Djokovic will be locked on first-round opponent Joao Sousa.

The French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament Djokovic has never won, and he has only reached the final once in his career (he lost to Nadal in 2012).

When asked about what his lack of success at Roland Garros, Djokovic told ESPN UK about how he perceives the event:

"

Knowing that I have gotten closer and closer each year to the title gives me enough reason to be confident for the start of this year. It's a Grand Slam. It's a two-week long event, best-of-five [sets], and there is a feeling that almost all of the players who are participating in the event have an extra motivation to perform well.

"

There is no doubt that Djokovic should dominate Joao Sousa in the first round, but the 25-year-old Portuguese player is a rising star that is currently ranked No. 42 overall in the world standings.

The tough test for Djokovic in the first round will be a blessing. With the need to get focused early in the tournament, he will be able to build momentum early by beating Sousa and carry it into the remainder of the tournament.

Predicted Score: Djokovic Wins 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3

*Stats via RolandGarros.com.

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