French Open 2014: Day 4 Schedule, Matchups Predictions for Roland Garros Bracket
Following a mostly routine Day 1 of the French Open, Monday and Tuesday brought two shocking upsets in the first round. With both Australian Open winners in No. 3 Stanislas Wawrinka and No. 2 Li Na now ousted from the tournament, Day 4 promises to be another one of intriguing matchups.
Both No. 1 Serena Williams and No. 7 Maria Sharapova are on the bill on the women's side. Meanwhile, No. 2 Novak Djokovic will continue his search for a career Grand Slam, and No. 4 Roger Federer looks to prove he is still at the top of his game.
Here is a look at the full television schedule and some of the notable matches on the slate for Day 4 on both the women's and men's sides.
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| May 28 | 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. | 2nd | ESPN2 |
| May 28 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 2nd | Tennis Channel |
| Anna Schmiedlova | vs. | No. 29 Venus Williams | Court Chatrier | V. Williams |
| Tsvetana Pironkova | vs. | No. 7 Maria Sharapova | Court Chatrier | Sharapova |
| No. 1 Serena Williams | vs. | Garbine Muguruza | Court Lenglen | S. Williams |
| No. 20 Alize Cornet | vs. | Taylor Townsend | Court Lenglen | Townsend |
| No. 31 Daniela Hantuchova | vs. | Claire Feuerstein | Court 1 | Hantuchova |
| No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska | vs. | Karolina Pliskova | Court 1 | Radwanska |
| Jeremy Chardy | vs. | No. 2 Novak Djokovic | Court Chatrier | Djokovic |
| No. 13 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | vs. | Jurgen Melzer | Court Chatrier | Tsonga |
| Alejandro Gonzalez | vs. | No. 29 Gilles Simon | Court Lenglen | Gonzalez |
| Diego Sebastian Schwartzman | vs. | No. 4 Roger Federer | Court Lenglen | Federer |
| Benoit Paire | vs. | No. 27 Roberto Bautista Agut | Court 1 | Bautista Agut |
| No. 6 Tomas Berdych | vs. | Aleksandr Nedovyesov | Court 1 | Berdych |
For the full schedule, visit RolandGarros.com.
Top Matchups on Day 4
No. 1 Serena Williams vs. Garbine Muguruza
While it might not necessarily be the most closely contested matchup on tap, everyone is following Serena Williams in her quest to repeat at the French Open.
Williams comes into the contest on a hot streak not only at Roland Garros but on clay in general. The 32-year-old is 53-2 on the surface since 2012, according to Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press (via USNews.com). She spoke about her recent rise on clay, via Fendrich:
"I don't know what clicked or didn't click," she said. "I have the capability of playing on clay, so I don't know why I wasn't more consistent on clay before. ... But, hey, I guess better late than never, right?"
Not only is Williams surging, but she's also facing another competitor against whom she's had success. Garbine Muguruza has faced Williams just once but was downed by the superstar, 6-2, 6-0, in the 2013 Aussie Open.
Though that is clearly a small sample size, Williams has dominated nearly every opponent in the early going during Grand Slams. Expect Williams to come out much sharper against Muguruza and strike fear in the rest of the field once again moving forward.
Prediction: Williams wins, 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 Novak Djokovic vs. Jeremy Chardy
If Djokovic wants to continue his run toward history, he'll need to get through a familiar opponent on Wednesday.
The Djoker had an interesting first match against Joao Sousa, complete with a rain delay and a memorable moment with a ball boy.
During that match, Nole struggled slightly near the close, allowing four games to slip through his grasp. But after winning in straight sets, Christopher Clarey of The New York Times notes there should be no reason for concern:
The World No. 2 will now face off against Jeremy Chardy, a player he has battled eight times since 2009. Chardy has made several sets close but has never won a match or even a single set against the Serbian.
In fact, the most dominant performance for Djokovic over Chardy came on a clay surface back in 2010, with a 6-1, 6-1 win over the French player.
During his career, the Djoker has won a total of six Grand Slams. The elusive French Open still remains the lone major tournament for the Serbian to capture, but getting past Chardy should be an easy rout during what might be a historic Grand Slam.
Prediction: Djokovic wins, 6-2, 6-3, 6-0
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