French Open 2015: Predictions for Top Stars in Wednesday's Singles Draw
The first round of the 2015 French Open is in the books, which means Wednesday's Round 2 action will bring a step up in competition for the top stars in Roland Garros.
There won't be any top seeds in action as they just finished first-round matches Tuesday, but there won't be any shortage of enticing matches with Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer and other notable contenders taking to the courts. Take a look below for the viewing schedule for Wednesday and predictions for the top matchups.
2015 French Open: Wednesday, May 27
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| 5 a.m. - 10 a.m. | Second round | ESPN2 |
| 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Second round | Tennis Channel |
Predictions for Top Stars
No. 2 Roger Federer vs. Marcel Granollers
A familiar foe stands between Federer and a spot in the third round.
While the Swiss star has never lost to Marcel Granollers in three career meetings, the last one gave Federer fans plenty of reason for concern. He took the opening set against Federer in the 2014 U.S. Open, before Federer dominated the final three sets and advanced past the test.
The Spaniard got things started in Roland Garros in style, dispatching Matthias Bachinger in straight sets to open up his tournament. Three of his four career titles came on clay, which indicates another tough outing for Federer.
But even though it's a tougher Round 2 opponent than expected, it shouldn't deter Federer from continuing the strong play he showcased in his opener. He looked confident and comfortable in his first-round win over Alejandro Falla, and will take another stride toward a second Roland Garros title by overcoming an early test from Granollers.
Prediction: Federer wins in four sets
No. 2 Maria Sharapova vs. Vitalia Diatchenko
She's only played one match thus far, but things haven't been easy for the defending women's champion as Maria Sharapova has been battling a cold throughout the opening few days at Roland Garros.
Sharapova was far from her best in her first-round win over Kaia Kanepi, but overcame her illness to still win in straight sets. As she told Roland Garros, nothing will stop her from taking the court in her title defense:
Her road to a second straight French Open title will continue through a fellow Russian, going up against young up-and-comer Vitalia Diatchenko in the first match of the day on Philippe-Chatrier Court. Diatchenko rallied from an opening-set loss to win in a thriller against Stefanie Voegele.
Unfamiliarity should bubble to the surface as Sharapova and Diatchenko have never met, but that should play to the favorite's advantage. The power and speed of Sharapova will simply be too much for Diatchenko to overcome.
Prediction: Sharapova wins in straight sets
No. 12 Gilles Simon vs. Martin Klizan
France's hopes of its first domestic title at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah in 1983 aren't squarely on the shoulders of No. 12 Gilles Simon, but he's the top-seeded Frenchmen—thus, taking on the brunt of the expectations.
Things turned sour for Simon quickly at the French Open as he dropped the first set to Lucas Pouille, only to rally and win the final three sets convincingly. But he could face an even tougher test Wednesday against Martin Klizan.
The Slovakian didn't have the same sort of Round 1 troubles—in fact, he took out 17-year-old Frances Tiafoe in just an hour and 40 minutes. But as Ricky Dimon noted, Klizan hasn't fared too well against Simon:
It's hard to attribute those results too much to this matchup, as there will be much bigger implications and likely won't include injury issues like those matches did. But Klizan has struggled to make deep runs in Grand Slam tournaments, having never advanced past the fourth round.
Simon stumbled out of the gates at Roland Garros, but has since found his form. It would be surprising if he conceded any of his momentum against Klizan.
Prediction: Simon wins in straight sets
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