French Open 2015: Predictions for Thursday's Draw Schedule
Rafael Nadal’s attempt to defend his French Open title goes into the second phase Thursday. The King of Clay’s second-round meeting with fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro highlights the day’s action.
Despite struggling during the clay-court season, Nadal looked like his normal dominant self in his 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 first-round win over Quentin Halys. Despite his recent struggles, Nadal seemed unflappable after his win over Halys.
Per Piers Newbery of BBC Sport, Nadal said:
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"When I've had some up and downs during the season, it's normal that can happen here. I am trying to avoid that. I am here to try to play good tennis and give myself a chance to play well and compete for everything. My mentality and my goal is the same always."
In 11 previous meetings, Almagro has managed just one win over his countryman. It came at the Barcelona Open in 2014. The victory did come on clay, so there is some hope…but not much.
Nadal looked like a man on a mission in the first round, and it’s likely he’s been ignited by the doubters who have questioned his chances to win his 10th title at Roland Garros. Expect a straight-sets win from the 28-year-old future Hall of Famer.
That match will follow Julia Goerges vs. Caroline Wozniacki on Philippe-Chatrier Court. Here’s a look at predictions for matches featuring higher-ranked players. Just below the table is a closer look at two other high-profile matches.
| Philippe-Chatrier Court | Play begins at 5 a.m. ET | |
| Julia Goerges vs. No. 5 Caroline Wozniacki | 1 | Wozniacki |
| Nicolas Almagro vs. No. 6 Rafael Nadal | 2 | Nadal |
| No. 3 Andy Murray vs. Joao Sousa | 3 | Murray |
| Suzanne-Lenglen Court | Play begins at 5 a.m. ET | |
| No. 4 Petra Kvitova vs. Silvia Soler-Espinosa | 1 | Kvitova |
| No. 1 Serena Williams vs. Anna-Lena Friedsam | 2 | Williams |
| No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. Gilles Muller | 3 | Djokovic |
| No. 20 Richard Gasquet vs. Carlos Berlocq | 4 | Gasquet |
| Court 1 | Play begins at 5 a.m. | |
| Francesca Schiavone vs. No. 18 Svetlana Kuznetsova | 1 | Schiavone |
| Lucie Hradecka vs. No. 27 Victoria Azarenka | 2 | Azarenka |
| Daniel Gimeno-Traver vs. No. 7 David Ferrer | 4 | Ferrer |
| Court 2 | Play begins at 5 a.m. ET | |
| No. 9 Marin Cilic vs. Andrea Arnaboldi | 1 | Cilic |
| No. 12 Karolina Pliskova vs. Andrea Mitu | 2 | Pliskova |
| Court 3 | Play begins at 5 a.m. ET | |
| Carina Witthoeft vs. No. 17 Sara Errani | 1 | Errani |
| Court 6 | Play begins at 5 a.m. ET | |
| No. 10 Andrea Petkovic vs. Lourdes Dominguez Lino | 1 | Petkovic |
You can see the entire schedule at RolandGarros.com.
Serena Williams Will Dominate Anna-Lena Friedsam
The 21-year-old Anna-Lena Friedsam has never faced world No. 1 Serena Williams in her career, and the youngster is in for a thrashing Thursday. Friedsam comes in ranked 105th in the world and with very little Grand Slam experience.
She’s never been past the second round in any of the Grand Slam tournaments she’s played. It would be one of the biggest shocks of the tennis year if she were to knock off the game’s top player.
Williams was dumped in the second round last year at Roland Garros, but don’t expect a repeat performance.
Novak Djokovic Will Smash Gilles Muller
Even though Nadal looked solid in the first round and is my pick to win Thursday, Novak Djokovic is the man I’ve tabbed to win the tournament. He’s been on a remarkable run.
He’s won 23 straight matches and is primed to make it 24 in a row after taking on Gilles Muller Thursday. The two men have met just once before, and it came during the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open.
Muller pushed Djokovic in each frame but still lost in straight sets 6-4, 7-5, 7-5. A similar victory for the surging Serbian should be on tap Thursday.
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