French Open 2015: Monday Roland Garros Schedule and Bracket Predictions
Thanks to a Sunday full of rain delays and postponements, Monday's schedule at the 2015 French Open is absolutely loaded with top-notch matchups.
Top-seeded contenders Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, along with other notables such as Rafael Nadal, were already slated to conclude the fourth round by playing Monday, but a few others will join them after being unable to get their matches done amid rainfall and eventual darkness. It's set up some stacked schedules for the main courts Monday, as some of the world's best will decide who advances on to the final eight in each draw.
Here's a glance forward to Monday's matches along with predictions for each.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
2015 French Open: Monday, June 1
| 5 a.m. - 1 p.m. | French Open fourth round | NBC |
| 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | French Open fourth round | Tennis Channel |
Day 9 Schedule and Predictions
| No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 20 Richard Gasquet | Philippe-Chatrier (4th) | Djokovic |
| No. 2 Roger Federer vs. No. 13 Gael Monfils (3rd Set, 1-1) | Philippe-Chatrier (2nd) | Federer |
| No. 3 Andy Murray vs. Jeremy Chardy | Suzanne-Lenglen (2nd) | Murray |
| No. 6 Rafael Nadal vs. Jack Sock | Suzanne-Lenglen (3rd) | Nadal |
| No. 7 David Ferrer vs. No. 9 Marin Cilic | Court 1 (2nd) | Cilic |
| No. 1 Serena Williams vs. Sloane Stephens | Philippe-Chatrier (3rd) | Williams |
| No. 2 Maria Sharapova vs. No. 13 Lucie Safarova | Philippe-Chatrier (1st) | Sharapova |
| No. 21 Garbine Muguruza vs. No. 28 Flavia Pennetta | Suzanne-Lenglen (1st) | Muguruza |
| No. 4 Petra Kvitova vs. No. 23 Timea Bacsinszky | Suzanne-Lenglen (4th) | Kvitova |
Complete schedule courtesy of RolandGarros.com.
No. 2 Roger Federer vs. No. 13 Gael Monfils (To Finish: 6-3, 4-6)
With the way this match was shaping up late Sunday evening on the Philippe-Chatrier Court, perhaps they should have brought out the flood lights for a late-night finish. Roger Federer and Gael Monfils will finish what is shaping up to be another classic Monday after splitting the first two sets.
After Federer set the tone early on, Monfils generated some momentum late in the first set. That allowed him to channel his best play for set No. 2, which he won in convincing fashion amid a late surge from Federer.
As Christopher Clarey of the New York Times told, fortunately the two mutually agreed to halt play due to darkness before playing the third set:
There's no telling how the break in play will impact either player or if it will at all. Both players have seemed to execute their style of play throughout long stretches of the match thus far, but now they'll be asked to carry that on into Monday morning.
Monfils has proved with two straight wins over Federer that he's more than capable of taking down the Swiss legend, but Federer cannot be disappointed with his start. At the 2014 U.S. Open, he let Monfils take a two-sets-to-none lead before coming back, but this time Federer came out strong early.
Even in the second set, which he lost, Federer was able to break Monfils and put him under pressure. He's simply been too strong thus far at Roland Garros and looked likely to overcome a tough test from Monfils before play was halted.
Prediction: Federer wins in four sets.
No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 20 Richard Gasquet
He stands one win away from potentially meeting the only player who has beaten him at Roland Garros in the last four years, but Djokovic looks poised to keep his focus straight ahead for a fourth-round affair with No. 20 Richard Gasquet.
One more win for Djokovic and Nadal, and the two will meet for the fourth straight year—this time in the quarterfinals. But first, the top-seeded Serbian will have to overcome one of many Frenchmen still in the mix—in front of a crowd who will be largely against him.
That might be the only thing going against Djokovic in this one, however.
Not only could Gasquet be gassed after two long and taxing matches in Rounds 2 and 3, but he's failed to find any sort of success against Djokovic. He's 1-10 against him for his career, including a 2011 loss in this same exact position—the French Open round of 16.
Looking for win No. 26 in a row, Djokovic won't be given much of a test by Gasquet as he cruises into a matchup for the ages with Nadal.
Prediction: Djokovic wins in straight sets.
No. 1 Serena Williams vs. Sloane Stephens
Sometimes, the storylines just write themselves.
Williams has made it through the first week of play at Roland Garros despite plenty of adversity, but she'll need to raise her game to take down rising star Sloane Stephens—a foe Williams has history with. Stephens ousted Williams in the 2013 Australian Open and has ever since been regarded as her potential successor as the next great in American women's tennis.
Stephens has already notched some upsets at Roland Garros just to get here, which she spoke about to USA Today's Nick McCarvel: "I'm playing solid and making a lot of good strides in the right direction. I don't have the formula for (why I play well here). I just know that I love clay. For me, Roland Garros works."
After taking down Venus Williams in the first round, Stephens has now beaten both Williams sisters but could become just the fourth to do so in the same Grand Slam, as per ESPN Stats & Info:
Although Stephens struggled throughout the 2014 season and has thus entered Roland Garros unseeded, she's looked much more formidable than her ranking would suggest. The exact opposite can be said of Serena Williams, who has been on the brink of elimination twice in just the first week of play.
However, motivation should be at a different level for Serena in Monday's match. When she has kicked it into that extra gear at times during this tournament, she's been unbeatable.
Stephens will fight against a budding rival enough to get Williams out of her comfort zone, but the top-seeded favorite will once again relish in the adversity and win another emotional match.
Prediction: Williams wins in three sets.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
