French Open 2015: Thursday Roland Garros Schedule and Bracket Predictions
In a women’s draw that has conjured plenty of thrilling moments, four players remain in the hunt for glory in the French Open.
The Thursday at Roland Garros is typically one of the most hotly anticipated days on the tennis calendar, with two pulsating semi-finals set to be played out on the Philippe-Chatrier Court. The big story in this year’s tournament centres around Serena Williams, who is on the hunt for her 20th Grand Slam title.
Three other stars of the game will be desperate to halt the American’s quest for glory however. Here’s a reminder of the main matches to savour on Thursday and a closer look at which players are best placed to make it into Saturday’s showpiece final.
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| Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [7] | vs. | Lucie Safarova (CZE) [13] |
| Serena Williams (USA) [1] | vs. | Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) [23] |
Ana Ivanovic vs. Lucie Safarova
Although neither of these players will be household names to a modern, casual tennis fan, Ana Ivanovic and Lucie Safarova have had their battles at Roland Garros down the years.
The former crushed Safarova on her way to French Open glory in 2008, while the Czech star was too good for a rejuvenated Ivanovic in Paris last year. However, this will be the first time the pair have met in an encounter that is so high profile, and as such, it’s an incredibly tough one to call.
As noted by Sports Illustrated Tennis, the Serbian holds an edge in head-to-head meetings:
Coming into this match, it’s Safarova who has probably been in the better form. She dumped out reigning champion Maria Sharapova earlier this week and all her opponents have struggled to cope with the devilish spin she puts on her left-handed shots.
She may be a little bit fatigued coming into this game, though. As tennis coach Brad Gilbert notes, Safarova is also in the latter stages of the doubles competition too:
Ivanovic also has the greater pedigree when it comes to these high-profile matches. As aforementioned, while she may not be playing the best tennis of her career at this juncture, as a former champion she knows what’s required to emerge victorious in these high-pressure circumstances.
If the Serb starts this one well, she may coast to victory. Safarova has relied on a blistering start in all her matches at Roland Garros this year; going behind early against a quality operator could plant a few seeds of doubt and pave the way for an Ivanovic win.
Prediction: Ivanovic in three sets
Serena Williams vs. Timea Bacsinszky
In her pursuit of what would be an historic tournament win, Serena Williams probably would have been expecting some illustrious opposition at the semi-final stage. But the American is set to benefit from the flurry of upsets that have punctured the women’s draw this year, with 23rd seed Timea Bacsinszky standing between her and a final berth.
It’d be naive to write off the chances of the Swiss, however. She’s done brilliantly to make it this far, following up her shock win over Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova with an accomplished performance against Alison Van Uytvanck in the quarters.
As we can see here courtesy of some statistics provided by the tournament’s official Twitter feed, Bacsinszky is a dynamic talent and an entertaining player to watch:
A red-hot Serena represents a completely different and much more formidable proposition however. Although the bracket has shaped up nicely for the American, she powered her way through to this stage with an easy win over Sara Errani in the last eight.
After going three sets in each of her previous three matches, getting an easy win under her belt should breathe some renewed confidence into Serena for this vital semi-final. She has insisted that she’s not expected an easy passage through to the final however:
If Williams produces the kind of levels she showcased against Errani, this match should be a routine victory. Bacsinszky does boast power, and as the underdog, she will play with a measure of freedom. But once the American is settled into her rhythm, the superior skill and athleticism will come to the fore in emphatic fashion.
Prediction: Williams in two sets
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