French Open 2016: Tuesday Roland Garros Schedule and Bracket Predictions
Tuesday's play at the French Open will feature a full slate, as Monday's play was completely rained out, marking the first time in 16 years an entire day's worth of matches was postponed, according to Nick McCarvel of USA Today.
With the potential of more bad weather to come, there are now growing concerns at Roland Garros, as McCarvel reported:
"What many fear is a backlog with no improvement in sight for the current weather conditions. All matches cancelled on Monday are fourth-round encounters, meaning, should they be played Tuesday, the women’s winners would have to come right back on Wednesday to play their scheduled quarterfinals.
There is greater concern for the men’s side, since in Grand Slam tennis they play best-of-five-set matches. How the schedule will be altered from here on out has led to some talk about a Monday men’s final if the situation doesn’t get better.
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Nonetheless, Monday's conditions have left Tuesday with a loaded slate of compelling matchups. Let's take a look at them below, along with a preview and prediction of the most intriguing contests.
| 4 | Philippe-Chatrier Court | 5 a.m. ET | Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] vs. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) [14] |
| 4 | Philippe-Chatrier Court | Next | Serena Williams (USA) [1] vs. Elina Svitolina (UKR) [18] |
| QF | Philippe-Chatrier Court | Not before 8 a.m. ET | Richard Gasquet (FRA) [9] vs. Andy Murray (GBR) [2] |
| 4 | Suzanne-Lenglen Court | 5 a.m. ET | Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [2] vs. Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) |
| 4 | Suzanne-Lenglen Court | Next | David Ferrer (ESP) [11] vs. Tomas Berdych (CZE) [7] |
| 4 | Suzanne-Lenglen Court | Next | Venus Williams (USA) [9] vs. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) [8] |
| QF | Suzanne-Lenglen Court | Not before 8 a.m. ET | Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) [3] |
| 4 | Court 1 | 5 a.m. ET | Simona Halep (ROU) [6] vs. Samantha Stosur (AUS) [21] |
| 4 | Court 1 | Next | David Goffin (BEL) [12] vs. Ernests Gulbis (LAT) |
| 4 | Court 1 | Next | Kiki Bertens (NED) vs. Madison Keys (USA) [15] |
| 4 | Court 2 | 5 a.m. ET | Marcel Granollers (ESP) vs. Dominic Thiem (AUT) [13] |
| 4 | Court 2 | Next | Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [12] vs. Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) |
Tuesday is an exciting day at Roland Garros, with both of the top seeds—Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams—looking to book their place in the quarterfinals.
It's hard to bet against either player. Djokovic is 4-0 all time against Roberto Bautista Agut and hasn't missed a berth in the quarterfinals at the French Open since 2009. Oh, and he's also won five of the last seven Grand Slams and three in a row.
So bet against him at your own peril.
Meanwhile, Williams is 4-0 all time against Elina Svitolina and has won four of the last six Grand Slams. Sure, the French Open has always been her weakest Grand Slam, though that hasn't stopped her from winning the tournament three times and twice since 2013. So it's hard to imagine her failing to reach the quarters.
The final matchup on the Philippe-Chatrier Court will be a fascinating contest between No. 2 seed Andy Murray and Frenchman and No. 9 seed Richard Gasquet. Murray is 7-3 in the series and has won both matchups at Roland Garros, though Gasquet will certainly have the home-court advantage.
Still, Murray impressed on Sunday after needing a lengthy tiebreaker to win his first set against John Isner. From there, he was absolutely dominant. That makes him the prohibitive favorite in this matchup, even with the crowd likely to be firmly behind Gasquet.
Agnieszka Radwanska is 9-2 all time against Tsvetana Pironkova, so it's tough to project the upset in this matchup. Venus Williams is 2-0 against Timea Bacsinszky, meanwhile, though the two haven't faced off since 2014.
It's been an up-and-down year for Williams, who does have one title this season but is just 9-6 overall. Bacsinszky, on the other hand, also has a title but is a more impressive 19-12, including trips to at least the quarterfinals in three of the four tournaments she played in leading up to the French Open.
Bacsinszky appears to be in better form at the moment and has cruised thus far at Roland Garros, making her the pick.
David Ferrer facing Tomas Berdych is a fascinating matchup, meanwhile. Ferrer holds the overall lead in the series, 8-6, though Berdych has won three of their last four meetings and is 3-2 on clay against Ferrer.
Neither player has a title this season and neither has been dominant in France, so it's tough to pick between the pair. This is a toss-up, though the safer money is probably on Ferrer, who has made four straight quarterfinals at Roland Garros.
Don't bet against last year's winner at the French Open, Stan Wawrinka, either. He's 6-0 all time against Albert Ramos-Vinolas, too, so he should advance without major complications.
Simona Halep vs. Samantha Stosur is another compelling contest. Halep holds the slightest of advantages in the series, 4-3, though she has won four straight matches against Stosur. On the other hand, Stosur has won both matchups in the French Open, albeit all the way back in 2010 and 2011.
Halep has also played well this year, winning the Madrid Open—and beating Stosur in the semifinals—and reaching the quarterfinals in three of her last five tournaments. Halep is the smart pick in this matchup, though Stosur will give her all she can handle.
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