French Open 2016 Schedule, Live Stream and Prediction for Men's Final
A brand new king of Roland Garros will be crowned on Sunday, as Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray go head-to-head in the final of the 2016 French Open.
Although they are the best two players in the men’s game at the moment, neither have gone all the way in the biggest clay-court event in the world. Djokovic fell at the final hurdle last year against Stanislas Wawrinka, while this is the first time Murray has even made it to the last two in Paris.
It’s a storyline that adds a fascinating edge to an event that’s enthralling enough as it is; these two are renowned not only for their wonderful talent, but durability on the court, too. Here is a look at the key details for the clash, including the schedule for the day and where you can catch the action via an online stream.
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Date: Sunday, June 5
Time: 1:30 p.m. (BST), 8:30 a.m. (ET)
TV: Eurosport 1 (UK), NBC Sports (US).
Live Stream: Eurosport Player (UK), NBC Sports Live Extra (US)
New Champion Awaits at Roland Garros
Anyone who tuned in for Murray’s first match of this tournament wouldn’t have thought they were casting their eye over a possible winner of the competition.
For two sets against the veteran Radek Stepanek the world No. 2 was outplayed and out-thought on this testing surface. At two sets down he was on the verge of what’d be a huge surprise in the first round, although he eventually recovered to scrap his way through; against Mathias Bourgue Murray had to come from 2-1 down to get beyond Round 2.
But as the French Open has rolled on, Murray has settled and improved. Indeed, as his brother Jamie noted in the aftermath of his semi-final win over Wawrinka, this is arguably the very best the Scot has ever performed on this surface:
The 29-year-old’s recent matches have been a joy to watch. He’s confident in his execution of crucial shots and has left his opponents flummoxed with inventiveness.
The drop shot is a weapon he’ll be looking to use to great effect on Sunday; as we can see here courtesy of Eurosport UK, it’s a tactic that’s worked well at the tournament already:
Still, as well as Murray is playing, overcoming Djokovic in a Grand Slam final is an almighty challenge for any player. And the Serb seems to be finding his best at the right time, too.
In the semi-final against Dominic Thiem there was a conviction in every shot played by the top seed. Djokovic gave his opponent nothing to feed upon in the early stages and asserted his quality superbly on the contest. The result was one of the most straightforward Grand Slam semi wins of his career.
Somewhat ominously for Murray, Djokovic has an outstanding record against the Brit, having lost just one time on clay, per BBC Sport:
That loss did come recently, though. Murray was outstanding to beat the world No. 1 in the final of the Rome Masters, and he can take confidence from that result coming into the final. But when it comes to the very biggest occasions, the 11-time Grand Slam champion knows how to get over the line and will be in possession of all four main titles should he triumph here.
Breathe Sport summed up his stunning record in these prestigious tournaments since losing in the French Open final last year:
"Djokovic's form in his last 6 Grand Slams:
— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) June 3, 2016"
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When these two do meet, advantages are hard earned. Djokovic and Murray are arguably the fittest men in the men’s game, meaning they can maintain stunning standards for hours. Sets will be tight affairs early on, before the pair’s ability to hit winners will likely come to the fore as the final draws out.
With that in mind, Murray’s early tournament troubles will count against him. The glitches in his game have been put to one side in recent matches, but in a final of fine margins at the end of two brutal weeks, the mental and physical strain of five-setters against Stepanek and Bourgue will allow Djokovic to pinch a pulsating final.
Prediction: Djokovic to win in five sets
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