French Open 2017: Friday Schedule and Predictions for Roland Garros Bracket
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, two players among the favourites for glory in the men's draw at the French Open, will be in action on Friday in Round 3 at Roland Garros.
Djokovic, seeded second, has performed superbly so far and will be out to maintain his excellent form against the talented Diego Schwartzman. Meanwhile, fourth seed Rafael Nadal must beat Nikoloz Basilashvili to keep his hopes of a 10th success at the French Open alive.
After a scare in Round 2 against Anett Kontaveit, women's champion Garbine Muguruza will also take to the clay again. It's 27th seed Yulia Putintseva who is next up for her.
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It's set to be a vital day for a selection of contenders. Below is the schedule for the show courts at Roland Garros and a look ahead to how a couple of key encounters will play out.
Philippe-Chatrier Court
(4) Garbine Muguruza vs. (27) Yulia Putintseva
Nikoloz Basilashvili vs. (4) Rafael Nadal
Diego Schwartzman vs. (2) Novak Djokovic
(10) Venus Williams vs. Elise Mertens
Suzanne-Lenglen Court
Horacio Zeballos vs. (10) David Goffin
Shelby Rogers vs. (13) Kristina Mladenovic
(16) Lucas Pouille vs. (19) Albert Ramos-Vinolas
(11) Caroline Wozniacki vs. Catherine Bellis
For the schedule in full visit the Roland Garros website
Djokovic vs. Schwartzman
There were doubts about Djokovic heading into the second Grand Slam of the season, as the champion has showcased some inconsistency on clay in 2017. So far, he's gone about the defence of his French Open title with confidence.
Having breezed past Marcel Granollers in Round 1, Joao Sousa was then blown away in Round 2, with Djokovic dropping just 17 games in his two matches so far. Schwartzman will need to turn in a spectacular performance if he's to avoid a similar humbling.
As noted by Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times, the Serb has looked focused at this tournament to this point:
"I think the first two sets went very well, the third was was more difficult," Djokovic said after coasting past Sousa, per BBC Sport. "Generally, I felt better than the first round, so that's exactly what I wanted."
The man from Argentina can at least approach this one without pressure and with little to lose. He's only faced Djokovic once before, too, losing in Round 1 at the U.S. Open.
Although Schwartzman is energetic and inventive, it's tough to see how he can tame Djokovic, with the 12-time Grand Slam winner looking as if he's playing himself back towards an imperious standard at Roland Garros. Expect another routine afternoon for the Serb.
Prediction: Djokovic in three sets
Nadal vs. Basilashvili
Nadal is the man who's looked most capable of wresting the Coupe des Mousquetaires away from Djokovic this year. The King of Clay has also been imperious in his opening two matches, with no sets and just 14 games dropped.
With his last Grand Slam win coming in Paris three years ago, Nadal will be desperate to end that lean spell.
Given his almost impeccable record at Roland Garros and improved form, he has a brilliant chance this year, per BBC Sport:
Having won this title nine times before, it's not a huge shock to see Nadal flourishing on the clay.
Despite his injury issues, the 30-year-old is still mobile on court, can still generate so much spin on the ball and boasts the stamina to outlast anyone across the net from him. Crucially, his form on clay in 2017—losing just one match—and strong start to this event will have instilled more confidence into the 14-time Grand Slam champion.
As Charlie Eccleshare of the Daily Telegraph noted after Nadal's progression into the third round, he has been exceptional so far:
Basilashvili has shown he can battle at this tournament. In Round 1, he recovered from a set down to upset home favourite Gilles Simon, and in Round 2, the world No. 63 edged out Viktor Troicki in three tiebreaks to set up this meeting with the favourite.
The Georgian will pose an unknown challenge for Nadal, as the pair have never met previously. Basilashvili has the game to make things tough for the nine-time champion, but in a race to three, he will ultimately be worn down by the Spaniard.
Prediction: Nadal in three sets
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