French Open 2017: Monday Roland Garros Schedule and Bracket Predictions
Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Simona Halep all face tough matches in Round 4 of the 2017 French Open at Roland Garros on Monday. World No. 1 Murray will be in action against Russia's Karen Khachanov, while Wawrinka will face the mercurial Gael Monfils in the standout matches in the men's bracket.
As for Halep, she will meet Carla Suarez Navarro, while Elina Svitolina faces Petra Martic in the women's bracket.
For a look at the full schedule for Monday, visit the Roland Garros official website.
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Murray and Wawrinka to Advance
Murray is still bidding to regain his best form, but the Scot will be strong enough to see off Khachanov in straight sets. What should worry Khachanov is how Murray looked close to his best during his Round 3 win over Juan Martin del Potro.
BBC Sport's Piers Newbery applauded the variety of Murray's approach against the tricky Del Potro: "He out-scored the powerful Argentine with 41 winners to 35, all the while mixing up his game with deft drop shots and sharp volleys."
The ability to manufacture shots has always defined Murray's brilliance. Even so, Khachanov is feeling confident after seeing off big-serving American John Isner in the previous round.
The Russian is relishing the challenge presented by Murray, per PA Sport (h/t Sky Sports): "I think that is what we are looking for, to play on the big arenas like here, centre court, and to play against the world No 1. I'm really looking forward to it."
Khachanov's confidence is well-founded after the way he dismantled Isner. ESPN's Brad Gilbert praised the Russian's ability in tie breaks:
Khachanov boasts the power in his own serve-and-volley game to trouble any opponent. However, Murray will have too much guile to play that type of match.
Monfils saw his countryman Richard Gasquet retire due to a thigh problem in the previous round, per Simon Jennings of Reuters (h/t Daily Mail). Yet that shouldn't make Wawrinka any less wary of his opponent on Monday.
At his best, Monfils is capable of some truly spectacular tennis. He's a master of improvisation, with the athleticism and strength to play any kind of game.
However, Monfils has traditionally lacked consistency, something Wawrinka can exploit with his relentless, error-free approach. The 2015 French Open champion dominated his third-round match with Fabio Fognini, per ATP Media Info:
Wawrinka will build a solid early lead and do enough to fend off some typical moments of magic from Monfils to eventually win without needing a fourth set.
Elsewhere in the men's bracket, Kei Nishikori is a good bet to beat Fernando Verdasco after the eighth seed survived a five-set tussle with Chung Hyeon in a rain-interrupted third round match.
In the process, Nishikori continued his fine history of winning when forced to go the distance:
Big-serving Marin Cilic can overpower 31-year-old veteran Kevin Anderson in the final match of the men's bracket on Monday.
Halep and Svitolina Will Progress
The women's bracket has been littered with upsets at this year's tournament, but Halep and Svitolina won't fall into the same trap on Monday.
Halep's all-round game will prove too much for Suarez Navarro. So will her renewed focus following a dominant win over Daria Kasatkina at the previous stage.
Halep admitted coach Darren Cahill didn't mince his words when urging her to do better earlier this year, per MailOnline's Matthew Lambert: "Definitely. This is the most important thing that he [Cahill] told me after Miami was to change the attitude."
Halep has been showing the value of a more ruthless edge on French clay this year. She will take another step toward claiming top spot in a wide-open bracket.
If there is one player who rates as an obvious challenge to Halep, it's Svitolina. She won't find things easy against a rejuvenated Martic, though.
The latter has put previous injury woes firmly behind her, per WTA Insider:
Svitolina's progress has been steady so far, though, and she will have too much quality for Martic to overcome, even if the match requires a third set.
Away from Halep and Svitolina, second seed Karolina Pliskova will be favoured against Paraguay's Veronica Cepede Royg. Pliskova is enjoying her best stint at Roland Garros just by making the fourth round, with her run set to continue after a straight-sets win.
Expect Pliskova to be joined in the next phase by Alize Cornet. She will beat fellow French player Caroline Garcia, the 28th seed, by building on the confidence earned by her recent win over Agnieszka Radwanska.
The main contenders are starting to show their best form at this French Open. It's a process set to continue when Murray, Wawrinka and Halep all win on Monday.
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