French Open 2019: Friday Schedule and Predictions for Roland Garros Bracket

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will return to Roland-Garros on Friday hoping to navigate their way through the 2019 French Open third round.

Nadal takes on David Goffin in what will be their fifth clash (the first meeting in Paris), while Federer faces Casper Ruud as he hopes to reach the fourth round for the 14th time in his career.

Highly seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas and Kei Nishikori will also be back in action, each seeking to win their maiden Grand Slam crown, while 2015 men's champion Stan Wawrinka faces Grigor Dimitrov.

In the women's draw, Spanish contenders Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro face ninth seed Elina Svitolina and Marketa Vondrousova, respectively, while Sloane Stephens is set to meet Polona Hercog.

Friday's Schedule (Predicted Winner)

Men's Singles

Juan Ignacio Londero vs. Corentin Moutet (Moutet), TBD

(7) Kei Nishikori vs. (31) Laslo Djere (Nishikori), TBD

Pablo Carreno Busta vs. Benoit Paire, 11:30 a.m. BST/6:30 a.m. ET

(3) Roger Federer vs. Casper Ruud (Federer), 11:30 a.m. BST/6:30 a.m. ET

(2) Rafael Nadal vs. (27) David Goffin (Nadal), 1 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET

Nicolas Mahut vs. Leonardo Mayer (Mayer), 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET

(6) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Filip Krajinovic (Tsitsipas), 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET

(24) Stan Wawrinka vs. Grigor Dimitrov (Dimitrov), 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET

Women's Singles

(15) Belinda Bencic vs. (23) Donna Vekic (Bencic), TBD

Veronika Kudermetova vs. Kaia Kanepi (Kanepi), TBD

(31) Petra Martic vs. (2) Karolina Pliskova (Pliskova), 10 a.m. BST/5 a.m. ET

(20) Elise Mertens vs. (12) Anastasija Sevastova (Sevastova), 10 a.m. BST/5 a.m. ET

(28) Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Marketa Vondrousova (Suarez Navarro), 10 a.m. BST/5 a.m. ET

(19) Garbine Muguruza vs. (9) Elina Svitolina (Muguruza), 11:30 a.m. BST/6:30 a.m. ET

(7) Sloane Stephens vs. Polona Hercog (Stephens), 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET

(26) Johanna Konta vs. Viktora Kuzmova (Konta), 3:30 p.m. BST/10:30 a.m. ET

Visit RolandGarros.com to see the schedule in full.

Friday Preview

Nadal will face his first seeded opponent of the competition thus far in Goffin.

Like Nadal, No. 27 Goffin has yet to lose a set at Roland-Garros this year, but the Belgian has never beaten his Spanish rival in three meetings on clay, with his only success on a hard surface and indoors.

The Tennis Channel demonstrated the electric form Nadal enjoyed during his second-round win over Yannick Maden:

Third seed Federer has performed impressively considering this is his first appearance at Roland-Garros in four years. Again, both he and third-round opponent Ruud have won six sets from six so far, and the Norwegian stoked the rivalry leading up to their match, per tennis writer Jose Morgado:

Second seed Karolina Pliskova has motivation to do well when she takes on No. 31 seed Petra Martic, not least because of the boost it could bring to her rankings, per WTA Insider:

Martic, 28, has made it to the French Open fourth round twice in her career but has never gone further. Pliskova has only made it past the third round on one occasion but made it to the semi-finals in 2017, when she was defeated by Simona Halep.

Pliskova has made the semi-finals at three of the four Grand Slams and could be looking at a favourable run to that stage again at least if she overcomes Martic.