A jam-packed Monday is on the menu at Roland Garros as first-round motion continues. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Fabio Fognini, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Arthur Fils are amongst these taking the court docket.
Listed below are my previews and picks for 2 of the matchups.
(10) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Fabio FogniniAuger-Aliassime and Fognini will probably be dealing with one another for the second time of their careers. Their solely earlier assembly got here on the 2019 Rio de Janeiro occasion, the place Auger-Aliassime coasted to a 6-2, 6-3 victory.
One other routine day on the workplace in all probability isn’t in retailer for the 22-year-old Canadian. To say that this season has been tough for him could be an understatement. His match report is 13-9 and he simply gave Fils a walkover within the Lyon quarterfinals due to a shoulder harm. Auger-Aliassime is a significant query mark heading into Paris and Fognini needs to be motivated since that is in all probability his final look at this match. The 36-year-old Italian could possibly capitalize in opposition to a struggling opponent.
Decide: Fognini in 4
(WC) Arthur Fils vs. (29) Alejandro Davidovich FokinaPrioritizing an ATP 250 on the potential expense of a slam is probably not the very best thought for everybody, however it will likely be properly price it for Fils even when he loses early at RG. The 18-year-old Frenchman gained his first ATP title in Lyon on Saturday, bettering his rating to 63rd.
Up first for Fils this fortnight is Davidovich Fokina, who has been enjoying properly in his personal proper. The Thirty fourth-ranked Spaniard has reached 5 quarterfinals in 2023–together with on the Indian Wells Masters. It must also be famous that he’s a former Monte-Carlo finalist (2022). This needs to be a enjoyable one, with a slight edge going to ADF given his expertise and Fils’ potential fatigue–particularly if it’s a protracted match.
Decide: Davidovich Fokina in 5
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and in addition maintains his personal tennis web site, The Grandstand. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter at @Dimonator.
