A few picks from the second round in Paris today, and on paper it looks like a decent day for the favorites. We've got two heavy mismatches and one match that feels genuinely hard to call, so let's get into it.
WTA French Open Predictions
Sara Bejlek vs Iga Swiatek
Head-to-head: First meeting
Bejlek is a solid clay-court player and has had a decent season, but this is Swiatek on clay in Paris, which is about as unfair a draw as you can get. Swiatek has been the dominant force on this surface for years and there's nothing in Bejlek's game that suggests she has a way through.
Hard to see this being competitive at all.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Yuliia Starodubtseva vs Elena Rybakina
Head-to-head: First meeting
Rybakina is the heavy favorite here, but clay does take some of the edge off her serve and Starodubtseva is a grinder who won't go away quietly. I think Rybakina gets through, but don't be surprised if Starodubtseva takes a set by staying deep and making her work in the rallies.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
Iva Jovic vs Emma Navarro
Head-to-head: Jovic 0-1 Navarro
Navarro leads the head-to-head but Jovic has climbed well inside the top 20 this season and is the higher-ranked player here, which tells you something about how much she's improved. Navarro is a smart player who mixes pace well and on slow clay she's always competitive. That said, I feel like Jovic's improvement in the big moments this year tips it her way, all things considered.
Prediction: Jovic in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Marcin Cholewinski/ZUMA Press Wire