Three interesting fourth-round picks from Paris today, and we've got predictions for all of them. The draw has thrown up some genuinely fun matchups, including a first-ever meeting between Djokovic and the young Brazilian everyone's been watching. Let's get into it.
French Open Predictions
Flavio Cobolli vs Learner Tien
Head-to-head: Cobolli 0-1 Tien
Tien got the better of Cobolli in their only previous meeting, but that was on a faster surface and Cobolli on clay is a different animal. He's been one of the more consistent performers on the dirt this season and at his best he's hard to move around and harder to outlast in long rallies, which is exactly what clay rewards.
Tien is an exciting player and his ranking reflects genuine progress, but clay hasn't been his best surface and Cobolli at this stage of a tournament, with a crowd behind him, tends to raise his level. I think Cobolli flips the script here and takes a close one.
Prediction: Cobolli in 3
Joao Fonseca vs Novak Djokovic
Head-to-head: First meeting
Fonseca has been one of the stories of the year and reaching the fourth round in Paris at his age is no small thing, but Djokovic on clay in a Grand Slam-style setting is still one of the toughest assignments in tennis. The Serb hasn't always looked at his peak this season, but he's been building form and this is exactly the kind of match he tends to lock in for.
Fonseca will get his moments and the crowd will love it, but Djokovic's ability to slow the game down and make young players feel every point is just too much here. Djokovic wins this, though it might take three sets.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Alex De Minaur vs Jakub Mensik
Head-to-head: Minaur 5-0 Mensik
Five from five. That's a remarkable head-to-head for De Minaur, and it's not just the number but what it suggests about how Mensik handles the Australian's game. De Minaur's speed and retrieval take away Mensik's biggest weapon, the kind of clean ball-striking that works so well against players who give him time.
Mensik is talented enough that you can never fully write him off, but That said, De Minaur's comfort in this matchup, built up across five wins without a single loss, makes it hard to see this being competitive at all and he should still find a way to get through here, all things considered.
Prediction: Minaur in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire