Three fourth-round picks from the WTA French Open today, and honestly this is a great slate. Sabalenka vs Osaka is the obvious headliner, but the other two matches have plenty going on as well. So who makes it through to the quarters?
WTA French Open Predictions
Aryna Sabalenka vs Naomi Osaka
Head-to-head: Sabalenka 2-1 Osaka
Osaka has been finding her form again and will carry some confidence into this one, but Sabalenka on clay is a completely different problem from the players Naomi has beaten to get here. The H2H is close on paper, but Sabalenka has been playing some of the most consistent tennis of anyone on tour this year and the slow clay in Paris should let her dictate rallies with that heavy forehand without needing to go for too much.
I think Osaka makes it competitive for a set, which is why this goes three, but Sabalenka's level in the third set against determined opponents has been ruthless lately. Hard to see past her here.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 3
Marta Kostyuk vs Iga Swiatek
Head-to-head: Kostyuk 0-3 Swiatek
Kostyuk has never beaten Swiatek, and all three of those losses came on clay, which tells you pretty much everything. Swiatek hasn't been at her absolute peak this season, but on this surface she almost doesn't need to be, and Kostyuk's flat ball-striking can go either way on slower courts.
Hard to see this being competitive at all, though I feel like Kostyuk will have her moments and push it to three sets before Iga closes it out.
Prediction: Swiatek in 3
Elina Svitolina vs Belinda Bencic
Head-to-head: Svitolina 4-2 Bencic
Bencic has been playing well since her return and deserves credit for getting this far, but Svitolina leads this H2H 4-2 and has always been the steadier player when these two meet. Svitolina's retrieval and consistency in long rallies make her genuinely hard to break down on clay, and Bencic will need to be near her best to change that.
That said, Bencic is a tricky matchup for anyone right now and this won't be straightforward. Still, Svitolina's experience in these deep-tournament situations gives her the edge and I'd expect three sets with Elina coming through, all things considered.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Loic Baratoux/ZUMA Press Wire