We take a look at the selected round of 32 matches from the ATP Tour’s French Open taking place on Saturday 1 June 2019.
2019 ATP Tour | French Open
Roland Garros, Paris, France (Outdoor Red Clay)
Selected Round of 32 Matches | 1 June
Dusan Lajovic (30) (10/3)
vs Alex Zverev (5) (2/9)
It must be hard to carve a niche for yourself in Serbian tennis in this day and age. The reign of Novak Djokovic has allowed little to no attention for any of the fringe Serbian players. Dusan Lajovic is a 28-year-old clay-court specialist who is yet to capture his first ATP Title. He made it to the 2014 French Open 4th round and is known for a wicked kick serve on clay surfaces. But what an intriguing year it has been for the Serb. After starting the year with a quarterfinal in Qatar it has been a rollercoaster comprised mostly of desperate dives into the absurd. He has nine opening round defeats this year on tour. But then he had the sheer audacity to make the Monte Carlo Masters Final, beating the likes of Medvedev, Thiem and Goffin. He has made it through fairly easily thus far and will be hoping for yet another huge scalp this week in the German Alex Zverev.
Alex Zverev has really struggled with the weight of expectation associated with the de facto future World Number One. It was thought that his victory in last year’s season-ending ATP World Finals would prove a turning point for Zverev. But 2019 has seen the poster-child of NextGen tennis fail to deliver. He reached the final in Mexico but really failed to impress when the European clay-court season swung into action. His title in Geneva last week hinted at a mini-revival in the aftermath of crippling losses throughout the year. Zverev- always seen has been too lightweight for Grand Slam occasions- needed to draw on all his energy reserves to get through John Millman in the opening match. His routine victory over qualifier Ymer would have come as a welcome relief ahead of this match.
This will be the second meeting between these two and also the 2nd time they have met at Roland Garros. Zverev won their encounter last year in an epic five-set dual. Lajovic enters this match as a major wildcard in the wake of that Monte Carlo run. And Zverev appears far more vulnerable that last year. This has an early surprise ring to it.
Juan Martin Del Potro (8) (1/3)
vs Jordan Thompson (5/2)
The gentle giant of men’s tennis, ‘Delpo’ has defied all the odds in coming back from a slew of potentially career-threatening injuries. The wrist concerns were front and centre and few would have expected his 2018 renaissance. He won Indian Wells and made yet another US Open Final. He reached his 2nd ever French Open semi-final before succumbing to clay-court extraordinaire Rafael Nadal. His 2019 has been slightly more sedate, though a quarterfinal in Rome bespoke of his capacity to deliver on the biggest stage. Del Potro is coming off of a marathon five-set match against Nishioka. So it will be interesting to note the mobility of the powerful Argentine.
25-year-old Jordan Thompson is the complete antithesis to the current frat-boy status quo in Aussie men’s tennis. The likes of Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic see the sport as a lucrative distraction. Thompson may not have their natural abilities but does possess a never-say-die attitude that sets him apart from his compatriots. Thompson has actually had some decent results this year, with quarterfinals in Houston, Sydney and New York. He also recently lost a Challenger Final in Nanchang. But he has shown brilliant resilience thus far in this French Open. His hero Lleyton Hewitt would have been proud of him following his gutsy win over the giant that is Ivo Karlovic. Thompson will use that as perfect preparation for this showdown against the powerhouse Del Potro service game. He will be hoping that the Argentine will still be feeling the effects of that five-set thriller against Nishioka.
This will be the first meeting between these two. I’m liking the chance of an upset based on Del Potro’s physical readiness and Thompson’s Energizer Bunny enthusiasm. Del Potro has been an exceptional performer on all surfaces but would be the first to admit that his preference is for the faster stuff.
Written by Damien Kayat for @Hollywoodbets
