Grigor Dimitrov faces off against Borna Coric while Belinda Bencic takes on Bianca Andreescu in the second round of the 2022 French Open. Damien Kayat previews.
2022 ATP Tour/ WTA Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
French Open
Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France (Outdoor Clay)
Selected 2nd Round Matches- 25th May
Grigor Dimitrov 24/100 | Borna Coric 29/10
I think that Dimitrov’s career has suffered from an unfair burden of expectation. He was unfortunately nicknamed ‘Baby Fed’ in his early career. But it just hasn’t quite worked out that way.
That’s not to say that his career has been a crushing disappointment. Dimitrov won the ATP finals in 2017 and is a former World No.3. He has also reached three Grand Slam semi-finals. But he just hasn’t consistently challenged for top honours.
He is probably one of the biggest victims of the ‘Big Three’ era (along with Monfils and Goffin). I think his temperament has often let him down on the big stage. But the 31-year-old does seem more controlled of late and is starting to pick up some momentum.
He reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells before a surprise run to the Monte-Carlo semi-finals. That performance in Monte-Carlo included a shock victory against clay-court specialist Casper Rudd.
He then had the misfortune of running into Stefanos Tsitsipas for three straight events. Clay has certainly not been Dimitrov’s forte over the years. His first-round victory over Giron took his career Roland Garros record to a paltry 13-11.
But I was impressed by the efficiency he showed against Giron. He served brilliantly, winning 83% of his first-serve points. He just seems to be radiating a quiet confidence of late.
25-year-old Croatian Borna Coric has really struggled to pick up momentum this year after returning from injury. Coric hadn’t played competitively since March last year (where he actually managed a decent semi-final run in Rotterdam).
But he underwent pretty severe shoulder surgery that kept him sidelined for a year. And it has been a struggle for the former World No.12. He was 1-5 coming into this year’s French Open.
That included first-round losses in Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome. Not exactly the sort of form that fills you with confidence going into the showpiece clay-court event of the year.
But he managed to avoid his fourth successive top-tier defeat with a comeback victor against Carlos Taberner. He actually looked quite impressive against the Spaniard, hitting 54 winners and winning 76% of his first-serve points. Those stats will have to improve against the in-form Dimitrov.
Verdict: Dimitrov to win in four sets at 24/10
Unbelievably, this will be the first time these two will have met. Coric has some clay-court credentials (he won his first ATP Tour title at the 2017 Grand Prix Hassan II). He will look to extend the rallies and frustrate the easily frustrated Dimitrov.
But Dimitrov seems a little more mature at this stage in his career. He should be able to dominate Coric with his formidable forehand. I think he’ll win in four sets (his concentration may wane enough to give Coric a set).
Belinda Bencic 7/10 | Bianca Andreescu 11/10
This blockbuster second-round clash features two of my pre-draw selections. 25-year-old Bencic has failed to fulfil her mammoth potential. In her defence, the six-time WTA Tour winner has endured many injury setbacks.
Bencic has arguably underperformed more than any prominent female player currently playing Grand Slam tennis. She has only reached the quarterfinal stage of two Slams (she would go on to reach the semi-finals of the 2019 US Open).
That’s just mind-boggling for a woman of her talent. Bencic won the biggest title of her career at last year’s Tokyo Olympics and this could provide a springboard for greater success.
She was enjoying a fairly humdrum season before claiming her maiden clay-court title at the Charleston Open. I find that surprising considering how versatile her game is.
She plays equally well on offence as she does on defence. She thrashed her first-round opponent comprehensively but this match will pose a much greater threat.
21-year-old Canadian wunderkind Bianca Andreescu has enjoyed a rollercoaster start to her career. She rose to prominence with a ridiculous 2019 campaign that catapulted her to number four in the world.
She shone in high-pressure matches, winning WTA Premier titles at Indian Wells and Canada. This laid the groundwork for her sensational success at the 2019 US Open.
But a major knee injury (coupled with the Covid outbreak) saw her miss the entirety of the 2020 campaign. Last year she struggled with consistency and recurring fitness issues (though a run to the Miami Open final highlighted her undeniable potential).
After last year’s Indian Wells she took a six-month hiatus from the game (citing injury and mental fatigue). She actually contemplated quitting the sport. That would have been a tragedy as Andreescu is one of the most entertaining players on the tour.
Like Bencic, she utilizes loads of variety in her game. She has looked quite adept since returning to action. She is 7-3 on the clay this year. She had the misfortune of meeting Iga Swiatek in the Rome quarterfinals.
The Canadian had to overcome a one-set deficit to see off Bonaventure in the first round. But a 6-0 victory in the final set seems to indicate that Andreescu isn’t here to make up the numbers.
Verdict: Andreescu to win at 11/10
This will be their second career meeting. Andreescu beat Bencic in the semi-final of the 2019 US Open. That is the type of defeat that can leave some scar tissue. I’m leaning towards the Canadian for this one.
Despite her relative inexperience, Andreescu seems to possess a greater self-belief. Bencic also has the tendency to deteriorate on her second serve. This could prove disastrous against a returning machine like Andreescu.
