The 2024 Women’s French Open continues this week as Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka clash in a mouthwatering clash while Anna Kalinskaya faces Bianca Andreescu in the Ro64. Damien Kayat previews.
2024 WTA Tour – Grand Slam Tennis
French Open
Stade Roland Garros
Selected Ro64 Matches – 29 May 2024
Iga Swiatek 1/20 | Naomi Osaka 17/2
Current World No.1 meets former World No.1 in this intriguing second-round battle. With eight Slams between them, Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka are the two most successful Grand Slam players of the past decade (excluding Serena, of course).
Pole Swiatek never showed any mercy in her opening match against Leolia Jeanjean, smashing the qualifier 6-1, 6-2 to improve her current winning streak to 13 matches. She hit 26 winners in an emphatic performance that felt a little ominous.
The three-time French Open champion has been in sensational form of late, winning back-to-back titles in Madrid and Rome. With Rafa Nadal likely to retire at the end of this season, it might be time to dub Swiatek the official ‘Queen of Clay’.
The clay-court goddess could have a tougher second-round assignment, with four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka continuing to find her feet on the comeback trail.
It’s just nice to see Naomi Osaka enjoying her tennis once again. The Japanese star only returned to action earlier this season following a 16-month hiatus from the game. She has shown glimmers of her best form this season.
She reached the quarter-finals in Qatar and is fresh off a really solid showing in Rome, winning three consecutive matches to reach the final 16 (including a surprise straight-sets win over Daria Kasatkina). Osaka has never been a hugely successful clay court operator.
She tends to enjoy quicker surfaces that give her maximum purchase for her flat groundstrokes. And she struggled in her opener, going deep into the third set against a nuggety Bronzetti. She has never gone beyond the third round of this event and is still yet to reach a clay-court final in her entire career.
But she understands the big occasion and will be eager to elevate her game against arguably the best clay-court player of the last 20 years.
Verdict: Swiatek to win in three sets 39/10
These two actually share the head-to-head spoils at one win apiece. But Swiatek easily won their most recent encounter, bageling Osaka in the second set of their 2022 Miami Open final. The Pole is obviously odds on to wipe the floor with the American.
But maybe it’s worth having a gander at the three-set Swiatek win. Osaka’s performance in Rome was really impressive (particularly that easy win over clay-court specialist Kasatkina). Maybe she could swing from the hips and luck her way to a set (Swiatek did drop her serve once against Jeanjean).
Or you could just opt for the obliteration, with 11/10 being offered for under 18.5 games. Those are probably the two best ways to make money.
Anna Kalinskaya 57/100 | Bianca Andreescu 27/20
This has been a pretty sensational breakout season for 25-year-old Russian Anna Kalinskaya. Her form actually started to pick up towards the end of last year, reaching a few WTA 125 finals to finish the season on a 9-1 run.
But I don’t think many would have foreseen her incredible quarter-final run at this year’s Aussie Open. It was an unheralded performance that showed off her tenacity and ability to linger in rallies. She ultimately went out to eventual finalist Zheng in three sets but that wouldn’t be her last incredible performance of the campaign.
The Russian became only the second qualifier since Caroline Garcia at the 2022 Cincinnati Open to reach a WTA 1000 final, finishing runner-up to Jasmine Paolini in an insane Dubai tournament. Her performances have plateaued considerably since the tour switched to clay.
Like many Russian players, Kalinskaya tends to hit the ball pretty flat. But there are aspects to her game that should suit the clay. She reminds me of Sloane Stephens, building her game around strong defensive play. She should be able to get plenty of balls back into play and she will take some beating.
Bianca Andreescu returned from the tennis doldrums this week, playing her first match in 10 months after suffering a stress fracture in her back. The Canadian former World No.4 has been plagued by injuries throughout her young career. But there is no denying the 2019 US Open winner’s talent.
She actually looked pretty crisp in her opening victory against Sorribes Tormo, using those deep high balls to set up her trademark inside-out forehands (recalling her run to the 2019 Indian Wells title).
She has never really delivered on clay (she is yet to go beyond the third round of the French Open). But she definitely has the variety to theoretically succeed on these surfaces. She uses slice beautifully and has a wonderfully disguised drop-shot.
But she also has the ability to just launch into attack mode and hit crunching groundstrokes. I have a feeling that Andreeescu could surprise a few this year.
Verdict: Andreescu to win in straight sets at 28/10
This will be their first career meeting. Kalinskaya has been in pretty dreary clay-court form and Andreescu just looked reinvigorated in the closing stages of that Sorribes Tormo match.
I think that Andreescu’s ability to mix patience with aggression will give her greater options than the more one-dimensional Kalinskaya. I can also see the Russian struggling with Andreescu’s characteristic moonballs.
