2024 Roland Garros Women's Singles Round Two Wednesday Matches
Swiatek vs Osaka :
Iga Swiatek will have a very high profile matchup in round two, and it should be entertaining tennis. Osaka has played admirably in her return to clay. She’s trying her best, she’s problem-solving on court, she’s complimentary to her opponents, and she’s winning matches. To do all that post-pregnancy and post-clay struggles is a great thing in itself, and it’s good to see her enjoying tennis again. Her backhand inside out remains one of the best on tour, and her serve and power are enough to making this interesting. 3 sets with Bronzetti indicates she probably won’t get within striking distance of Swiatek, but Bronzetti will make you really earn a win so it’s a solid second round performance.
The courts in RG are playing slow, and as DC insider redswader pointed out, the rainy conditions are making them even slower. It makes it really tough to hit through Swiatek, and she isn’t just a defensive test. She has the windmill forehand technique that Rafa made famous, and her backhand moves the ball well and is fairly hard to read. This should be fun, but Swiatek in 2 by at least 3 breaks.
Fett vs Bouzkova :
If you like 20 shot rallies, this is the match for you. Jana Fett has tons of experience, and is finding herself back on tour for the first time in a while. She’s a solid baseliner, and is playing someone who is best described as a wall. Bouzkova rarely misses with her backhand, and her defense and speed are good enough to keep her consistently in the top 50 on tour. Bouzkova is expected to be the stronger player here, but I don’t see a great way for her to win quickly. Her serve isn’t particularly great, and Fett beat a solid player in Bouzas Maneiro. Bouzkova in 2-3.
Golubic vs Potapova :
Big surprise for Golubic to beat Krejcikova in round one, and yet not a surprise at all for Krejcikova to lose in round one. Barbora has been really inconsistent for a while now, and Golubic is more than capable of keeping the ball moving enough to benefit if Krejcikova is spraying errors. Annnnnnnd she was. 51 unforced errors in total, although 34 winners is also pretty impressive.
Potapova won’t help Golubic win here, and she just hit through a similar test in Kamila Rakhimova. Potapova hits real big, and she’s hungry for these wins. I expect her to win in 2.
Wang Xinyu vs Tomova :
Tomova was expected to give Alexandrova trouble, but Alexandrova forgot to give Tomova trouble. It sets up a very winnable second round for Tomova. She hits a heavy heavy forehand and on these slow courts it really works. Wang is through after besting Niemeier in 3, and while she’s not at her best on clay, she has good enough tennis to win. This reminds me a bit of the Arnaldi Fils match. Wang has the game to beat Tomova if she’s patient, but she tends to go big a bit too often for clay and Tomova’s game doesn’t really fluctuate. Alexandrova is a better win than Wang on paper, but Alexandrova helped by making errors. I expect this to be closer. Tomova in 3.
Collins vs Danilovic :
Collins’ run continues. Danilovic is playing sharp, but the type of pressure that Danielle Collins applies can really bother anyone on tour. Danilovic needs to keep her first serve percentage high, and last round it was only at 59%. That’s not bad, but you want it higher against Collins. The good thing for Olga is she might be able to put some pressure on Collins’ serve with the power she has from the baseline, but the bad news is she’s lefty and going crosscourt will get her in trouble since Danielle loves to trade crosscourt with her backhand and tends to create a larger angle and more depth on every subsequent swing. Collins in 2.
Vekic vs Kostyuk :
Vekic got a forfeit, and playing fresh can be a big advantage. Kostyuk and her both have a similar approach. They hit hard, the end. Vekic does have dropshots at her disposal, but I think Kostyuk is a slightly better mover and in these slow conditions it’ll be tough to hit through her. A long match with Pigossi will have her hitting well also, so Kostyuk in 3.
Siniakova vs Paquet :
Huge surprise win for Paquet in round one, and I realized today I’ve been spelling her name wrong for a while (adding the c before the q). Sorry about that. Anyway, beating Shnaider is great, but I did not catch much of the match so I’m not sure how that happened. Siniakova is projected to win here, and aside from the Shnaider result there’s not much to argue against that. Somehow they’ve played twice with Katerina winning both, but those wins were in 2016-17. Siniakova in 2, but I would get too specific with any predictions here since Paquet is playing at home and her game is entirely built around her serve.
Volynets vs Vondrousova :
Volynets and Vondrousova has the potential to last 2 hours even if it’s a straight setter. Vondrousova has more ways to score here, but Volynets commitment to defense has elevated her game. Those little squash gets and lobs might get dismissed once, but having to execute over and over can draw errors, and Volynets speed can make people force shots. Vondrousova isn’t exactly automatic on her offense. Despite the hype, Volynets will have a really hard time scoring on Marketa, so I think extending rallies is the best she can do. Vondrousova in 2-3.
Gauff vs Zidansek :
Gauff didn’t bother with her usual slow start here. As she gets more comfortable on tour, the rough performances are less and less frequent, and she rights the ship and wins some of those anyway. Zidansek was a clay specialist and a mainstay on tour, but her game has fallen off a bit due to some injuries and inactivity. This should be fun, but Gauff should be a break better in each set. Gauff in 2.
Wang Yafan vs Yastremska :
Big win for Wang in round one. She’s ranked 68 now, but just a season ago she was winning Challenger events and hinting at a move inside the top 100. Wins at majors are hard to come by, so this was great for her. Her variety and defensive style might give Yastremska a bit of trouble here. Yastremska is supposed to win though, and she’ll have ample time to figure it out. Yastremska in 2-3.
Samsonova vs Anisimova :
Samsonova crushed Linette in round one and is a deserved favorite here, but Anisimova’s win should not be overlooked. Sramkova almost beat Ostapenko (third set tb) and has been one of the big surprises in the clay swing. Anisimova has a decent chance to beat Samsonova here but it will take her best tennis. Samsonova didn’t face a breakpoint in round one, and will likely continue to play well here. Anisimova has the h2h 2-0, but both were close. Conditions are better for Samsonova, and while I’m expecting this to be very close there really isn’t a result that would surprise me here. Both players’ levels can deviate a great deal, and both are lights out when their offense is flowing. Samsonova in 3.
Bucsa vs Cocciaretto :
Haddad Maia continues to struggle to close matches out. Cocciaretto was down a set against her but managed to win in three. It wasn’t smooth sailing and there were a number of breaks exchanged, but Haddad never really regained her best form. It sets up an interesting match against one of the tour’s more unsung but likely phenoms. Cristina Bucsa hits the ball huge despite appearing to only weight about 15 pounds. Her frame is light, but she will hit winner after winner when she’s in a rhythm. This matchup is all offense.
Cocciaretto has a better backhand and a better serve, but Bucsa moves better and ended the match with Starodubtseva in excellent form. Vaguely expecting this to go 3, but it’ll require Bucsa to avoid the errors that had her down a break early against Staro. Bucsa in 3. Feels wrong to type is but I think she’s ready to win.
Ostapenko vs Tauson :
Their two previous meetings have gone three sets, and both are playing decent. Ostapenko isn’t at the level that won her a RG title in 2017, but her offense is big enough to give Tauson trouble. Tauson probably isn’t quick enough to defend against Ostapenko’s onslaught, but her serving is good enough to keep her out of trouble for some portion of the match. Basically, neither player can run down their opponent’s power. I think Ostapenko actually has more stamina in this matchup, which is rare to say. Ostapenko in 3.
Kenin vs Garcia :
Another really hard match here. Kenin has beaten Garcia in all three of their meetings, but none of them were on clay and her current level should be considered independent of all earlier performances. Kenin is not the same player that challenged for major titles, and from round to round her level can disappear. She won a surprise in round one against Siegemund, and that’s actually the level she’d need to give Garcia trouble.
Garcia needs to isolate Kenin’s forehand to win this. Her own forehand is her best weapon, and if she’s serving well she should win the match. For Kenin, she needs to keep the ball in difficult spots for Garcia. Height, slices, and dropshots. Force Garcia to create her own power, because if you give Garcia pace she redirects incredibly well. Expecting another 3 setter here. Garcia in Garthreeya? Awful, awful joke. The h2h makes me think I’m wrong, but Garcia has simpler ways to score here. I’d avoid trusting me here because I didn’t see the Kenin/Siegemund clash.
Fernandez vs Wang Xiyu :
This is a fun one. Fernandez is clearly better on clay, and should win. All that is true, but Wang has so much power that it might not be possible for Fernandez to win in straights. Earning every point is tough, and early on in Fernandez’s career she had trouble against the bigger hitters on tour. Fernandez in 3.
Osorio vs Jabeur :
Osorio Kalinina was one of the most exciting matches of the entire first round, but it ended sadly in a retirement. Kalinina was hitting the ball huge and constantly breaking Osorio’s serve. Osorio was defending with incredible heart and managed to get back into the game multiple games each set. In the end, Kalinina had to withdraw. I had her beating Jabeur with the level she was at, but I think Osorio will have a tougher time. Jabeur looked pretty good in round one, and despite her slump, clay is still a great surface for her. She’ll be able to dominate from the baseline with power in the same way that Kalinina did, and Osorio had a really hard time holding serve so Jabeur should win. It’s always a big should with Jabeur, and with her sort of slump Osorio will know that it is possible to outlast her. Maybe not physically, but mentally. Jabeur can get discouraged, so this is a risky spot. Jabeur in 2 or Osorio in 3.