French Open Tips: Zverev, Kvitova, Thiem and Keys to advance
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Favourites to clean up on clay
The third round beckons at Roland Garros as the players begin to hit their stride. The absence of some of the leading names in the sport only leaves the tournament wide open for a new champion.
The Coral News Team take a look at who could advance to the all-important second week in today’s top tips…
Madison Keys to beat Naomi Osaka – 1/5
Madison Keys takes on Naomi Osaka on Suzanne-Lenglen today.
The 2017 US Open runner-up has eased through in straight sets in the first two rounds. Keys beat fellow Americans Sachia Vickery and Caroline Dolehide.
The pair have squared off twice before with Key’s winning both matches.
However, Osaka who has won on tie-breaks in both of her first and second rounds did go 1-5 up in the 2016 US Open before Keys came storming back.
Both players have the same school of thought that every-shot-can-be-a-winner. This suggests the first set might be tight.
Osaka’s surge into the top 20 has been remarkable but Keys’ experience of getting to major finals now will surely prevail.
Dominic Thiem to beat Matteo Berrettini – 1/16
Thiem is now one of the firm favourites if Nadal was ever to falter on clay. The Austrian is a two-time semi-finalist at the French Open but will be looking to go one better this year.
He comes up against the 22-year-old Berrettini who’s still looking to breakthrough to the main tour.
This is his first foray into the French Open but after beating former top-ten player Ernest Gulbis he’ll be full of confidence.
Berrettini won’t lie down here but Thiem knows what it takes to go deep in tournaments now and will probably do so once more.
Alex Zverev to beat Damir Dzumhur – 1/25
After THAT interview following his win over Dusan Lajovic it’s debatable whether Zverev would rather be in Yorkshire or Paris right now.
However, the second seed meets Bosnia’s number-one Damir Dzumhur on Philippe Chatrier today aiming to stay in the French capital a little longer.
Both players came off five-set matches in round two. Dzumhur playing a huge 49 games before defeating Radu Albot.
Fatigue could prove pivotal in this one but Zverev now has greater experience to go with his youthful enthusiasm.
Petra Kvitova to beat Anett Kontaveit – 2/5
Kvitova has had to survive a marathon first round tie but she followed it up with a straight sets win in round two.
And after her clay-court victory in Madrid last month Kvitova has put herself right up there with the favourites.
She comes up against a 22-year-old who is right in form though. Kontaveit has risen to a career high 24 in the WTA rankings.
The Estonian beat 7th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the third round of the Australian Open this year.
A repeat of this feat against Kvitova would see her make the second week of Grand Slam yet again.
Nonetheless, Kvitova did beat Kontaveit in Madrid on her way to the title and it’ll be no surprise to see a repeat.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
