The second week of the French Open begins today. There are thirty-two singles players left in the draw: sixteen men and sixteen women. Each man and each woman will give their all to be in their respective final next weekend.
MEN’S ROUND OF SIXTEEN
Twelve of the thirty-two seeds remain, ten of whom are the top ten seeds. Juan Ignacio Londero if the lowest ranked (78) player remaining in the draw and his next opponent will be the number two seed, Rafael Nadal. Sport is not played on paper and if you believe you can win you can potentially give even the best clay court player a run for his money. Can he pull off the biggest upset of his career? Anything is possible.
[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) will face off against [45] Jan-Lennard Struff (GER); Djokovic leads their head-to-head 1:0.
[3] Roger Federer (SUI) will play [68] Leonardo Mayer (ARG); Federer leads their head-to-head 3:0.
[4] Dominic Thiem (AUT) gets [14] Gael Monfils (FRA); the Austrian leads their head-to head 4:0.
[5] Alexander Zverev (GER) will play [9] Fabio Fognini (ITA); Zverev leads their head-to-head 2:1.
[6] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) will have a fierce opponent in [28] Stan Wawrinka (SUI); yet, this will be their first meeting.
[7] Kei Nishikori (JPN) gets the in-form and often mercurial, [38] Benoit Paire (FRA); Nishikori leads their head-to-head 6:2.
[8] Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) gets the hard hitting Russian, [10] Karen Khachanov. Del Potro leads their head-to-head 3:0.
Nine of the remaining men are thirty years plus, the oldest player remaining in the draw is thirty-seven-year-old Federer. Seven are twenty-nine and younger, with the youngest being twenty-year old Tsitsipas.
WOMEN’S ROUND OF SIXTEEN
Nine of the thirty-two seeds remain; however, only three of the top ten seeds remain. Aliona Bolsova (ESP) is the lowest ranked player remaining in the draw; she is ranked one hundred and thirty-seven. Bolsova will meet the youngest player remaining in the draw, seventeen-year-old [51] Amanda Anisimova (USA).
The oldest player remaining in the draw is thirty-three-year-old [88] Kaia Kanepi {EST]. Kanepi will meet one of the hottest players on clay, [31] Petra Martic (CRO); this will be their first meeting.
The highest remaining seed in the draw is the defending champion, [3] Simona Halep (ROU). Halep will play 2018 Junior Wimbledon champion, [104] Iga Swiatek (POL); this will be their first meeting. Swiatek at eighteen years old is one of the three teenagers left in the draw.
[7] Sloane Stephens (USA), last year’s finalist, will meet 2016 French Open champion, [19] Garbine Muguruza (ESP); they are tied 1:1.
[8] Ashleigh Barty (AUS) will play [35] Sofia Kenin (USA); Barty leads their head-to-head 2:0.
[12] Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) will play nineteen-year-old, [38] Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) for the first time.
[14] Madison Keys (USA) will play [42] Katerina Siniakova (CZE); this will be their first meeting.
[24] Donna Vekic (CRO) will meet a familiar foe, [26] Johanna Konta (GBR); they have played each other six times and their head-to-head is tied 3:3. Vekic has won their last two encounters; however, they have never played on clay.
SOURCES OF IMAGES: Zimbio.com ( main image Getty Images Europe -Roger Federer)
