Top six matches of fourth round of 2023 French Open

The fourth round of the 2023 French Open is an hour and a half away. Here are the best six matches to watch.

6) (6) Holger Rune–Denmark vs. (23) Francisco Cerundolo–Argentina

Holger Rune, the 2023 Monte Carlo Masters finalist and 2022 French Open quarterfinalist is up against a clay court specialist in Cerundolo. The 24-year-old won the Swedish Open last year on dirt and reached the quarterfinals of the Italian Open. Head-to-head, Cerundolo won their only prior meeting at a challenger in 2019.

5) (1) Carlos Alcaraz–Spain vs. (17) Lorenzo Musetti–Italy

Here we have Alcaraz, the reigning United States Open champion, and two-time Madrid Open champ, against the 17th seed Mussetti, the Monte Carlo quarterfinalist. Head-to-head, Musetti won their only prior meeting. That was a 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 win in the final of the 2022 Hamburg final.

4) (22) Alexander Zverev–Germany vs. (28) Grigor Dimitrov–Bulgaria

This match has Zverev, the reigning Olympic champion and 2020 United States Open finalist against Dimitrov, the Bulgarian veteran, who reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2014, the Australian Open in 2017 and the United States Open in 2019, With a win, Dimitrov will reach the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time. Head-t0-head, Zverev has the 3-1 advantage including a win in their only meeting on clay. That came in the first round of Rome in 2016. Zverev won 6-1, 6-4.

3) (28) Elise Mertens–Belgium vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova–Russia

This great fourth round women’s matchup has Mertens, the 2018 Australian Open semifinalist against Pavlyuchenkova, the 2021 French Open finalist. Head-to-head, they have won one match each. Mertens won 6-4, 6-0 in 2017 Fed Cup action on clay. Pavlyuchenkova won 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the second round of Eastbourne in 2017.

2) (9) Daria Kasatkina–Russia vs. Elina Svitolina–Ukraine

Kasatkina is a 2022 French Open semifinalist, while Svitolina is a two-time semifinalist as she reached the final four at the United States Open and Wimbledon in 2019. Remarkably, Svitolina is 6-0 against Kasatkina with her wins coming in Toronto, New Haven, Dubai, Rome, San Jose, and Flushing Meadows.

1) (2) Aryna Sabalenka–Belarus vs. Sloane Stephens–United States

Sabalenka may be the higher seed at number two, while Stephens is at no. 30. However, Stephens and Sabalenka have the same number of grand slam singles titles. Stephens won the United States Open in 2017, while Sabalenka won the Australian Open in 2023. Sabalenka has won all three prior matches in Montreal, San Diego and the Fed Cup.