The third round of the 2024 French Open gets underway on Friday from Roland Garros. Here are the top dozen matches to take place over the next 48 hours.
12) (11) Alex de Minaur–Australia vs. Jan-Lennard Struff–Germany
De Minaur reached the quarterfinals of Monte Carlo last month, and Struff reached the finals of Madrid in 2023 and the fourth round of Madrid in 2024. De Minaur has won three of five prior meetings. Struff won only meeting on clay (6-3, 6-2) in second round of Monte Carlo in 2023, and de Minaur won only meeting in 2024. It came in the third round of Miami (7-6, 6-4).
11) (9) Stefanos Tsitsipas–Greece vs. Zhizhen Zhang–China
Tsitsipas, the two-time grand slam finalist (2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open), faces Zhang, who reached the quarterfinals of the 2024 Italian Open. This will be their very fist meeting head-to-head.
10) (14) Tommy Paul–USA vs. (23) Francisco Cerundolo–Italy
Paul, the 2023 Australian Open semifinalist, faces Cerundolo, who reached the fourth round of the 2023 French Open, and quarterfinalist in Madrid in 2024. Cerundolo has the 3-2 advantage head-to-head. Their only prior meeting on clay came in the third round of Madrid this year which Cerundolo won 6-7, 6-4, 6-2.
9) (7) Casper Ruud–Norway vs. (28) Tomas Martin Etcheverry–Argentina
Ruud, the 2022 and 2023 French Open finalist and 2022 United States Open finalist faces Etcheverry, the 2023 French Open quarterfinalist. Ruud has won two prior meetings. The first was the second round of the 2023 China Open (1-6, 7-5, 7-6), and the second was the semifinals of Barcelona this year where Ruud won 7-6, 6-4.
8) (1) Novak Djokovic–Serbia vs. (30) Lorenzo Musetti–Italy
Djokovic, the 24-time grand slam single champion, faces Musetti, who reached the fourth round of the 2023 French Open. Djokovic has won four of five meetings including two of three matches on clay. Djokovic won the only meeting at a major (fourth round of 2021 French Open) and their only meeting in 2024 (third round of Monte Carlo, 7-5, 6-3).
7) (4) Alexander Zverev–Germany vs. (26) Tallon Griekspoor–Netherlands
Zverev, the 2020 United States Open finalist, faces Griekspoor, who reached the fourth round of Madrid this year. Zverev has won three of four matches. Their latest match came in the third round of Indian Wells this year which Zverev won 7-6, 6-3. Zverev won the only prior meeting at a major, in the first round of Wimbledon in 2021, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.
6) (3) Carlos Alcaraz–Spain vs. (27) Sebastian Korda–USA
Alcaraz is a two-time grand slam champion as he won the 2022 United States Open and 2023 Wimbledon. Korda reached the third round of Madrid and Rome this year. Alcaraz has won three of four meetings and they split the matches on clay. Korda won in the second round of Monte Carlo in 2022 (7-6, 6-7, 6-3) and Alcaraz won in the third round of the 2022 French Open (6-4, 6-4, 6-2).
5) (8) Hubert Hurkacz–Poland vs. Denis Shapovalov–Canada
Here we have two grand slam semifinalists from Wimbledon in 2021. Hurkacz has won four of five meetings. This will be their first meeting on clay.
4) (15) Ben Shelton–United States vs. (21) Felix Auger-Aliassime–Canada
Shelton reached the semifinals of the United States Open in 2023 and Auger-Aliassime reached the semifinals of the United States Open in 2021. This will be their very first meeting.
3) (8) Ons Jabeur–Tunisia vs. (31) Leylah Annie Fernandez–Canada
Here we have Jabeur, who reached the final of the United States Open in 2022 and Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023, against Fernandez, who reached the final of the United States Open in 2021. Jabeur has won all three meetings including a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 win in the third round of Madrid in April.
2) (3) Coco Gauff–United States vs. (30) Dayana Yastremska–Ukraine
Gauff won the United States Open in 2023, and Yastremska reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2024. Gauff won their only prior meeting, 6-4, 6-1 in the third round of Madrid this year.
1) (4) Elena Rybakina–Kazakhstan vs. (25) Elise Mertens–Belgium
Rybakina won Wimbledon in 2022 and Mertens reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2018. Rybakina won four of five meetings. Mertens won only match on clay, 7-6, 7-5 in the second round of Madrid in 2021. Rybakina won their only match this year, in the third round of Brisbane, 6-1, 6-0.
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