Casper Ruud will be part of a huge day of action in Paris against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina as the field tries to catch up from a water-logged Wednesday. Tommy Paul and Fabio Fognini will also be in taking the court.
(7) Casper Ruud vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Norway’s Casper Ruud is a perennial fixture in the latter stages of the French Open. Even when the world No. 7 is having an otherwise lackluster season, he can be counted on to perform well in Paris. Ruud has a pair of runner-up results in the past two years and looks poised to make noise at this year’s edition, as well.
He runs into a tricky opponent in Alejandro Davidovich Fokina this early in the tournament. While Davidovich Fokina hasn’t had the best season so far (he was 9-11 coming into this event), Ruud is a familiar foe. The two men have met four times before and split the wins at two each, but Ruud won their most recent encounter a few months ago in Miami.
Ruud has a decisive edge this time around. The Norwegian is not only in far better form, but he comes into Roland Garros off his second title of the year in Geneva. This is one of his most successful tournaments, so he should be well positioned to advance to the third round.
Cheryl pick: Ruud in 4
Ricky pick: Ruud in 3
(14) Tommy Paul vs. Fabio Fognini
Of all the results of the 2024 European clay-court swing, Tommy Paul is maybe the biggest surprise. The American had a decent enough result at the Madrid Masters, where he made the third round, but the shocker came a few weeks ago in Rome–where he defeated both Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz en route to the semifinals.
The American has performed well in Paris in the past. During the “COVID” edition of the event, Paul made the quarterfinals–by far his best result at a major.
His second-round opponent is world No. 93 Fabio Fognini, the Italian veteran. Fognini hasn’t played much on the main tour in 2024; the 37-year-old’s ranking is low enough that he has found himself mostly on the Challenger circuit.
While Fognini was once a force to be reckoned with on clay, that time is largely in the past. Paul performs well on the dirt, he comes into the event in great form, and Fognini is simply not the player he was years ago.
Cheryl pick: Paul in 3
Ricky pick: Paul in 3