Four to watch
Court Philippe-Chatrier, first match: Aryna Sabalenka vs Moyuka Uchijima
It may look like mission impossible – the world No.83 taking on the No.2 and the Australian Open champion – but never underestimate Uchijima. She came through the qualifying competition and is now in the second round proper and all without dropping a set.
Taking on the power and experience of Sabalenka may prove to be a step too far for the Japanese but, then again, stranger things have happened. She has nothing at all to lose; Sabalenka is expected to win with considerable ease – and that merely adds to the pressure on the favourite.
Court Suzanne-Lenglen, first match: Daniil Medvedev vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Medvedev and the clay courts have not been the happiest of partners over the years. The former world No.1 is very much a hard court man and for all that he knows that he can play on the red stuff – he won the Rome title last year – it doesn’t always go according to plan. This year, he has employed the help of Gilles Simon, France’s former world No.6, to help him.
Simon is there to help with tactics and also because “he knew how to beat me,” Medvedev said, “so this could be good just to have him explain what he sees as my weakness and that we can improve.” It worked at the Australian Open (Medvedev reached the final) but Roland-Garros is the big challenge. No matter, today he faces a man who has only once got beyond the second round here – and that was two years ago.
Court Philippe-Chatrier, second match: Elina Svitolina vs Diane Parry
This one could be a tough watch for the Paris crowd: Svitolina is, of course, Mrs Gael Monfils, wife of the much-loved world No.37 while Parry is the homegrown favourite.
Who to cheer for? Svitolina’s story of coming back from maternity leave last year and, in the space of four months, winning the title in Strasbourg and reaching the quarter-finals here and the semi-finals at Wimbledon brought her a new crowd of supporters wherever she went (and she had plenty to start with).
Parry, meanwhile is that rarity of the WTA Tour: a player with a single-handed backhand. She has also broken the French mould by hiring a coach from Argentina in Martin Vilar. So far, the partnership is working well and Parry reached a career-high No.49 last month.
Court Suzanne-Lenglen, third match: Alexander Zverev vs David Goffin
Right, Mr Zverev: what do you have left? After facing Rafael Nadal on Monday, Zverev looked shellshocked. For three hours and three sets, he had kept his mind in lockdown to block out the occasion and the crowd (for that afternoon, he knew he would be about as popular as the man who shot Bambi’s mother) and it worked. He beat the 14-time champion in what could be Nadal’s last match at Roland-Garros.
But now Zverev has to reset and start again. And that will not be easy. Still, the German has been playing well all season (he reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and is the champion of Rome) while Goffin, once the world No.7, is now ranked No.115 after spending the past three years dealing with a serious knee injury.