Alexander Zverev, who might as well be on his second life at Roland Garros, is set for a fourth-round showdown against Holger Rune on Monday. The winner will face either Daniil Medvedev or Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals.
(4) Alexander Zverev vs. (13) Holger Rune
Nobody made more headlines during the first week of the French Open than Zverev. The fourth-ranked German, one of the top contenders for a relatively up-for-grabs-title, drew Rafael Nadal in the first round and took down the 14-time champion in straight sets. After easing past David Goffin, Zverev came back from a double-break down in the fifth set to outlast Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(10-3) on Saturday. The 27-year-old is now 31-9 this season and riding a nine-match winning streak, which includes a title in Rome.
Up next for Zverev in the fourth round on Monday is a second meeting with Rune, who won their only previous encounter 6-3, 6-2 at the 2022 Munich tournament. Things will probably be a lot different in this one with Zverev in spectacular form and Rune looking vulnerable. The 21-year-old Dane was a modest 6-6 in his last 12 matches heading into Roland Garros, with four losses to lower-ranked opponents (between No. 19 and No. 57). Like Zverev, Rune also made one great escape during the first week–coming back from 5-0 down in the fifth-set tiebreaker to beat Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 3-6, 7-6(7) in the second round. The world No. 13 is playing better than he was earlier this spring, but Zverev appears to be on a different level and should settle down following his scare against Griekspoor.
Pick: Zverev in 3
(11) Alex de Minaur vs. (5) Daniil Medvedev
Medvedev and De Minaur will be squaring off for the ninth time in their careers on Monday. The head-to-head series stands at 6-2 in favor of Medvedev, who lost 7-6(7), 7-5 at the Toronto Masters but then reeled off two consecutive victories–2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 at the U.S. Open and 7-6(3), 6-3 a few weeks later in Beijing. They have never faced each other on any surface other than a hard court.
Grueling rallies are the norm in a Medvedev vs. De Minaur matchup and that should especially be the case on this surface. This could be the most entertaining match of the day and–with both players in stellar form–also the most competitive. Medvedev has dropped only two sets through three rounds and played particularly well in a high-quality contest against an in-form Tomas Machac on Saturday. De Minaur crushed Alex Michelsen and Jaume Munar in straight sets before getting past Munich champion Jan-Lennard Struff in four. As past history suggests, it’s a better matchup for Medvedev. De Minaur would rather be facing a more one-dimensional opponent whom he can break down from the back of the court and Medvedev obviously has much more experience at the business end of Grand Slams, too.
Pick: Medvedev in 5