ATP Ace 6/2

Our play from yesterday's article Karen Khachanov is currently up 2 sets to nil, so hopefully he can close that match out without a sweat.  Fernando Verdasco upset Grigor Dimitrov and Marco Cecchinato upset Pablo Carreno Busta yesterday as the other favorites move on.

Yesterday's Matches

Alexander Zverev def. Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5

Fernando Verdasco def. Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(3), 6-2, 6-4

Novak Djokovic def Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 6-2

Kei Nishikori def Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-1, 6-3

Marco Cecchinato def Pablo Carreno Busta 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-1

Dominic Thiem def Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2

David Goffin vs. Gael Monfils (Interrupted) 6-7(6), 6-3, 3-2 (Up 30-0)

Lucas Pouille vs. Karen Khachanov (Interrupted) 3-6, 5-7, 1-1

Matches

We have the last matches of the Third Round and after Saturday we will be down to the last 16 at Roland Garros.  We have the Clay Master Rafa Nadal in action as the biggest favorite and a couple of pick 'em matches to break down. 

17 Kyle Edmund (-115) vs. 18 Fabio Fognini (-105) (First Meeting)

Both players favor Clay with Edmund having a 62.96% winning percentage to Fognini's 59.03%.  Edmund has had the better form on the year defeating young Aussie Alex De Minaur and in-form Marton Fucsovics so far this tournament.  Fognini hasn't dropped a set at this year's French Open defeating Pablo Andujar and Elias Ymer.  Essentially a pick 'em, I favor Edmund to get the win and like the odds here.

Prediction: Edmund 3-1

7 Kevin Anderson (-750) vs. 64 Mischa Zverev (+500) (Anderson leads H2H 2-0)

Anderson has never advanced past the Round of 16 at Roland Garros.  His weakest surface is Clay as he is better on Hard.  With that being said, I don't see a trip-up match here against Mischa Zverev.  Anderson is 20-8 on the year, while Zverev has struggled on the year with a record of 7-15 and Zverev has struggled on Clay over his career (69-88).  

Prediction: Anderson 3-0

70 Maximilian Marterer (-375) vs. 136 Jurgen Zopp (+290) (First Meeting)

Marterer is another young German talent who is putting it all together as of late.  The form seems to be there as he has impressed against top notch competition.  His ranking will undoubtedly improve after the tournament.  The last match with fellow youngster Denis Shapovalov was a great matchup in which he was an underdog but pulled it out in four sets.  Jurgen Zopp shocked Jack Sock in the First Round and again moved on beating Ruben Bemelmans 3-2 after dropping the first two sets.  I don't see that magic happening again here.

Prediction: Marterer 3-1

40 Borna Coric (-150) vs. 12 Diego Schwartzman (+125) (Coric leads H2H 2-0)

Both players are looking for their first trip to the Round of 16 at Roland Garros.  The elder Schwartzman has a formidable record of 111-61 on Clay, compared to Coric's record of 38-31.  One thing to take into consideration is that Coric is only 21 and Schwartzman has had a little more experience on tour.  Coric has played extremely well this year and looks to be turning the corner and I can see him jumping into the Top 25 by year-end.  In the last match they played against each other, Coric disposed of Schwartzman with relative ease winning 6-3, 6-2.  I think this match plays out a lot tighter, but I do see Coric coming away with the victory in five sets.

Prediction: Coric 3-2  

4 Marin Cilic (-450) vs. 46 Steve Johnson (+350) (Cilic leads H2H 4-0)

Cilic is coming off his first Quarterfinal at Roland Garros last season and also has owned Steve Johnson in the past four meetings.  I think that Cilic is the better Clay player and the better overall player even though Steve Johnson has been impressive on Clay this year (11-2).  Cilic gets the win.

Prediction: Cilic 3-1

1 Rafael Nadal (-5000) vs. 32 Richard Gasquet (+1600) (Nadal leads H2H 15-1)

No that is not a typo.  Rafa is 15-1 against Gasquet in his career.  It is amazing when you look at Nadal's head-to-head records and how many times players have gotten the chance and never can crack the code.  Nadal moves on.

Prediction: Nadal 3-0

10 John Isner (-285) vs. 87 Pierre-Hugues Herbert (+225) (Isner leads H2H 2-0)

Herbert has played well this calendar year making a Quarterfinal at Pune and four Round of 16's.  John Isner isn't in the best form of his life, but has been able to move on through his first two opponents with relative ease.  I don't think this is going to be the opponent that trips up Isner, even if Herbert has been playing well.

Prediction: Isner 3-1

6 Juan Martin del Potro (-400) vs. 36 Albert Ramos-Vinolas (+300) (del Potro leads H2H 1-0)

Delpo has the second highest winning percentage on Clay behind Nadal at 73.03%.  He has been to a Semifinal and a Quarterfinal at Roland Garros and I wouldn't be surprised if he did it again this year.    Clay is Ramos-Vinolas' best surface but his form on the year isn't where it needs to be in order to upset del Potro (13-15).  Delpo wins this one to move on to the Round of 16.

Prediction: del Potro 3-0

Bets

Edmund -115 1u