The 2021 French Open is here and SportsTips.com are previewing the best six games of each round at Roland Garros. Read below to check out our picks for the three best men’s and women’s games for Round 2 of the 2021 French Open!
Enjoy our free daily picks and predictions for each round of the 2021 French Open at Roland Garros.
Picks For Round 2 Of The 2021 French Open: Men’s
Taylor Fritz (30) vs Dominik Koepfer
Taylor Fritz, the highest seeded American on the men’s side of the draw, got his 2021 French Open campaign off to a strong start with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Joao Sousa. Fritz will face world No. 59 Dominik Koepfer in the second round at Roland Garros. As Fritz holds a 2-0 record over Koepfer from their two head to head singles matches, we like the young American to get the better of his German opponent in the second round.
A trio of wins in Paris!
Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka and Tommy Paul all advance at Roland Garros! pic.twitter.com/dadpJd1s3j
— USTA (@usta) May 31, 2021
As a result of their two first round victories, both players have a .500 winning percentage on clay throughout their careers, however Fritz has played almost twice as many professional matches on the surface. We like Fritz to get the win in this one and improve to 4-1 in Grand Slams this year, although Koepfer will not make it easy.
Tennis Pick: Sets Handicap – Dominik Koepfer +2.5 Sets (-340)
Rafael Nadal (3) vs Richard Gasquet
As you would expect, Rafael Nadal got his quest for a 14th French Open title underway with a straight sets victory over Alexei Popyrin. Nadal will take on former world No. 7 Richard Gasquet in the second round at Roland Garros. As it stands, Nadal owns a 16-0 record over Gasquet in their career head to head, including a 7-0 record on outdoor clay courts.
The Frenchman has failed to steal a set off Nadal in their two meetings at the French Open, most recently suffering a 3-6, 2-6, 2-6 loss to the eventual champion at the 2018 tournament. Seeing as Nadal has dominated Gasquet since the two first met in 2005 and considering that the Spaniard has not dropped a set in the first or second rounds at Roland Garros since 2013, we like Rafa to continue his clay court dominance with a 3-0 victory against Gasquet.
Tennis Pick: Exact Score – Nadal 3-0 (-430)
Alexander Zverev (6) vs Roman Safiullin
In what was a far from ideal start for the world No. 6, Alexander Zverev dropped his opening two sets of the French Open to tournament qualifier Oscar Otte. Zverev fought back in the final three sets to win the match 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0. As a result, Zverev has now dropped sets in the opening match of his last three Grand Slam tournaments. The German will take on world No. 182 Roman Safiullin in the second round at Roland Garros, after Safiullin defeated fellow qualifier Carlos Taberner in four sets.
Alexander Zverev and the 5th set:
Roland Garros 7-0
All the other Slams 8-6 pic.twitter.com/jlZJPomXNk— enrico maria riva (@enricomariariva) May 30, 2021
Safiullin and Zverev have never met in a professional match, as 2021 is the Russian’s first season competing in major tournaments. Safiullin is now 2-1 in Grand Slams after making it to the second round at the 2021 Australian Open and now the second round at Roland Garros. Seeing as clay is Zverev’s most dominant surface on the professional tour (.705 winning percentage) and this will be Safiullin’s second professional match on clay, we can’t go past the world No. 6 in this second round matchup. Although his tournament opener went to five sets, we like Zverev to wrap this second round match up in three against another qualifier.
Tennis Pick: Exact Score – Zverev 3-0 (-260)
Picks For Round 2 Of The 2021 French Open: Women’s
Coco Gauff (24) vs Qiang Wang
World No. 25 Coco Gauff will face China’s Wang Qiang for the second time in as many weeks in the second round of the 2021 French Open. Gauff won her first round match against world No. 213 Aleksandra Krunic 7-6 (11), 6-4. It certainly was not an easy match for Gauff as the 17 year old American gave up a 5-1 lead in the first set which ended up lasting for 85 minutes.
World No. 39 Wang Qiang also overcame some challenges in her first round matchup, coming back to win the match 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 after dropping her opening of the tournament. Gauff made easy work out of Qiang when the two met in the Parma Challenger final less than two weeks ago, as the American won the clay court tournament 6-1, 6-3. As a result of their first round wins, Gauff is now an impressive 27-12 on clay in her pro career and we like her to build on that dominance against Wang Qiang in the second round. Especially when considering that clay is Qiang’s worst surface, where she owns a lowly 30-31 record.
Tennis Pick: Exact Score – Gauff 2-0 (-230)
Sofia Kenin (4) vs Hailey Baptiste
A pair of Americans will face off in the second round at Roland Garros when the fourth seeded Sofia Kenin takes on world No. 203 Hailey Baptiste. Kenin overcame a more than capable Jelena Ostapenko in three sets in their first round clash, while Baptiste, who is a qualifier for the tournament, defeated world No. 77 Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-4.
First main draw win at a major. 💪🇺🇸
19-year-old Hailey Baptiste is through to round two after a straight set win over Anna Blinkova. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/1dSaG98ZIS
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 31, 2021
Although Kenin is the proven performer of the two on the Grand Slam circuit, the world No 5’s form on clay has not been up to scratch this season, with just one win from her four matches. We still like Kenin to advance to the third round, however seeing as Baptiste has an impressive 42-20 career record on clay, including a 7-5 record this year, we like the 19 year old to steal a set from Kenin in their second round matchup.
Tennis Pick: Total Sets – Over 2.5 (+136)
Rebecca Peterson vs Iga Swiatek (8)
Iga Swiatek got her campaign for back to back French Open championships off to a perfect start in the first round, defeating Jaja Juvan 6-0 7-5. Swiatek had a breakout season on the Grand Slam circuit in 2020, winning her maiden major tournament at the 2020 French Open and in doing so becoming the the youngest singles champion at the tournament since Rafael Nadal in 2005, the youngest women’s singles champion since Monica Seles in 1992 and the first Polish player to ever win a Grand Slam singles title.
Rebecca Perterson will look to upset Swiatek in the second round. After dropping the first set of her first round match against Shelby Rogers, Perterson fought back to win the match 6-7(7), 7-6(10), 6-2. Considering it took Perterson three sets and two tie breaks to get past the world No. 47 earlier this week, we like the reigning French Open champion to wrap up this second round match in straight sets. Especially when considering that Swiatek is 9-1 on Clay this season and and impressive 71-12 on the surface throughout her career.
Tennis Pick: Exact Score – Swiatek 2-0 (-800)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
