Roland Garros, Italy’s Cocciaretto will have to go beyond her limits against Russia’s Samsonova. Swiatek and Gauff are also among the stars of Day 6.
Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto succeeded in her intent and that is to defend the points she won last year at Roland Garros, landing with full merit in the third round. The Marche-based tennis player first eliminated the number 13 seed Haddad Maia thanks to a resounding comeback, then she won without any fears over the Spanish Bucsa, ruled 6-1 6-4. Two fine victories that are not enough for her, in any case, to start favored over Russian Liudmila Samsonova, current world number 17.
The Olenegorsk native has been overwhelming so far, leaving only five games on the road in the first rounds: her “victims” have been Polish Linette and American Anisimova. Cocciaretto will certainly sell her skin dearly, having nothing to lose, but the feeling is that she will be able to do little in the face of the Russian’s power and her ability to hit from the baseline. A more uncertain match, on the other hand, will be the one between Serbia’s Olga Danilovic and Croatia’s Donna Vekic, both of whom are adept at serving. The former, who started from the qualifiers, surprisingly eliminated the better-ranked Collins in the second round, avenging the defeat she suffered a month ago in Madrid. Also stunning was the performance of the Osijek player, who gave Ukraine’s Kostyuk no chance.
Everything easy for Gauff and Swiatek?
Finalist in Paris in 2020, U.S. Sofia Kenin two days ago dismissed host Caroline Garcia in two sets, proving that she is still a tough nut on this surface.
In the third round she will face Denmark’s Clara Tauson, fresh from her feat against Latvia’s Ostapenko, downed in three sets. A tough opponent, whom, however, the American can defuse as she did with Garcia. Fourth round within reach for Russia’s Anastasia Potapova, in confidence after her two smear-free successes against Rakhimova and Golubic: China’s Wang has so far fared well in third sets in her matches with Niemeier and Tomova but her run should end here. Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, two of the main favorites for the final victory, will not take any risks either: the world number one, after suffering against Osaka, should leave few games to Bouzkova. On the other hand, the reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova did not shine: against the surprise Paquet she will not have an easy time. We close with perhaps today’s most intriguing challenge between Leyla Fernandez and Ons Jabeur: the Tunisian, as she did a few weeks ago in Madrid, will prevail, perhaps again in the third set.
Possible winners
Samsonova in Samsonova-Cocciaretto.
Kenin in Tauson-Kenin
Potapova in Potapova-Wang
Jabeur in Fernandez-Jabeur
Roland Garros, predictions on the games
Danilovic-Vekic (over 21.5).
Gauff-Yastremska (under 18.5)
Paquet-Vondrousova (over 18.5)
Swiatek-Bouzkova (under 17.5)