French Open Wednesday: Abrams picks men’s 2nd round – Federer v Utte, Nadal v Maden, Tsitsipas v Dellien, de Minaur v Carreno Busta, more

French Open
Stade Roland Garros
Paris, France
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Men’s Second Round Picks

Kei Nishikori over Jo-Willie Tsonga
Jo-Willie got through Poland’s Peter Gojowczyk in the first round without too much difficulty, which I didn’t expect, and now takes on 7th seeded Kei Nishikori. I still don’t think either are playing their best, but Nishikori is more match-tough, and holds a 5-3 lead in their personal rivalry, so I’d go with Nishikori, although the home-town fans will do their best to push Tsonga over the finish line. If they show up.

Roger Federer over Oscar Utte
If there’s a mismatch in the second round, this match would be it. Federer is, after all, Federer, and Oscar Utte is a lucky loser who caught fire and took out Malek Jaziri in the first round. Look, all of these guys can play. Even the no-names are fantastic players. But Federer will run over Utte. Period.

Rafa Nadal over Yannick Maden
Like Oscar Utte, Yannick Maden is a name most tennis fans won’t recognize. But, as I said above, every player in this draw is a great athlete and a wonderful tennis player. It’s just that not every player can beat Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, no matter how good they may appear to be. Yannick Maden fits that mold. He’s a qualifier who beat a qualifier in the first round, and now must test himself against one of the greatest players in the game. He’ll lose.

Pierre-Hugues Herbert over Benoit Paire
In this all-French battle between two fine players, I like the best doubles player in the world, Pierre-Hugues Hebert, to continue his fine, recent singles run and overcome the also resurgent Benoit Paire. Paire has been playing good tennis lately, but I can’t overcome the fact that he keeps his back so straight on his serve. Any player who does that surely deserves the next two weeks off, and he’ll get them. If I were his style coach I’d tell him to loosen up on the serve, put his collar down like a real man, and shave that awful beard. Then come back to Roland Garros and see if I pick you.

Stefanos Tsitsipas over Hugo Dellien
Hugo Dellien is getting better by the week, and it’s a pleasure to watch someone who came into this year basically without a portfolio, to rally and become a threat to almost anyone. Unfortunately, he’s running into the next King of Tennis, and it won’t end well for the Bolivian. Tsitsipas now has 30 match wins in 2019 and counting. Keep that counter going.

Cristian Garin over Stan Wawrinka
Cristian Garin, one of the very best of the NextGen players, is only 22-years-old, and on the verge of stardom. I think he’s got the game and the temperament to overcome Stan Wawrinka, a former Roland Garros champion with three Grand Slam titles, and I think he’ll do it today. When he looks back at his career years from now, Garin will say this is the day he became a star.

David Goffin over Miomir Kecmanovic
Miomir Kecmanovic is another of the NextGen players who is playing their way into the public’s consciousness. Unfortunately, he’s run into David Goffin, who is in the Top Five of ATP Tour pros who break serve the most. That should be the difference in this match, but the 19-year-old Serbian should learn a lesson. If they play again next year, I’d go with Kecmanovic.

Guido Pella over Corentin Moutet
Guido Pella is a rising star and Corentin Moutet is a 20-year-old rookie with a brilliant future ahead of him. But let’s face it, Moutet is here because he’s French, because he got through the qualies, and because he had a great draw playing another qualifier in the first round. They’ve played once and Pella won, and I don’t expect anything different in this one.

Alex de Minaur over Pablo Carreno Busta
This one is going to be tough. De Minaur is the better player, I think, but he’s had very little match play this year. He’s looked pretty good in most of the matches he’s had, but a best of five test on the red clay is a big exam. Carreno Busta has more experience, a lot of stamina, and a very effective clay court game. I’m picking de Minaur because he’s still fresh, but if they were playing in the Fourth Round or so I’d pick the Spaniard.

Laslo Djere over Alexei Popyrin
This should be another close match, but my vote is for Djere because he’s playing great ball right now. Popyrin is not a clay court player, and as much as he may be a great player in the future, I don’t think the 19-year-old Popyrin can withstand a five set match on the clay, whereas I believe that Djere can. If this match were to be played in a couple of years maybe I’d go the other way, but not now.