Roland Garros - Day 5

Bergs Z. vs. Bourgue M.
Bergs is very strong on these courts, powerful, and makes a difference especially with his serve, often finishing with his forehand immediately after the serve. Despite this, he adopts a very advanced and aggressive position on return and could often find himself in control given his opponent's weak and shallow serves. While his opponent has excellent rhythm changes, I believe he is still too inexperienced to keep up with the Belgian's pace. In my opinion, this will be a one-sided match with the Belgian advancing to the main draw.

Barruchaga R.A. vs. Kovalik J.
Both players are very similar and strong on these courts, both very good at varying the trajectories and pace of the ball, often causing unforced errors from opponents. The match is very unpredictable given the similar characteristics of the players. The key to this match could be Kovalik’s better form, which might give him an edge in crucial moments. However, watch out for the Argentine, who has shown he is comfortable on these courts.

Faria J. vs. Meligeni Alves F.
Both players are very strong on these courts and make a difference in their matches with their returns, playing them with significant anticipation and depth, taking time away from their opponents. This should be a closely contested match where reading the moments of the match and capitalizing on every minor error will be crucial. It could even go to a third set, where Meligeni might have the edge due to his experience in such matches. However, Faria is a very interesting player to watch.

Maestrelli F. vs. Kukushkin M.
Maestrelli took advantage of Zapata Miralles’ withdrawal to reach the final round of qualifying, playing well and consistently. Kukushkin, on the other hand, easily overcame the first two rounds, using his solid serve and varied returns to command the game and the matches effectively. This could be a hard-fought match, but I believe the Kazakh’s experience will ultimately prevail over the Italian.

Misolic F. vs. Halys Q.
Both players rely heavily on their solid serves, often serving wide to finish with their forehand in the open court. Halys is regaining a lot of solidity in his shots, and despite loving to hammer from the baseline, he can also vary with drop shots. Misolic, on the other hand, is a tricky player who rarely hits the same ball for more than two consecutive shots, which could unsettle the Frenchman. Nevertheless, I believe Halys will win the match in the end.

Monteiro T. vs. Rincon D.
Monteiro, a powerful left-handed player, bases his game on a strong serve and baseline forehand but is also very good at anticipating returns to control the game, mixing powerful forehands with drop shots to bring his opponent forward. Despite his opponent being a promising youngster, the level difference between the two is too great for the young Spaniard to threaten Monteiro. However, do not underestimate Rincon, who has excellent hands and frequently forces his opponents into errors by varying his shots.

Vavassori A. vs. Squire H.
Vavassori, after overcoming two very tricky rounds thanks mainly to his serve and the variety of trajectories he employs, faces a very tough opponent with very similar characteristics. However, Squire is very consistent, makes few mistakes, and is always proactive. The key to this match will be Vavassori’s ability to offer varied shots, especially to Squire’s backhand, which struggles a lot, and his ability to maintain his court position to avoid being overwhelmed by Squire’s shots.