Garbine Muguruza is battling now. While she couldn’t play at all until reaching this year’s Australian Open final, she just hung in there, and, at the end, she edged Tamara Zidansek 8-6 in the third.
Muguruza didn’t start fast this year, but she has been improving, smashing her forehand and her backhand. She was dinking it. She can focus on the court, but she can also mess around. Then in the second week, she could be tired. But, she won it in 2016, and now she will push it again.
American Mackenzie McDonald must be thrilled, as he will face against Rafa Nadal, who has won Roland Garros forever, an incredible 12 titles. Nadal’s heavy spin can knock the players into the wall. He just keeps pounding, and his legs never get tired.
McDonald lives in California, and he played at the college of UCLA, winning the 2016 NCAA singles and doubles titles before he turning pro. He is respectable, but he is ranked No. 211. They will have some terrific points, but he won’t be able to get a set. Nadal will smoke McDonald.
The No. 30 Taylor Fritz has looked pretty good on the hardcourts, but on clay, he gets frustrated and he will lose when he was irritated. The good news is Fritz won a marathon. The San Diego native can be mentally during the hours, and Fritz was very happy. Facing the 19-year-old Tomas Machac, the American was competitive , and it was super close. They weren’t perfect, playing great or mediocre, lights out or drowning. Fritz might be continue up the ladder, but it won’t be fast to understand on the slow clay. It will take him a solid two more years before he can be comfortable on clay. One was or another, in the second round, Fritz will beat Radu Albot in four sets.
A few years ago both Genie Bouchard and Daria Gavrilova were pretty high in the top 30 and they were soaring. But, both of them went down, they had no clue, and they lost all credit. And by the way, injuries were a huge factor.
But now the Canadian Bouchard is playing OK, not great, as she did once go to the WTA Final. She was forcefull and strong, from inside the baseline. She didn’t win it, but the next year, she had a chance to crack the top 3, but she didn’t. She fell way down.
Gavrilova could go deep during the entire 2019. If she wants to, she will have to commit during RG. Neither of them love clay, but they have to make a big effort. It is a toss up but I pick Bouchard in three sets.