The picks at Roland Garros: Friday, June 2

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Carlos Alcaraz over Denis Shapovalov
In his second time at Roland Garros, Rafa Nadal was so young, but he won the tournament, anyway. His forehand was phenomenal. The other Spaniard, Alcaraz, was yet to win it here, but he did grab it in his first major, at the 2022 U.S. Open. He was just so driven. Now, the super fast player has a really good shot to win it here now, but before he can snag it, he has to be more placid.

The Canadian Shapovalov has not been very good, this year, but at times, when he is much more effect, then he can put it on the corners. If he wants to out-last him, then he will have to really change it up, and return, better, too. As Nadal said, Alcaraz is already excellent, but he still has to add a few, intelligent, shots. He will, when Alcaraz will beat Shapovalov in four brittle sets.

Lorenzo Musetti over Cameron Norrie
The Italian is rising, with his confidence. Now he doe like to spin, but he can clap his forehand and his backhand. His first serve is somewhat decent, and he can throw it at the net. However, Musetti can hit some unpaired shots. If he wants to win the match, he has to settle down, as Norrie can play for so many hours. He can attack, or he can just sit there until his opponent will miss it. Norrie rarely gets tired, and he does blending it up all around. In the court, he will, but in the fifth set, Musetti will hit some terrific backhands and win it.

Karolina Muchova over Irina-Camelia Begu
She can play amazing when she is hitting so harsh, with her forehand and her backhand. Her serve isn’t great, but she is decent at the net, and she can scramble, too. The 26-year-old Czech said that right now, she wants to go much further.

“It’s the biggest tournament and I like to play them as well as — I don’t want to say I’m not focused on other tournaments, but the motivation is bigger at all the four slams,” Muchova said. ”I think that might be it. But anyway, anywhere I am, I’m trying to play the best against top seeds and trying to get back my ranking. I think I’m getting there step-by-step.”

More than that, but Begu really knows how to play different tactics. She can rush ahead, and she can bang her backhand, but her forehand isn’t great, which is why she has yet to win a major. But she is trying, even though decently, she tossed her racket. Oh well, most of the players, do. She is 31-year-old, and very respectable, on court, but she has yet to reach in the top 20. Maybe she will, someday. Believe it or not, they played each other at Madrid a few weeks ago, and Begu beat Muchova in two, tough, sets. This time, Muchova will turn it around. She will win it in three savage sets.

Anastasia Potapova over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
The Russian is pretty young, and she has moved up the changed, somewhat faces. Yes, over the past two months, she put up some fine shots, but also, against some of the top 10 players, she lost in the third sets, four times. Clearly, she has more spawn to do. On the court, she looks aggressive, but also, she isn’t mixing it around, enough.

Pavlyuchenkova is another player who has been for a long time. She has been very respectable, but not fantastic. She almost retired, due to an injury, and she could play for five months. “Now she is back, hoping that she can run without pain. “It was a rollercoaster of emotions because I was sad. I was close to crying, but also sad because I wasn’t sure what (comes)after,” she said. Potapova beat her one time, and it was pretty close. Without a doubt, Pavlyuchenkova will make a mammoth effort, but Potapova will pop her in two surprising sets.

Matt’s yesterday picks

Correct: Bianca Andreescu over Emma Navarro
Correct: Nicolas Jarry over Tommy Paul
Correct: Frances Tiafoe over Aslan Karatsev
Lauren Davis over Lesia Tsurenko

Matt’s picks from Roland Garros

13 out of 20, 65% correct

The Picks in Miami: Tuesday, March 28

Jessica Pegula
Rick Limpert

Carlos Alcaraz over Tommy Paul
Once again, the Spaniard is improving each day, with his gigantic forehand, his wild backhand, and his wonderful play at the net. Yes, he has almost the deep shots, but he can trip himself. The American Paul won two days ago, and now he will leave at least No. 18, the highest ever. He is so much smarter, and he believes that when he is on, he can upset everyone. That is possible, but Alcaraz will go for it, early, and attach close to the lines. The Spaniard will win in three tough sets.

Stefanos Tsitsipas over Karen Khachanov
Is it a real toss up? I would think so, given that Tsitsipas has had a a very good year, but not fantastic. Yes, he won Brisbane in early January, and then he reached the final at the Australian Open, but he could not trip up Novak Djokovic. After that, the  Greek began to skid, and while he can hit a lot of topspin, at times, it is too short. Perhaps his shoulder is pretty sore. Khachanov is a tall, powerful player, and his serves are very hard. He can swing pretty darn ruthless, and the Russian can also attempt to drive very vast. However, Khachanov can fall back, mentally, and while Tsitsipasis can be up and down, still, he will be more valid. Tsitsipasis will win it in two tiebreaks.

Jessica Pegula over Anastasia Potapova
The last time they have played each other was 10 days ago at Indian Wells, and the American won it 7-5 in the third set. That was jolly close. Pegula was more steady at the end, and she also mixed it a lot, and with depth, too. The Russian Potapova is also pretty heady, and she did have a terrific week, when she won in Linz, but other than that, she can break down. Also, she forgets what she is doing. Yes the 21-year-old Potapova has a lot of potential, but she is not even close to reach into the top 5 this year. Perhaps we are wrong, but she had to prove it. Pegula will edge her once again, this time in two long sets.

QUICK PICKS
Mannarino over Eubanks
Can you believe that the American Christopher Eubanks won it late at night, and now he will finally be in the top 100 for the first time. He knows that he has to play immediately and face the veteran Adrian Mannarino. That will be a very nice show, but the Frenchman over will win it in straight sets.

Francisco Cerundolo over Lorenzo Sonego
Lorenzo Sonego just upset Frances Tiafoe when it was late at Miami. On Tuesday, he will face  Francisco Cerundolo who also upset Felix Auger-Aliassime. Everyone wants to throw in the famous upsets. Take Cerundolo to over win it in straits sets.

Injury report
That was a brutal match with Bianca Andreescu, who went down on the ground and she possibly broke her leg. She was screaming with in a lot of pain. It is too bad because the Canadian was playing terrific again, and now she might not play for months. We do not know, yet. Ekaterina Alexandrova has moved on moving ahead.

Monday picks

Correct: Sorana Cirstea over Marketa Vondrousova
Frances Tiafoe over Lorenzo Sonego
Gregoire Barrere over Christopher Eubanks

Matt’s Miami picks

11 out of 18: 61.1% correct

Maxime Cressy almost won, but Jannik Sinner grabbed it

Maxime Cressy, Jannik Sinner, Yibing Wu, John Isner, Belinda Bencic, Anastasia Potapova, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Montpellier, Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

The much improved Maxime Cressy almost won Montpellier. In the final, he could not grab the break, and the better player Jannik Sinner edged him 7-6(3) 6-3. The Italian had no problem when he served into the corners for a very tough service holds. They did had some fine rallies. But the American could not slam past him, so in the next few months, he has to return better.

Sinner is close to reach into the top 5 this year. Still, he can become damn angry on court. He is still young. Perhaps he will be more sound and thoughtful. He has beaten many top players in the ATP 250s, but if he is playing in the 1000s or a Grand Slam, he might be very good, but he is not yet to be nearly perfect. The 22-year-old is currently ranked No. 14. If he wants to chop down the excellent players, then he has to improve a lot.

Cressy has become more stable, mixing it up and pushing himself. He comes into the net a lot, and his first serve can be huge. In the semis, he upset Holger Rune 7-5 6-7(3) 7-6(4). That was a fantastic day.

Cressey, an American/Frenchman, has reached the top 40. Apparently, if he wants to reach into the top 32 at the Slams for the first time, then he has to be much more stable and consistent each week.

In Dallas, it was almost out of nowhere Yibing Wu beat John Isner 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-6(14-12) to win his first ATP title. Talk about the drama. The veteran Isner now has played more than 500 tiebreakers, which is remarkable. Sadly, he has never won a Grand Slam, and he probably won’t. But, at least the 37-year-old won in Miami, and he did reach in an ATP 1000s final four more times. Those were some crazy, terrific matches. But his return has never been good enough.
 
The Chinese Wu came up big and moving into the spotlight. His forehand and his backhand are now so rising and he is pretty quick. He was decent over the past few years, but now, the 23-year-old thinks that when he is on the line, he aims to bash the ball. He played so good in the semis when he edged Taylor Fritz. Wu will be there for a long time.

Seriously, Belinda Bencic looked mind blowing. At other times, she can blow her match. But last week, she won the title, in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and she beat Liudmila Samsonova 1-6, 7-6, 6-4. That was a long, long match, fighting off three match points. She is a warrior. When she is so intense, then she can continue to blend it up with many different styles. She has yet to win Slam, but she still does have a legitimate chance to win one, as long as she can serve better and improve her net play.

There are so many Russians who continue to play on the court, and some of them are very good. You could look at dozens of people over the past 20 years, and they just keep coming on.
 
In Linz, Anastasia Potapova crushed Petra Martic 6-3 6-1 in the final. The 21-year-old could eventually win a Slam, like the Russians did, such as Svetlana Kuznetsova or Anastasia Myskina. But Potapova will have to climbing into the mountain, and stay there.