In a major, as in any other tournament, there can only be one winner.  And while for some players anything short of the title will go down as a disappointment, other members of the field are fully aware that a lot has to go right if they are leave Paris with the hardware.  For these players, more realistic goals such as making a deep run to the second week would make their Roland Garros campaign a success.  Jack Sock is one of these players.  He is considered one of the brightest hopes for American tennis, and on Wednesday, he will face Dustin Brown for a place in the third round.

Sock is a name that is quickly becoming familiar to tennis fans.  He has enjoyed Grand Slam success in doubles with partner Vasek Pospisil, and he has been making headway in singles play as well.  He is also no stranger to success on the clay.  His lone singles title came on the clay of Houston last season, and he also reached his second singles final of the season this year with his run at that event earlier this spring.  Furthermore, he surprised many with his run to the fourth round of Roland Garros in 2015, where he pushed Rafael Nadal to four sets.  There are plenty of American fans who have high hopes that he can build on that result this year in Paris.

Hopes are unlikely to be as high for Dustin Brown.  The German, who is perhaps better known for his signature dreadlocks than his tennis, is only 3-3 on the season, and prior to this year, had never made it out of the opening round of Roland Garros.  The thing with Brown, however, is there is no telling when he will catch lightning in a bottle.  His three victories this season came in a semifinal run at the event in Montpellier this past February.  He has also pulled off some huge upsets in his career, including a second-round defeat of Nadal last year at Wimbledon.  In short, he is undaunted by any challenges and is capable of rising to the occasion on any given day.

Brown will have to be playing well, though, if he is to get the better of the 23rd seed on Wednesday.  Both men look to dictate play with their forehands and serves, but Sock's weapons are bigger.  The American also hits with a tremendous amount of topspin on his forehand wing, which will give him that much more leverage when looking to control rallies with that stroke.  Additionally, Sock is generally more consistent than the German, an attribute that tends to get rewarded on clay more than other surfaces.  If Brown hopes to pull off the upset, he is going to have to do what he does best, which is to keep mixing things up, going for his shots, and moving forward whenever he can.  If he is able to rush Sock and keep him off balance, he might be rewarded by coaxing an increased number of unforced errors from the American's racquet.

It is also possible that Sock might come into this match already feeling a little unnerved.  He nearly blew a two-set lead in his prior match and was booed off the court by the crowd at the conclusion of it.  There is no telling how the crowd will react to him on Wednesday.  These two have also never met, so there is going to be a feeling-out process.  And of course, as the seeded player with far more success to boast of on the clay, the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of Sock.  As previously noted, Brown may not have much to feel confident about based on his overall record and past history on the dirt, but that seems to have traditionally had little impact on his approach to any match.  He does not mind being the underdog, and he is a player who loves to bring his best on the big stage.

If Brown does prove able to bring his best, this could be an entertaining match.  That said, Sock loves the clay and possesses the better game.  Short of an inspiring performance from Brown or a bad day at the office for Sock, the American is getting through to the next round.

The first round is completed, and already some key seeds have fallen on the women's side.  The rash of upsets to plague the women's draw was one of the top headlines at the Australian Open, and the seeds that remain will be keen to avoid contributing to a similar plot line here at Roland Garros.  Among those who remain is Agnieszka Radwanska, and while the Pole is looking forward to moving onto the grass, she will be eager to extend her stay in Paris.  To do that, she will have to get by Caroline Garcia.

There are many who would like Radwanska, winner of multiple fan-favorite awards, to advance.  She is seeded second and ranked a current career-high No. 2 in the world.  She reached the finals of Wimbledon in 2012 and the semifinals of this year's Australian Open, and she is a former quarterfinalist at this event.  She also secured her first WTA Championships title at the end of last season, leaving some to wonder if that was not a sign of bigger and better things to come.

A player whom many thought would have already begun to achieve bigger and better things is Radwanska's opponent, Garcia.  The Frenchwoman made the tennis world take notice when as a 17-year-old she nearly got the better of Maria Sharapova at this very venue.  Garcia has not yet lived up to the potential so many saw then, but she is still fairly young at only 22 years of age.   She is presently ranked No. 40 and has been as high as No. 25, and she has an impressive doubles ranking of No. 8.  She is often considered a dangerous opponent capable of defeating anyone in the sport when on her game.

If Garcia is on her game, an upset could definitely be in the cards.  The Frenchwoman plays a much bigger brand of tennis, hitting flat, penetrating strokes off both groundstroke wings and her serve.  As evidenced by her top-10 doubles ranking, she is adept in the forecourt, and while by no means the greatest mover out there, her lanky frame allows her to play deceptively decent defense.  Being on the defense is not where she wants to be, however.  Instead, it is essential that she look to wrestle away control of as many of the rallies as possible, since if she is forced to retrieve too often, that is a recipe for erratic play from Garcia.

Radwanska is the last opponent whom a player prone to erratic fits wants to play.  The second seed is known for her ability to retrieve, and in some cases, simply making Garcia hit that one extra shot may be all that is needed to win the point.  But Radwanska cannot rely solely on her defense.  She also needs to look to come forward to utilize her own noteworthy net skills and take the forecourt away from Garcia.  Additionally, she wants to use all of her bag of tricks to keep Garcia off balance and keep her moving.  And lastly, she has to have a good serving day, because allowing the Frenchwoman too many opportunities to tee off on a second-serve return could spell trouble.

Radwanska is well aware of the dangers that Garcia poses as well.  They have met three times in the past, and although Radwanska leads their matchup 2-1 and was victorious in their only meeting on clay, all three prior matches have gone the distance.  Furthermore, Garcia will have the home crowd behind her, and she arrived at Roland Garros fresh off a title run in Strasbourg.  And lastly, it is not uncommon for upsets to breed other upsets as the seeds feel the pressure and the lower-ranked members of the field begin to increase in confidence.

All told, this is a winnable match for both women.  Radwanska, with the better overall and more consistent game, has to be the one favored to advance.  But the quality of this match, as well as its potential to wind up an upset, rests in the hands of Garcia.  The odds do not favor her, but it is not out of the realm of possibility.