Roberto Bautista Agut versus Novak Djokovic

To the casual fan, it might look like a typo in the draw.  On paper, the thirteenth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut is supposed to defeat the twentieth seed, Novak Djokovic.  That is of course not a typo, but make no mistake, despite what it says on paper, the Serb will be the one expected to get through this match.  It likely will not be easy, however.  Bautista Agut is an experienced veteran who has tested Djokovic and other top players in the past.  Although not nearly with the same frequency, he is someone who has gone deep at the majors, and he plays with flatter and more penetrating ground-strokes than many of his fellow Spaniards, never shying away from the prospect of taking it to his opponent. 

And though his year has been fairly mediocre, he does have two titles already in his pocket this season.  For the first time in a long time, Djokovic, by contrast, arrived in Paris without having bagged any titles year-to-date.  He also has not progressed to this point in the tournament in quite the same straightforward manner that folks are accustomed to seeing.  The good news for Djokovic is that despite the injury woes that have plagued him for the better part of a year, he has increasingly started to look like his old self, particularly with his play in Rome.  Every facet of his game is superior to the Spaniard's, as evidenced by the 6-1 lead he holds in their rivalry, he has won every one of their matches on clay and both that have come at the majors.  Couple that with the wealth of experience he enjoys at this level of the sport, and it is no wonder that despite his troubles the last several months, Djokovic is the favorite.  He is definitely more ripe for an upset on this occasion but expect the Serb to rise to the challenge and advance to the second week.

Madison Keys versus Naomi Osaka

Those who are fans of power tennis will not want to miss this battle between Madison Keys and Naomi Osaka.  In many ways, they are mirrors of one another.  They are aggressive baselines, who are always looking to jump on top in the rallies and dictate play, especially from their forehand wings.  Osaka is the less-experienced of the pair, having only really announced her arrival earlier this season.  She broke through to the fourth round of the Australian Open and backed that up with a stunning tournament victory at Indian Wells.  She has struggled to live with the increased expectations since that surprise run, but with two wins behind her here, she may be settling back in to play some of her best tennis. 

Of course, Madison Keys has had her own difficulties in regularly producing her best tennis in 2018, but she did go one better than the Japanese woman in Melbourne and has had a little more to celebrate on the clay thanks to her semifinal showing in Charleston.  Furthermore, Keys did reach the final of the US Open in 2017 and has gone deep on other occasions at the slams well, leaving her better prepared to cope with the tighter moments.  Plus, Keys has won both of their previous meetings.  This is a match that could easily come down to a few points, with the woman who has the better serving day and the one making things happen out there to be the most likely victor.  Based on ranking and experience, the nod of the head goes to the American, but Osaka has more than a decent look at upsetting the apple cart.

Sloane Stephens versus Camila Giorgi

Sloane Stephens surprised everyone, including herself, when she put together a phenomenal summer in 2017 that culminated with her maiden major singles title at the US Open.  The victory did not bring any more consistency to her game on a week-in-week-out basis, but it did prove to everyone that she has what it takes to go all the way at big tournaments.  Lest there be any doubt, she seemingly found her form out of nowhere to win the title in Miami this past spring and has looked in fine form thus far through the first couple of rounds here in Paris, leading to increasing chatter that she could be a threat to perhaps secure a second slam title.  Standing in her way is Camila Giorgi.  The petite Italian, ranked outside of the Top 60, might not initially appear to be a threat to the American's title hopes.  Although she did reach the semifinals in both Sydney and then on the clay of Prague, there has been little for Giorgi to smile about in 2018. 

But Giorgi is a player who has a reputation as a giant killer.  She loves to play on the big stages and with her flat, hard-hitting ground-strokes from both sides, she plays bigger than her size would suggest.  And although she lacks the reach of many of her fellow competitors, she is deceptively quick about the court and is unafraid to the send the ball for a ride from anywhere on the court.  As such, she can be very uncomfortable to play.  So, while Stephens is unquestionably the better player, possessing more firepower, a bigger serve, overall better court coverage and a higher shot-tolerance, she is by no means guaranteed a victory even if she is favored to do so.  After all, Giorgi has won two of the three prior encounters, including a victory earlier this spring in which the Italian dropped only three games.  Stephens must be sharp from the outset and avoid becoming too passive, because if she is not careful, Giorgi is more than capable of ending her bid to capture a second major crown.