Venus Williams versus Kurumi Nara

With the women's field wide open, this year might be one of the best looks Venus Williams has at winning her first Roland Garros title.  The way she played at the start of the year – reaching the Australian Open Final and putting together some nice runs on the North American hardcourts – illustrated that she still has the game to go all the way.  But Roland Garros has traditionally been her worst major, and if she wants to avoid an early exit this season, she would do well to not underestimate Kurumi Nara. 

The Japanese woman has not been playing well of late, spending most of her time at the ITF level or contesting the qualifying rounds.  That said, her chances should not be dismissed.  Williams has struggled with her form on the clay coming into Roland Garros, and while she boasts more firepower in every facet of her game, Nara's foot speed and ability to hug the baseline could very well test the American's consistency.  In addition to that, Nara will enter this match with some belief, as not only have all three of their previous meetings been competitive affairs, but Nara won their last encounter, which came last spring at Indian Wells.  Odds do not favor her leveling her head-to-head against the American, but Williams should come prepared to work for the victory.

Grigor Dimitrov versus Tommy Robredo

On paper, this second-round contest looks like it should be smooth sailing for Grigor Dimitrov.  Looks can be deceiving, however.  Tommy Robredo, who sat out nearly all of 2016 and the start of this season with injuries, has seen his ranking plummet to outside of the Top 200 and has had to rely on a protected ranking and wild cards this year.  But the Spaniard is a former Top 5 player, who is most at home on the clay and is a former quarter-finalist in Paris.  And while Dimitrov had a fantastic start to the year, his level has dropped off in recent months, particularly on the clay.  He contested four tune-up events coming into Roland Garros, and between them, he only won a total of two matches.  Furthermore, it is Robredo who owns the 3-1 edge in their competitive rivalry, his most recent win coming earlier this spring on the clay of Morocco. 

Theoretically, Dimitrov should put another up on his side of the board when they take to the court on Wednesday.  He has the better all-around game from both the baseline and the forecourt and has an especially decisive edge when it comes to the backhand wing.  Logic does not always equal reality though.  So, while the odds do favor Dimitrov getting through to the third round, the mental edge Robredo enjoys in this match-up coupled with the added pressure Dimitrov may be feeling to get his game back to where it was at the start of the season might just lead to an upset.

Petra Kvitova versus Bethanie Mattek-Sands

Fans looking for a fountain of positive energy need look no further than this second-round clash between Petra Kvitova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.  Mattek-Sands has had her hurdles to overcome recently, battling injuries and dealing with the fall in the rankings that has come with it.  No question the American qualifier is thrilled to be in the second round here in Paris.  Equally thrilled is Kvitova, whose return to tennis after a career – and nearly life-threatening injury last December has been one of the “feel-good” stories of this tournament. 

Unfortunately, only one of them can continue her good run of fortune, and it is hard not to like the Czech to be the one to do so.  She is one of the most powerful ball-strikers in the sport, that when coupled with her lefty serve and ability to charge the net and display exceptional feel makes her a tough proposition for any opponent.  If Mattek-Sands is to hope for an upset, she is going to have to look to get into the net as frequently as possible to exhibit those skills that have made her the top doubles player in the WTA and hope that Kvitova, who can be erratic, has an off day at the office.  With zero match play coming into Paris, Kvitova may well throw in one of those performances, but if she can instead keep the unforced error count down, she will find herself in the third round.