The second round of WTA action at the 2014 French Open continues with women looking to seize opportunities that an upset-riddled draw has opened for them.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Kiki Bertens

In tennis, as in any sport, career trajectories are rarely straightforward.  Sometimes a player can show great promise early, only to fall into a slump.  Climbing out of that slump requires determination, belief, and sometimes a little luck. 

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who a few years ago was one of the most talked-about upstarts before heading into a downward spiral, has shown plenty of the first two to rebuild her ranking.  And now, with Pavlyuchenkova’s scheduled fourth-round foe Li Na already out, the Russian may have been given that little bit of luck.  She just needs to take advantage of it, starting with her match against Kiki Bertens.

On paper, Pavlyuchenkova is a heavy favorite against her Dutch opponent in nearly every way.  At No. 25, she is ranked more than a hundred places above Bertens.  While Pavlyuchenkova competes at the WTA Tour level, Bertens is forced to spend the bulk of her time fighting through the qualifying draws of events.  Pavlyuchenkova owns six career titles to just one for Bertens, and the Russian has enjoyed more success at the majors. She reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros and the US Open in 2011 and has notched third-round showings on multiple occasions.  Bertens, by contrast, has never been beyond the second round of a major.

Still, Bertens is in with a slight chance.  For example, she has previously played well enough to garner a top-50 ranking.  She also feels at home on the dirt, since one of her favorite surfaces is clay.  Bertens will not be shy about taking the initiative in the rallies either.  She is an aggressive baseliner, and she will need to utilize that aggression to avoid falling victim to the Russian’s favorite shot, the forehand up the line.  Bertens will need to maintain a high level of aggression through the course of the entire match, since Pavlyuchenkova is unlikely to fold.  In her title run at the Paris Indoor event earlier this year, the Russian was forced to go the distance in every match.

It is a big ask for Bertens to add to the string of upsets that have already occurred at this year’s staging of the French Open, but she might make it an entertaining encounter.  There is also the chance that Pavlyuchenkova may buckle under the weight of expectations with some of the higher seeds in her section having already fallen.  She will be asked to answer the question if she can manage the nerves that come with being one of the heavier favorites to advance to the quarterfinals and possibly beyond.  If she successfully handles that situation, she could be back on her way towards the top 10.

Simona Halep vs. Heather Watson

It is only the second round, and already Roland Garros has been rocked by some shocking upsets.  With Serena Williams and Li Na out, Simona Halep suddenly finds herself the highest seed in her half and the second-highest remaining seed left in the tournament.  That puts a whole new perspective on the event for the Romanian.  She will have to do her best to remain focused on who is immediately in front of her, and on Thursday, that is Heather Watson.

Despite the difference in their rankings, Watson may not be a pushover in this match.  Her present ranking of No. 92 is due in part to an extended leave to battle illness and is hardly representative of the brand of tennis she is capable of producing.  Fans may remember that a few years ago she took a set from Maria Sharapova at the US Open, and she has been ranked as high as No. 39. 

Also, Watson has her clay-court feet working.  She won the ITF title in Prague before heading to Roland Garros and had to come through the qualifying to book a berth in the main draw.  This means that she should have her game clicking and plenty of confidence when she takes to the court against Halep.

But Halep will not be shy on confidence either.  The Romanian has been largely under the radar as she has made her ascent to No. 4 in the rankings, but her results the last 18 months have spoken volumes.  Already in 2014 she has reached her first major quarterfinal at the Australian Open, won the title in Doha, posted a semifinal showing in Indian Wells, and advanced to the final of Madrid, where she competed well against Sharapova.  Roland Garros may currently be her worst major to date, but she is in a prime position to turn that around this season.

Halep will need to be sharp against Watson if she does hope to reverse that trend, however.  Watson, like Halep, is an excellent mover, and each might find it difficult to hit through the other.  But Halep is the more aggressive of the two, so look for her to control the tempo of the match.  Halep also has far more big-match experience, and should this match get tight down the stretch, that could make a difference..

Even if the analytics point in favor of the Romanian, nothing can successfully measure the impact of nerves and pressure on a player.  Starting now, fans will get to see just how ready Halep is to take the bull by the horns and embrace her new role as a potential favorite for marquee titles.