Exactly a week ago, we took our ease at Porte d’Auteuil, we were well rested and we sometimes began to fantasize about a crazy course of a Frenchman in his fortnight. That all seems far away… This Roland-Garros 2023 quickly said goodbye to our 28 tricolors in the running. Come on, let’s not feel sorry for it, this Sunday under a fiery sun (as usual) will mark the great start of the round of 16. And we will actually see that there can already be some nice little shocks on the menu.
After having terrified Novak Djokovic in 2021 (abandonment in the 5th set after leading two sets to zero), could Lorenzo Musetti do the same with Carlos Alcaraz? Frankly, that’s what we want as the Spaniard has activated the unplayable mutant mode since the start of the fortnight. Although fickle, the brilliant Italian has arguments to put forward and we salivate in advance thinking of his backhands with a hand in front of an admiring Central. We are going to RE-GA-LER at the end of the afternoon in front of the probable 8th finals the most loving of the program. We were also not far from putting the seed number 17 in the section “the daring prono of the day”, know it.
This is not what is missing, the profiles of favorites on this Sunday at Roland. We do not really see the surprising Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas tickle Novak Djokovic on the Central, but we only ask to be amazed. In the aftermath, “Carlito” Alcaraz will therefore have a hell of a challenge in front of Lorenzo Musetti, as we have just said. Almost the third guy having made the biggest impression on us so far, Stefanos Tsitsipas will end the day of Suzanne-Lenglen against the Austrian Sebastiian Ofner. As for Varillas, we do not imagine seeing the Greek tremble too much on this meeting. On the women’s side, we will obviously see world number 2 Aryna Sabalenka at work, who will face the experienced American Sloane Stephens (30 years old). All for a first night session feminine of this edition which has been widely talked about since Saturday.
It’s also for this kind of running gag that you are so loyal to us, admit it. Count on us to keep the delirium going…until next Sunday?
Before even taking your Roland-Garros tickets, take me the sunscreen without fail. Finally we quickly realize that it is moderately useful on the Lenglen and the Central, I hear, but do not underestimate the potential of these alleys with traffic jams which will cause good burns on the neck. Come on, you’ll thank me. By the way, sunshine and peak at 26°C (but 4°C felt for the night session by Philippe Chatrier).
We admit it, we play it a little small arm this Sunday. The Lorenzo “Lamas” Musetti odds were tempting, but we’re going to bet on the women’s draw for our prediction. We know, Daria Kasatkina, it’s serious with this rank of 9th player in the world, but we are embarking on Ms. Monfils, namely the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina. The young mother has shown during the two previous rounds that she has a foolproof mind to go back to improbable situations (hey, that reminds me of someone). Led one set to zero by the Australian Sanders then by Blinkova on Friday, Elina Svitolina was stunning each time. Never two without three ?