AFP Sport appears on the first spherical opponents of the massive stars on the French Open which will get underway at Roland Garros on Sunday:
MEN (x denotes world rating)
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) v Tennys Sandgren (USA x66)
Head-to-head: Djokovic leads 3-0
— Sandgren, a 29-year-old from Tennessee, misplaced three first spherical matches in a row at Roland Garros till he stopped the rot on the way in which to the second spherical in 2020. He famously had seven match factors earlier than shedding to Roger Federer within the Australian Open quarter-finals final yr. In 2018, Sandgren, a religious Christian, additionally made the last-eight in Melbourne however got here underneath fireplace for his alleged ‘alt-right’ views.
Rafael Nadal (ESP x3) v Alexei Popyrin (AUS x62)
Head-to-head: Nadal leads 1-0
— The 21-year-old Popyrin was crushed by Nadal on clay in Madrid this season after the beanpole Australian had come by means of qualifying. He has already earned a private better of 15 wins on tour this yr however has but to get previous the second spherical in Paris, and is predicted to be straightforward fodder for the 13-time champion who has been crushed on the French Open simply twice in 15 years. “He’s younger, he has the ability, huge photographs and so I would like to play nicely,” said Nadal.
Roger Federer (SUI x8) v Denis Istomin (UZB x203)
Head-to-head: Federer leads 7-0
— A former world number 33, Istomin is almost unique on tour in that he is still coached by his mother. He famously knocked Novak Djokovic out of the Australian Open in the second round in 2017. He had to play the qualifying rounds in Paris this year.
WOMEN (x denotes world ranking)
Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) v Bernarda Pera (USA x70)
Head-to-head: First meeting
— Croatian-born Pera is a left-hander who has reached the second round in Paris in 2018 and 2020. A solid clay court performer, she went through qualifying to make the main draw in Madrid and Rome this spring. In the Italian capital, it took former French Open winner Garbine Muguruza to stop her in three sets in the second round.
Naomi Osaka (JPN x2) v Patricia Maria Tig (ROM x63)
Head-to-head: Osaka leads 1-0
— Tig may only have one career title but that came on clay in Istanbul last year before a run to the third round at the French Open. The 26-year-old is one of the many mothers on the tour, giving birth to daughter Sofia in November 2018.
Serena Williams (USA x8) v Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM x74)
Head-to-head: Williams leads 1-0
— The 30-year-old Begu has enjoyed runs to the third round at the French Open in 2018 and 2019. She reached a career high of 22 in 2016.
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