Matteo Berrettini is preparing to face Arthur Rinderknech in an intriguing match at the French Open. Rinderknech shook off an early scare to secure an opening-round win. He will fancy his chances again at home, where his serve can turn matches into quick-fire contests.
Berrettini’s Firepower
Berrettini brings a different level of firepower, having roared back from a set down. He finished like a man in full control. Their only previous meeting ended prematurely, so there’s unfinished business here.
Both men lean heavily on service games. One observer is siding with the man with the bigger serve.
The Serve Will Be Key
Two players will be relying on their serve plus one shot. There might be a couple of tiebreakers in this one. Berrettini has more upside when the point gets started. That should be the point of difference in what is likely to be a close match decided by moments.
Rinderknech’s Home Advantage
Rinderknech brings big serving and can take control quickly. Berrettini has a huge serve of his own. His flat shots can be very effective on clay when he’s confident. Berrettini’s experience and ability to hit through the court should prevail, according to one prediction.
Nakashima vs Van Assche
Luca Van Assche looked solid as he grinded out a win in the first round. He’ll need a cleaner, more consistent level to trouble a far more settled opponent in Paris. Brandon Nakashima was clinical in dismantling Bautista Agut in round one. He struck cleanly from the baseline and rarely offered openings. If he brings anything close to that same control, he should dictate this matchup.
Van Assche did well to come through his first round match here and is one of the few Frenchmen left in the tournament. In Nakashima, he’d find a player who is too steady to find any real holes to exploit, especially after enjoying a good win in his first match. One prediction sees Van Assche joining his counterparts who have exited the tournament following this match.
Nakashima hits cleanly and constructs points smartly. Van Assche is solid on clay with good movement at home. Nakashima’s consistency and all-court balance look stronger for best-of-five tennis.
Auger-Aliassime’s Inconsistency
Felix Auger-Aliassime comes into this clash with the relief of a survivor rather than the aura of a frontrunner. He scraped past Daniel Altmaier in a five-set marathon where he was two points from defeat. That level of inconsistency opens the door for Roman Andrés Burruchaga. Burruchaga announced himself at Slam level with a gritty comeback win of his own, even if 52 unforced errors underline just how volatile his game can be.
On clay, the Argentine’s ability to extend rallies and drag opponents into scrappy exchanges could expose any difficulties.