RG Predictions: Who's Going to Finish Runner-Up to Rafael Nadal?

Hi All. Galileo here.

It is the first time in ATP history that the top five are all over the age of 30. Will that experience see a veteran make the final? Or will a youngster have a good run?

Let's explore Nadal's path to inevitable victory. Will he drop *any* sets along the way?

=MURRAY QUARTER=
*POWER RANKINGS*
1. SASHA ZVEREV, GER...This is a kid who has won just one junior slam. He has never been to the fourth round of a slam. There are two guys ranked higher than him in his quarter. He has won just four titles. But he made the final at Roland Garros as a junior. He has won three titles this year. He has won two clay court titles in the last month. One of them was in Rome. He is one of the top three or four guys in the world right now. And in such a weak quarter that really counts. That backhand may be the best shot in the upper half of the draw. Fernando Verdasco and Pablo Cuevas are the immediate threats, but he should be too good.
2. JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO, ARG...What the heck am I doing? A guy ranked 9th and a guy seeded 20 places below that are the best in the quarter? Part of the reason is that Kei Nishikori is injured right now and Andy Murray may as well be. Part of the reason is that on form these two are up there. Del Potro's forehand is looking good again and a quarter-final run in Rome will buoy him. He opens with Guido Pella before playing probably Nico Almagro. Then he has Andy Murray. That is going to be a fiery encounter.
3. ANDY MURRAY, GBR...By default, really. Nishikori is literally broken. He opens with Andrey Kuznetsov. Then he might have to play Martin Klizan. If he makes it out of the section, let alone the quarter, that will be an astonishing result. He is there for the taking.
DARK HORSE: TOMAS BERDYCH, CZE...He is a former semi-finalist. He has a workable draw. And he could easily beat Del Potro or Murray. He has nothing to lose and is always tricky to beat at Roland Garros.
WILD HORSE: KAREN KHACHANOV, RUS...The Russian got in automatically. He is very dangerous and plays Nicolas Jarry first. That's a match to tune into. Then the Russian gets a shot at Berdman. That's an upset alert right there.
DONKEY: KEI NISHIKORI, JPN...One of these days Nishikori's bone is going to snap on court. You'll hear it like a Christmas cracker. He isn't fit and should be resting and preparing for the only slam he has a shot at, the U.S. Open.
R1 MATCH TO WATCH: THANASI KOKKINAKIS/AUS VS. KEI NISHIKORI/JPN
=In the End...=
Zverev lives up to the expectations, while Delpo makes another sparkling French Open run. In the fourth round the German is going to play a total surprise.

DEL POTRO D. BERDYCH
ZVEREV D. KOKKINAKIS
--
ZVEREV D. DEL POTRO

=WAWRINKA QUARTER=
*POWER RANKINGS*
1. STAN WAWRINKA, SUI....Somebody was going to draw Cilic. Whoever that was knew they'd be in with a great shot to make the semi-finals. Wawrinka is a former champion, of which there are only two others. He is a multiple semi-finalist here and one of only a handful of slam winners. He has the experience and the game to get it done. Jozef Kovalik is a qualifier and unknown. Wawrinka opens with him. After the he is likely to get Alex Dolgopolov. If he can survive the first two rounds he is headed to the semi-finals.
2. NICK KYRGIOS, AUS...This section is so weak. But it is filled with landmines - Kyrgios opens with Philipp Kohlschreiber. Then he probably plays Kevin Anderson. After that is a clash with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. But the Australian will be up to the challenge. He has been on form this year and has a good chance to record a career best slam performance. If he can come up with a cohesive game-plan he will do very well. Watch out for his dropper on this surface.
3. RICHARD GASQUET, FRA...Fabio Fognini opens with Frances Tiafoe. Gael Monfils has been badly injured recently. Marin Cilic has Ernests Gulbis up first. But Gasquet? He's always a lock to make the fourth round of any slam. He opens with qualifier Arthur de Greef. Unless Monfils overcomes his injury woes the path doesn't get more difficult than the Belgian qualifier.
DARK HORSE: JO-WILFRIED TSONGA, FRA...A former semi-finalist with nothing to lose, who knows that he has one or two more shots at the title. If he can align all his stars there will be a decent run. But will that happen? If he ends up playing Kyrgios that will be on Chatrier. It could be a modern classic.
WILD HORSE: FABIO FOGNINI, ITA...The Italian is the 28th seed and has been to the quarters here before. Once he gets past Tiafoe he has a shot at upending Stan in the third round. But he could win three games against the American, swear at the umpire in German and throw his racket at a pensior. Who knows?
DONKEY: MARIN CILIC, CRO...He opens with Gulbis. That's a sure-fire upset. Even if he survives, the chances of him making the quarters are zip. The head-to-head between he and the Lativan is only 3-2 in his favour.
R1 MATCH TO WATCH: ERNESTS GULBIS/LAT VS. MARIN CILIC/CRO
=In the End...=
Stan Wawrinka is too steady for the explosive Nick Kyrgios.

WAWRINKA D. GASQUET
KYRGIOS D. FERRER
--
WAWRINKA D. KYRGIOS

=NADAL QUARTER=
*POWER RANKINGS*
1. RAFAEL NADAL, ESP...He opens with Benoit Paire. It is exactly the kind of match he didn't want to have to play. But Nadal is going to resemble Ronald Reagan taking on Jimmy Carter in that election. Or against Walter Mondale in that other election. With 31st seed Gilles Simon the only immediate 'threat,' expect Nadal to have little trouble here. He would have preferred not to be in Novak Djokovic's half but this BACKSPINNER suspects that won't matter. His forehand is great and it's going to be ten titles.
2. GRIGOR DIMITROV, BUL...He will make the quarterfinals. Yes, Pablo Carreno Busta is here, but he doesn't have any deep runs from which he can draw experience. Dimitrov has a point to prove and not even playing Tommy Robredo in the second round will stop him.
3. ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT, ESP....This guy is also here. If Nadal is captured by Russians he'll make the quarters. How's that for a bold prediction, Todd? [Ed.note: Good one - international intrigue and scandal *without* the U.S. Prez and/or his staff being involved!]
DARK HORSE: TOMMY ROBREDO, ESP...Five quarterfinals at the French. All of them in odd years. In a section with only one winner why can't he win a few?
WILD HORSE: JERZY JANOWICZ, POL...Some of these need no explanation.
DONKEY: MILOS RAONIC, CAN...The 5th seed has a good record here. But he has been hurt and you would think he has half an eye on Wimbledon, too. Winning two matches here would be considered a solid tournament. Fortunately for him, he has a very simple draw. But he is ripe for an upset right now.
R1 MATCH TO WATCH: DOLGOPOLOV/UKR VS. CORIC/CRO
=In the End...=
Nadal is here. Any other data required?

DIMITROV D. RAONIC
NADAL D. BAUTISTA AGUT
--
NADAL D. DIMITROV

=DJOKOVIC QUARTER=
*POWER RANKINGS*
1. DOMINIC THIEM, AUT...No, this BACKSPINNER doesn't trust Nole. He has a new coach, who has won this title, but the problems don't just go away overnight. He has a tricky draw full of landmines and without his usual level of fitness he is going to struggle. The Austrian has been the second best player on clay for most of the swing, though it was another youngster who won the big title. His kick serve works a treat at Roland Garros.


Just ask Sam about kick serves on the dirt.


He opens with paper tiger Bernard Tomic. The entire seventh-eighth of the draw [yes, that is an odd phrase isn't it?] is all about another chapter in one of our best rivalries. Dominic Thiem versus David Goffin. That is quickly turning into a classic. The 6th seed should meet the 10th with the winner given the chance to cause an upset.
2. NOVAK DJOKOVIC, SRB...He wanted a nice easy draw and to see Rafa Nadal in the other end of the draw. But, alas, it has not happened. He plays Marcel Granollers first. If that goes on for three or four hours Djokovic isn't winning this slam. He has to win that one quickly. Joao Sousa or Janko Tipsarevic await in the next round. Tipsy has beaten him twice. Then he has Mischa Zverev. And then it will be Albert Ramos Vinolas. He made the quarters last year. For the Serbian that is a path fraught with danger. In the other half of this quarter it is easier for his quarterfinal opponent. But the Agassi factor will definitely give him a boost. How much remains to be seen. He has to return better than he has been.
3. DAVID GOFFIN, BEL...He will certainly make the fourth round.
DARK HORSE: ALBERT RAMOS VINOLAS, ESP...Last year's quarterfinalist could beat Djokovic on clay if he played his best. But over five sets? Can he maintain a high standard of play? If he beats Djokovic there is no reason he can't cause one more upset and make the semi-finals.
WILD HORSE: THOMAZ BELLUCCI, BRA...Don't underestimate how effective this kid is on clay.
DONKEY: NOVAK DJOKOVIC, SRB...It just feels like there's an upset coming, but you don't know where that might be. Both he and Murray are very wobbly right now.
R1 MATCH TO WATCH: STEFANOS TSITSIPAS/GRE VS. IVO KARLOVIC/CRO
=In the End...=
Thiem takes the next step. He knows he can play well here. He knows what works. But he has to figure out how to beat Nole. This BACKSPINNER figures Nole chokes and loses early, meaning Thiem comes out of the section. Goffin is very good again, but the lack of flair gives the Austrian the edge. This is the best quarter in the draw.

THIEM D. GOFFIN
DJOKOVIC D. RAMOS VINOLAS
--
THIEM D. DJOKOVIC


=SEMIFINALS=
#9 ZVEREV D. #3 WAWRINKA
#4 NADAL D. #6 THIEM

=FINAL=
#4 NADAL D. #9 ZVEREV

...Wawrinka, like so many times before, fails at the semi-final stage. Having just won Rome, Zverev goes one better and makes his slam final debut. But Nadal. Nadal sees off two future French Open champions. Between them, Zverev and Thiem will win more titles here than Bjorn Borg.


Go to WTA BACKSPIN. They have hotdogs. And it's also where I made my WTA picks.


I'll be seeing you all soon and far too frequently for your liking.

Galileo.

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