The third round of the men’s singles at the French Open begins on Day 6. There are eight matches scheduled for Friday, and our writers share their thoughts on all of them for you. We split the matches between this and a separate article. Predicting today’s matches are Jim Smith, Andreas Pelekis, and Jordan Reynolds.
Ben Shelton has worked hard to develop his game on the clay, a task made easier by the solid fundamentals of a booming serve and big whippy forehand. Felix Auger-Aliassime possesses similar gifts, though his serve and groundstrokes are not quite as penetrating as Shelton’s. He does have the advantage of experience, but the American is playing with more conviction and should have the beating of his rival from the Great White North.
This match should be one of the top matches of the first week. Shelton has an exciting game that has seemed to grow on the clay courts over time, while Auger-Aliassime has rebounded on tour after a tough 2023 season. Picking Shelton to win this one, with his big serve and heavy topspin working in his favor.
Neither of these players would consider clay to be their favourite surface but they have both looked very strong so far. Although Shelton can be electrifying, I am backing the Canadian to win a tight match. After a lot of struggles in the last 18 months, Auger-Aliassime looks to be in a good place mentally in Paris, with his serve firing. His level may drop slightly less over the course of five sets than Shelton.
