First round offered interesting and unexpected results in both draws. Only one of the top 10 in men ranking left the race – Marin Cilic, while in women‘s tournament the situation is quite different. 3 of the best players are already out, while 2 didn’t participate. On the second day of round 2 we can expect very interesting and unpredictable battles which we pay attention below.

(20) Bernard Tomic – Borna Coric

As soon as we look at the program for the day the match between Tomic and Coric stand out. The new generation is starting seriously to interfere among old guns.

The Australian who is seeded at no.20, won his first match without losing a set against B.Baker. One of the most discussed player because of his behavior, says he doesn’t like to play on clay and even was considering to miss the entire season on this surface.  So far he has six appearances in the French capital, but passed the first round only two times – in 2012 and 2015. This year Tomic hasn’t achieved impressive results, but remains in the top 25 of the world’s elite. In February he reached the best result for the year, when he plaid the final in Acapulco, ATP 500 series. There he was defeated by another young racer – Dominic Thiem in a very difficult 3-sets match. Clay seasons confirm the thesis that it is the least liked by Tomic, as he recorded four losses in his first matches in all four tournament in which he participates.

The opponent for the 20th seed is Borna Coric. The young Croat once crossed second round of a Grand Slam tournament and it happened right here, in Paris last season. This is his only participation at Roland Garros and now for the second time he ис trying to go far into the tournament. Coric reached 2 finals in 2016 – in Chennai, where he lost by Wawrinka and in Marrakech, lost against Delbonis on clay. In other tournaments on clay this year Coric results are weak. In all three Masters he won a total of one match and played quarterfinal in Estoril.

Tomic and Coric have met once in an official match. it happened in 2015 on a hard court in Indian Wells and the winner is Tomic in 2 sets.  Since last year Coric gained experience, and now the match between these two looks promising and unpredictable, so that nothing remains but only to watch.

(13) Dominic Thiem – Guillermo Garcia-Lopez

Experience against youth. Two players who feel comfortable on clay, but they have age difference of 10 years.

This year everyone speaks about the young Austrian, and it is fully deserved.  He won three titles, two of them on clay. Beating best clay court player Rafael Nadal on the way to the title in Buenos Aires. Thiem also won the titles in Acapulco ATP 500 and last week in Nice.  He also reached another final and other good results.  In Roland Garros he participated last two years and reached round 2 in both times. He won his first match here not very easily and had to make a turnaround from a set down against Inigo Cervantes.

Thiem will face one of the experienced Spaniards in the tour –  Garcia-Lopez. 2016 is not among highly successful seasons for him.  His best score is semifinal in Bucharest last month and 5 quarterfinals in ATP 250 torunaments. Including 2016 GGL has 13 consecutive appearances in Roland Garros and at his best performance is round 4, reached in 2014. Last year he lost in 5-sets battle against Steve Johnson at the start of the race. Like his opponent, the Spaniard also had to play 4 sets to beat T. De Bakker.

51st and 15th in the world ranking will face for the first time tomorrow in serious test for their further participation in the tournament.

(6) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – Marcos Baghdatis

Another seemingly interesting match of second round in the top half of the scheme is between Tsonga and Baghdatis. Two former finalists from Australian Open will face each other early in Roland Garros this season.

Seeded as no.6 and last year’s semifinalist Tsonga is permanent in his results this year, but has not reached the final of either tournament he played. His best results are 2 semifinals – in Auckland in early January and Monte Carlo in april. In home land, except semi-final in 2015, Tsonga was going again at this phase of the tournament – in 2013. The Frenchman plays 10 matches on clay this year and won 6 of them against 4 losses.

Faced to protect many points from the last year, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has for the second opponent though Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. With 10 appearances in the French capital, the Cypriot only once reached round 4,that happened in the distant 2007. In his last appearances here he lost in first or second round.  In 2016 Baghdatis made a very good result in Dubai. In He reached the final but lost to the 4^th in the world Stan Wawrinka. Clay season for Marcos has ratio of 2 wins and 3 losses.

Tsonga and Baghdatis have met 7 times in their rivalry. The Frenchman won last 6 of them, but all of their last matches finished in 3-sets. On clay they have met only once – in 2011 Masters in Rome and Tsonga won easily. What is going to happen, we’ll get to know tomorrow.

(8) Timea Bacsinszky – Eugenie Bouchard

Women’s circuit is always extremely tense. In the second round will meet last year’s semi-finalist Timea Bacsinszky and the semi-finalist from 2014 Eugenie Bouchard.

This month the Swiss reached her best ranking, which is number 9. This fact follows from the stable results which she achieved last calendar year. This season Bacsinszky didn’t start well, but after entering into a rhythm, she began to reach good results.  She played semifinal in Miami in march and defeat 2 top 10 players. Shortly after that she won her 4^th career title in Rabat on clay. She played in two more clay tournaments in may and lost in the third round in Madrid and in quarters in Rome. Timea beats easily her first opponent Soler-Esspinosa in 2 straight sets.

Tomorrow the prosperous Swiss will face one of the early-age erupted players Eugenie Bouchard. Canadian has a very unsatisfactory results last two seasons. In this time she changed coaches and advertising agencies and looks like tennis is not in the first place for her. Last year Bouchard lost 11 times in first round of any tournament she pla. This year she starts much better. So far this season she reached 2 finals. The first of them was in Hobart in January, where she lost to Alize Cornet. The second one was in Kuala Lumpur, where she lost to Elina Svitolina. On clay Eugenie has 3 wins and 3 losses, but in her last match she lost 1/6 0/6 against Barbora Strycova. On Tuesday The Canadian won her first match against Laura Siegemund easily. Semifinalist in Paris 2 seasons ago, Bouchard is always one of the dangerous players, but is she ready to offer surprise?

These two players met for the first time in March in Indian Wells and Bacsinszky won in 3-sets. But now two semifinalists, from the last 2 seasons make early meeting here. This is one of women’s matches which definitely must be watched.

(9) Venus Williams – Louisa Chirico

One of the oldest players against one of the youngest. Young american hope Louisa Chirico against proven champion Venus Williams will mеet in second round tomorrow.

Finalist from 2002 and 4-times quarterfinalist Venus Williams is in Paris for her 19-th appearance in Roland Garros.  Last 4 seasons she lost in first or second round but her experience against young player like Chirico can help in difficult situation. Venus is no.11 in world ranking and won 1 title this year – in Kaohsiung in February. In the other tournaments she played lost early. On the clay surface this season she has 2 wins and 2 losses. Her first opponent here was Anett Kontaveit and Venus beat her in 2 straight tiebreak sets.

7-time Grand Slam champion will face her compatriot Louisa Chirico in second round match. Born in 1996, the American made her first big success this month in Madrid. Starting from the qualifies she beat Ana Ivanovic and reached the semifinal in the Premier Mandatory event. This week Chirico captured her first win in main draw of Grand Slam event. In first round she beat Lauren Davis in so tough and exhausting match, which end with score of 8/6 in the third set.

Venus and Chirico will meet for the first time tomorrow and this match won’t be watched only from Americans but by all fans of solid and quality tennis.