On clay, this is a bit of a mismatch for me and if both played to their full potential on the surface, I would expect Kuznetsova to win 2 and 2 . However, neither is particularly consistent, although the Russian's best is very good indeed.

 

I spoke about Svetlana's career ahead of a meeting with Serena in Rome this month ........

 

 

 

In Rome, I also spoke about Watson's ambition for this season and her dream to play in the Olympics in Rio and how all her talk in interview had been about qualifying, she all but sealed her place there yesterday, with a come from behind win over Nicole Gibbs, her US opponent was very nervous and virtually gave Watson all five games to close out the match which was unfinished from Monday. The British player was delighted afterwards and was saying some odd things to her home media, it was all about the Olympics and then she added that of course, she would still be "trying" at RG, why would that even need to be said ? It kind of implies that her final has already been won .

 

If she is less than fully focused, Kuznetsova could wipe the floor with her and might do so anyway !

 

 

1.5 units Svetlana Kuznetsova -4 games 1.96 Pinnacle Sports/Sportmarket Pro. My best alternative would be Kuzzy 2-0 in sets.

 

 

 

 

Golubic is a journeywoman tennis player who earns her living on the ITF tour and she will be delighted to have won through to the second round here, winning four matches (three in qualifying) and making the second round of a slam for the first time in her career. She has already played ten sets in Paris and at this level that is far more than she is used to and she has only ever faced two top 50 and six top 100 ranked players lifetime on the WTA Tour and Safarova is way better than than and even a ranking of #13, doesn't do her justice. Safarova has already won a clay court tournament in Prague, but you suspect that sine then she has been treading water waiting for Roland Garros where she has a huge number of ranking points to defend after her run to the final last year, beating Sharapova, Muguruza and Ivanovic in the last 16/8/4 and taking Serena close in the decider and looking the more likely winner for a while.

 

Safarova's glorious 2015 ended in dismay with an abdominal strain at the US Open and then a bacterial illness and then after that win in Prague, got food poisoning ! She claimed that this last week she has finally felt 100% for the first time in months and she dispatched Vitalia Diatchenko for the loss of only two games in R1 and whilst she puts few players to the sword like that, you suspect she will want to get these early rounds out of the way asap and save all her energies for next week. Given that and that Golubic might not have much left in the tank, I will go with .........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caroline Garcia has been in good form for the last month, won in build up in Strasbourg and took finalist Dominika Cibulkova all the way in Madrid, infact, she was wiping the floor with her for a set and a half winning the first 9-10 games (sorry, could find my notes, but you get the picture !). The surface there suited Cibulkova who is very good, when she finds her form, better and it was an impressive showing and one built upon in Strasbourg. she has been serving well and it is easy to see a few cheap points for her today, in front of her home crowd. 

 

That is been the case in three previous h2h matches with Agnie, which the Polish superstar leads 2-1, with all going to three sets and there has barely been a cigarette paper between them in those matches. This will be just Radwanska's second outdoor clay match of the season and it is fair to say that she has underachieved in Paris compared to the other slams, especially given that she won a singles and doubles tournament here as a junor. She has lost to Annika Beck and Ajla Tomlihjanovic in the last two years and at least subconsciously, I suspect her attention is already on the grass and US hardcourt campaigns ahead. She has the potential to go deep in RG, but it is early that she is most suspect and I expect Garcia to push her all the way today for a fourth time. I like this to go to a decider.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Luck.