Surprising odds, aren’t they?

Hurkacz really is the favorite in this match. Do you think that’s deserved?

I really liked the Hurkacz match against Munar, with his serve quality still top-notch, but also and above all a really solid level in the rallies, and a forehand that was absolutely on fire. The Pole says that in previous years, it was much cooler in Paris, which made the courts quite slow, but this year they’re fast enough, which allows him to really express his game. Not to mention that he can also turn into a grinder from the baseline. All in all, it was a great first round from Hurkacz, but he had a big dip in intensity in the third set, and he also scared himself a bit when it came time to close it out. It was good, but not perfect, as is often the case with Hurkacz in Grand Slams.

On Tiafoe’s side, we saw the American drop a set, but still win comfortably against the returning Spitziri. As expected, it’s not an ideal match-up for Tiafoe, but Spitziri was clearly lacking in stamina to last over the distance. Tiafoe still played a good match, but he also seems to be struggling with the conditions. He says he’s more used to heat with humidity, whereas here in Paris it’s a very dry heat, which brings different problems. The American is still in good form at the moment, he’s defending a quarter-final, and we know that for him, Grand Slams are often where he plays his best tennis.

It’s usually quite tight between these two when they play each other. And I think the match-up isn’t great for Tiafoe, first because he hates big servers, but also because Hurkacz can make him play and catch him off guard. I’m expecting a tough match for Tiafoe, but making him the underdog at 2.30, I don’t know what you think, but to me it feels more like he’s the one we should be looking at.