Grand Slam Professional Tennis Predictions and Picks by Nick Bollettieri. US Open, French Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open

Nick’s Picks will have complete coverage of the 2008 French Open, and is coming to you live from Paris!! Also, Nick is teaming with Tennis Week to provide in-depth analysis of the French Open throughout the tournament! Check out Nick’s Picks for the entire men’s and women’s draws!

Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Julien Benneteau (FRA)

Federer notched a big win over Mario Ancic in the third round and he made it look easy. Ancic is a tough player, but Federer just was magnificent. I know there has been plenty of talk about how Federer has had a bit of a down year, but I wouldn’t count him out just yet.

Benneteau surely knows how to get the French crowd behind him. In his third round victory he was going nuts on the court after the match, throwing everything but his shorts into the stands! Just imagine if he beat Federer!!

Match-Up:

Federer is 1-0 against Benneteau, with that win coming last year at Cincinnati. It is difficult to pick out a definitive weakness in Benneteau’s game. He does everything pretty well, but he lacks a big weapon. He covers the court and returns the serve extremely well. The one thing that may hurt him in this match is that he stays back behind the baseline to much, which will not put Federer on the defensive. The addition of Jose Higueras has definitely helped Federer, and has made him a smarter player on the clay. I look for him to control the points, and keep Benneteau on the defensive. Federer could lose a set, but I don’t see him losing this match.

Nick’s Pick – Federer in 4 sets

Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) vs. Gael Monfils (FRA)

Ljubicic came back and pulled off the upset in the third round, knocking out Nikolay Davydenko in five tough sets. He was down two sets to none in that match, and managed to turn things around against one of the top five players in the world. Now he has to get himself ready for another possibly long battle with a hometown hero.

Monfils was all over the court against Jurgen Melzer, and he is going to need more of that magic to beat Ljubicic. If Monfils wins this it will be the first time he reaches a Grand Slam quarterfinal in his career.

Match-Up:

Ljubicic is 3-1 against Monfils, but the two have never faced on clay. Monfils is a superb athlete, and because of this he relies on his natural gifts to stay alive in points. In the third round I thought he stayed back too far behind the baseline, almost daring Melzer to hit drop shots. Well, if he does that in this match he needs to put the drop shots away and not try to be too cute with them. He has an excellent two-handed backhand, and will need a great serving day to win this match. Ljubicic has a fantastic serve, and very solid groundstrokes. I believe he is going to have to come forward a bit in this match to try and break Monfils’ serve. The longer this match goes, the more it favors Monfils. If Ljubicic gets down to business quickly I give him the edge, but if he lets the French crowd get involved it could be a long day for him.

Nick’s Pick – Ljubicic in 3, either in 4, Monfils in 5

Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Fernando Verdasco (ESP)

It was reported that Nadal received treatment before the tournament for blisters, but if he is having any problems physically it certainly hasn’t hurt his play this far. Verdasco will be the fourth straight lefty that Nadal will face in this tournament.

Verdasco may be a Spaniard, but he plays just as well on hard courts as he does on clay. This is the second straight year he has reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, and if he is to win it will be the first time he gets to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam.

Match-Up:

Nadal is 5-0 against Verdasco, including a win on clay back in 2005. Verdasco has one of, if not, the biggest forehand in the game today. He also has a big-time serve and has a solid two-handed backhand. In this match, Verdasco cannot stay back 6-8 feet behind the baseline and expect to win. He has to come in and take the ball a little earlier and stand on or near the baseline. If he stays back, Nadal will be able to negate the big forehand of Verdasco and wear him down with his heavy spinning balls. I think Verdasco will have to take some chances, come to the net, and vary his serve to keep Nadal off-balance. That is much, much easier said that done, especially on clay.

Nick’s Pick – Nadal in 3 sets

Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)

Djokovic ended the dream run of American Wayne Odesnik in the third round. Being on Nadal’s side of the draw, everyone is looking forward to a possible Nadal/Djokovic semifinal, but the Djokster cannot look ahead. He has to take Mathieu very seriously, otherwise he will be packing his bags for home.

Mathieu and Mats Wilander seem to be a very good team, and the results have been pretty darn clear. A win here over Djokovic, and the whole country of France is going to be glued to the television watching their fellow countryman. No pressure, right?

Match-Up:

Djokovic and Mathieu are 1-1 against each other, but they haven’t played since 2006. Both players have come a very long way since then, and I don’t think either of those matches will have much significance here. Mathieu has a Bollettieri forehand, and an extremely solid backhand. His serve is solid, and will not hurt him. The biggest thing for Mathieu is confidence. When he has it, he can play with anyone.

Djokovic will try to force the issue in this match with his great forehand and big serve. He stands right near the baseline, catches the ball early, and his two-handed backhand is deadly. Mathieu will have to take chances, attack any defensive balls, and hope that he can shake Djokovic’s focus early in the match. I think this is going to be a good one, but I have to give Djokovic the edge.

Nick’s Pick – Djokovic in 4 sets