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!

Ana Ivanovic (SRB) vs. Patty Schnyder (SUI)

Ivanovic is coming off of a very rare, Grand Slam fourth round “double-bagel.” That is something you don’t see very often, especially not on this level of play. Ivanovic won that match over Petra Cetkovska in just 54 minutes. Something tells me this one against Schnyder is going to be a little longer.

Schnyder has been battling through injuries, and between matches she has flown to see her physiotherapist to get treatment. The results of that speak for themselves, as she is back in the quarters at Roland Garros for the first time since 1998.

Match-Up:

Schnyder is 4-3 against Ivanovic, but the Serb has won the last three times they have played (including two wins on clay). This is a match between two girls who have quite different styles. Ivanovic will pound the ball from the baseline all day, and has a solid serve to complement her game. On the other hand, Schnyder is a very crafty lefty who plays her best on clay. She hits slices, she dinks and dunks, and she is a great slider on the dirt. I believe Ivanovic will take it to her from the very beginning and won’t relent until it is over. Ivanovic needs to be aggressive because Schnyder is going to get a lot of balls back, and she cannot let that frustrate her. She reached the finals here last year, so she knows how to win the big matches. I don’t think Schnyder can hurt her, so unless Ivanovic’s forehand is off, she gets the nod.

Nick’s Pick – Ivanovic in 2 sets

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)

Jankovic was on cruise control in her fourth round match against Agnieszka Radwanska until she was serving for the match at 5-1 in the second set. All of a sudden she got some nerves and then found herself in a struggle. She ended up winning the second set in a tiebreaker, but she cannot afford any more slip-ups like that if she wants to win her first Grand Slam title.

Like Gulbis on the men’s side, the 19-year old Navarro is the story of the tourney on the women’s side. She is the first qualifier since 2001 to reach the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, and is playing in the main draw here for the first time in her career.

Match-Up:

This will be the first meeting between Jankovic and the young Spaniard Navarro. Like I mentioned above, Jankovic cannot have a mental breakdown like she did in the fourth round or she will be in more trouble than before. Jankovic has the experience, the knowledge, and the know-how to win this match but you know she doesn’t want to get into a long battle with her opponent. Navarro reminds me of the great Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. She has that same energy and spunk that made Sanchez Vicario such a special player. So, she will not go lightly. In my mind, if Jankovic is 100% healthy (she has been complaining of an arm injury) she will win this match. Also, now with Sharapova joining Serena and Venus, Jankovic knows she can win this tournament.

Nick’s Pick – Jankovic in 2 sets

Elena Dementieva (RUS) vs. Dinara Safina (RUS)

Dementieva is a former finalist here, and is an excellent clay-court player. In the fourth round she needed three sets to beat Russian, Vera Zvonareva, and know she will get a chance at taking out another countrywoman in the quarters.

Safina was down to her last life against Maria Sharapova in the fourth round, but managed to come back and win that match in three sets. Right now, there may be no player on the women’s side that is playing better than Safina. She looks great on the clay, and has an excellent shot to win this tournament.

Match-Up:

Safina is 3-2 against Dementieva, and they recently met in the finals at Berlin (on clay) with Safina winning in three sets. Everyone knows about Dementieva’s serve, but I have never thought it has hurt her that much (especially on clay) and her results speak to that. Once the ball gets in play, there are going to be some long rallies in this match. Both girls hit excellent groundstrokes, and don’t make a whole lot of errors. If Safina is able to break Dementieva’s serve a couple of times early in the match, she will put some doubt into Dementieva’s mind. I just think that Safina is playing too well right now, and I give her the edge.

Nick’s Pick – Safina in 3 sets

~ by Nick's Picks on June 2, 2008.

Posted in 2008 French Open, French Open Picks
Tags: Ana Ivanovic, Carla Suarez Navarro, Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva, French Open Picks, Jelena Jankovic, Patty Schnyder