French Open Tennis Day 9 Predictions: Today’s Expert Picks & Best Bets – Alexander Zverev gets a second life 

Fourth-round action at the French Open will wrap up on Monday, when the remaining quarterfinal places will be taken. Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are among those looking to advance. Djokovic and Zverev survived significant third-round scares and remain on a collision course for a head-to-head showdown in the semis. 

Let’s take a look at the best bets to be made on Day 9 at Roland Garros. 

Alexander Zverev -3.5 games over Holger Rune (-125) 

It is true that fatigue can sometimes be a factor following a 5-setter, but at the same time it can also free you up from a mental standpoint. The latter scenario is what I anticipate being the case for both Djokovic and Zverev. Speaking of Zverev specifically, his match against Tallon Griekspoor ended at a very reasonable afternoon hour (unlike Djokovic’s at 3:06 am) and he should have to trouble bouncing back from that effort. The German has been awesome throughout this 2024 campaign and looks poised to make it back to the French Open semis four a fourth consecutive year. Rune is playing pretty well in Paris, but he was just 6-6 in his last 12 matches heading into this event. Count on Zverev taking care of business without too much trouble.

Daniil Medvedev vs. Alex de Minaur Over 35.5 games (-120) 

This isn’t a big number at all for this particular matchup. It is true that Medvedev is a considerable favorite, but it’s hard to see De Minaur going away quietly. That isn’t in the Demon’s DNA. Medvedev leads the head-to-head series by a 6-2 margin, but only 3 of his victories have come in straight sets. That means only 3 times in eight total encounters has the Russian won with relative ease. There are times when De Minaur gets blown off the court, but that only happens against power players (most notably Jannik Sinner). Medvedev is not that kind of player. The world #5 is a defensive baseliner, so thirty-ball rallies could be seen in abundance in Monday’s contest. Moreover, both men are playing great this fortnight. De Minaur crushed his first 2 opponents and then defeated Munich champion Jan-Lennard Struff in 4 sets; Medvedev has lost just 2 sets through 3 matches and was awesome against Tomas Machac in the third round. I can’t see anything except a high-quality thriller.

Elina Svitolina +4.5 games over Elena Rybakina (-118)

Rybakina’s results have been stellar this spring, but I’m still not convinced by her clay-court game. Faster surfaces suit her much better. The rainy and overcast conditions in Paris have made it especially slow this year. Rybakina has also looked either under the weather or simply sullen in her press conferences (although that is generally the norm for her) and has admitted to not feeling her best so far in Paris. The Kazakh eased past her first 3 opponents, but Svitolina is a sizable step up in competition. She is a 3-time major semifinalist and has reached quarterfinals 7 other times — including 4 times at the French. The Ukrainian has won 6 consecutive sets since dropping the opener of her first-round match against Karolina Pliskova. It’s also worth noting that Svitolina leads the head-to-head series with Rybakina 2-1. The underdog should make this competitive – and perhaps even win it outright.

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