Most top players are safely through to the second round of the French Open safely, at least in the men's category. The favourite and 11-time champion at Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal had an easy win in the first round and would face Germany's Yannick Maden in the next stage.
Similarly, the top-seed Novak Djokovic also recorded a straight-sets win to book a match against Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland. Both these players would be centre of attraction on day 4 of the event. Another major star who will be on show is 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer.
When and where to watch
The action would start at 11 AM local time and 2:30 PM IST. In India, live coverage is being provided by Star Sports Select 1, Star Sports Select 2, Star Sports Select 1 HD and Star Sports Select 2 HD. Online viewers can stream the matches live on Hotstar platform.
Preview
Both Nadal and Djokovic are looking in great form. In the case of the Spaniard, he seems to be peaking at just the right time. After losing in the semi-finals of three tournaments in the present clay-court season in a row, he roared back to form by winning the Italian Open. What's better, he was able to defeat the Djoker in the Final to prove that when it matters the most, he isn't behind anyone.
In their respective first round matches, both Rafa and Djokovic lost just 6 and 8 games while wrapping up the contest in straight sets. The Spaniard next faces Germany's Maden who is a 29-year old qualifier. Nadal has talked about looking up videos of his obscure opponent to size up his game.
Djokovic's opponent Laaksonen is a 27-year old whose presence at this even is the result of good luck. Initially, the Swiss failed to earn a spot in the main draw by losing in his final qualifying match. But due to an injury suffered by Sam Querry, a former world no. 1, he got a lucky entry into the event.
The dark horse, of sorts in this tournament is Roger Federer who is playing the event after a gap of three years. He hasn't yet set his ambitions high and is only taking it one match at a time. However, his first-round victory suggests that he is likely to do more than make up numbers. His rival in the second round, Oscar Otte, is a nondescript player whom he should put away easily.
All three players are likely to record easy wins and continue their run towards the Final. Only question is, who will take less time in despatching their opponent.
