2021 French Open: What to Watch on Saturday

Suzanne Lenglen Court | 1 p.m.

Coco Gauff vs. Jennifer Brady

Jennifer Brady, the 13th seed, needed steely determination to push through her second round match against Fiona Ferro. Brady was down a break on two occasions in the final set, but she managed to fight back, using her powerful forehand strokes to force Ferro around the court. The match took over two hours, and it will be interesting to see whether Brady can bring that same energy into her next challenge against talented Coco Gauff.

Gauff, the 24th seed, has slowly been establishing herself as a serious contender on the WTA Tour. After breakout performances at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon in 2019, Gauff had a quiet 2020 season, but she is now working her way up the rankings. Although she has lost her only match against Brady, Gauff’s game has progressed well since then, and she will be confident that she can edge out an upset in this competitive matchup.

Court 14 | 7 a.m.

Jannik Sinner vs. Mikael Ymer

Jannik Sinner, the 18th seed, is at the lead of an Italian renaissance in tennis. The 19-year-old reached the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2020, and the finals of the Miami Open, a masters level event, earlier this year. Although he has looked slightly inconsistent on clay over the past few months, there have been shining moments, even in defeat to some of the best players on the tour. If he can settle into matches early and try to control them from the start, anything could be possible.

Mikael Ymer, ranked No. 105, upset the 14th seed, Gael Monfils, in the second round over four sets. Ymer has begun to show serious results in 2021, reaching the third round at the Australian Open and now again at Roland Garros. Ymer’s hard-striking baseline game is not particularly well suited to clay, but his athleticism can help him overcome deficiencies in his play on any given day.

Here are a few more matches to keep an eye on.

Sloane Stephens vs. Karolina Muchová; Simonne-Mathieu Court, 5 a.m.

Elina Svitolina vs. Barbora Krejčíková; Philippe-Chatrier Court, 6 a.m.

Novak Djokovic vs. Ričardas Berankis; Philippe-Chatrier Court, 8 a.m.

Ons Jabeur vs. Magda Linette; Court 14, 10 a.m.