Before each day's play begins in Paris, we'll preview three must-see matches that you'll find on Tennis Channel Plus. Tennis Channel Plus features up to 10 courts of live action from Roland Garros beginning Sunday, May 27 at 5:00am ET. Catch up and watch all your favorite stars anytime, on-demand, with Tennis Channel Plus.
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Take cover: balls will be flying fast and furiously when these two ground-stroke annihilators face off. Keys, 23, and Osaka, 20, may be three years apart in age, but they’re both from the every-shot-can-be-a-winner-if-you-hit-it-hard-enough generation. Over the last 12 months, each has tamed her gambler’s instincts enough to pull off a major breakthrough: Keys reached the US Open final last fall, and Osaka won the title in Indian Wells and beat Serena Williams this spring.
These two Florida products have played twice, and Keys has won both times; though at the 2016 US Open she had to storm all the way back from 1-5 in the third to do it. This meeting will be interesting because the dynamic between the two has changed. With her spring surge into the Top 20, Osaka is no longer the apprentice; now that she’s drawn virtually even with Keys. How will Keys react? I’m guessing she’s going to want to keep her record against Osaka spotless. Winner: Keys
Djokovic has been tentatively pleased with his form through his first two rounds. He hasn’t lost a set, and when he was pressed into a tiebreaker by Jaume Munar in the opening frame on Wednesday, he responded by raising his game to a place that Munar couldn’t follow. Still, Munar was a qualifier; now Djokovic will need to keep his level higher for much longer against the 13th-ranked Bautista Agut.
While Djokovic is 6-1 against the Spaniard, they played a tight and tense four-setter at Roland Garros two years ago; Djokovic would only drop one other set on his way to the title. This third-round rematch will be an interesting gauge of Djokovic’s current level. If he’s not somewhere near the top of his game, he won’t have much of an advantage over the similarly speedy and consistent Spaniard. Winner: Djokovic
WATCH—Match point from Djokovic's win over Munar in the second round: