French Open #SmashTalk: Reflections on a brutal day

There was drama, there was intrigue and there were upsets aplenty. As the dust from day eight begins to settle, our #SmashTalk panel have been busy picking through the remains of a brutal day eight at Roland Garros.

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Biggest winner on day eight:

Vivienne Christie: Andy Murray, with his win over Juan Martin del Potro. After a difficult lead-in, the world No.1 had his biggest clay court win of 2017 as he avoided the epic tests del Potro has recently provided. Saving four set points in an 84-minute first stanza could mark an important turning point as Murray sets about a repeat of his run to the 2016 final.

Paul Moore: Kristina Mladenovic. Riding a raucous wave of patriotic fervour on Suzanne Lenglen, the Frenchwoman not only dispatched defending champion Garbine Muguruza, but will have secured a bucket load of French fans in the process. It was a big win on many levels for the 24 year-old.

Leigh Rogers: Kristina Mladenovic. Not only did the Frenchwoman eliminate defending champion Garbine Muguruza, but the three most experienced women (Kuznetsova, Venus and Stosur) left in her half of the draw also lost yesterday. Her draw is opening up nicely to continue her French fairytale.

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Biggest loser on day eight:

VC: Garbine Muguruza. While I’m not surprised she lost to Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic, I’m surprised at the finger wagging and tears that followed her three-set exit. Sure there were some mind games from Mladenovic and a tough local crowd – but in her fifth French Open, the defending champ should expect as much and manage it.

PM: There are a few to choose from, but I’m going to punt for Venus Williams. With established names around her losing their heads, I fully expected the elder stateswoman of women’s tennis to rise up and claim her maiden Roland Garros title. Being swept off the court in the second and third sets by Timea Bacsinszky was as surprising as it was disappointing.

LR: Sam Stosur. The Australian was in impressive form and had emerged as a title contender until a hand injury derailed her campaign. At 33, and now outside of the top 30, there’s a sense this could have been Stosur’s last chance to win that elusive Roland Garros title that one of this era’s best clay courters deserves.

DID YOU SEE? Muguruza breaks down during French Open press conference

What’s the must watch match on day nine?

VC: Stan Wawrinka v Gael Monfils offers plenty of intrigue – they have two wins apiece in their head-to-head record, but haven’t played since 2011. And while Wawrinka is yet to lose a set at Roland Garros in 2017, how will he fare against a popular local? I honestly expect Stan to win – but whether he does so easily is another matter.

PM: I’ll be fascinated to see what happens when Andy Murray squares off against Karen Khachanov. Khachanov is playing fearlessly in only the third Slam of his career, and could be a tricky opponent for the misfiring world No.1.

LR: Caroline Garcia v Alize Cornet. This is a huge opportunity for both players to reach their first Grand Slam quarterfinal. The match has the potential to be dramatically entertaining or a complete nervy mess – perhaps even both, and I’m excited to see how it plays out.

What are your week two predictions?

VC: Simona Halep, Karolina Pliskova and Kristina Mladenovic are legitimately firming as title favourites but I’m wondering whether to expect a big result from Caroline Wozniacki? A win over former champ Svetlana Kuznetsova sent the former No.1 into her first French Open quarterfinal since 2010 and she’s vastly more experienced than next opponent Jelena Ostapenko. And while Rafael Nadal has dropped just 20 games in four matches, it’s still no guarantee that the Spaniard will have a straightforward run to a 10th men’s title.

PM: It’s a tale of two draws at the moment. The women’s is almost impossible to call, but I’m going to predict that the winner of the thing will come out of the quarter containing Svitolina and Halep. On the men’s side, it’s hard to see anyone stopping Rafa reaching ‘La Decima’, but if anyone can Stan Wawrinka is the man to do it.

LR: The men’s and women’s singles events are playing out in amazingly contrasting fashion. As Rafael Nadal edges closer to an unprecedented 10th Roland Garros title, it is hard to see who can stop him. The women’s draw is wide open and with no former Grand Slam champions left in the draw, a first-time winner is guaranteed. However as this just adds to the pressure on the biggest contenders such as Halep and Mladenovic, perhaps Bacsinszky could be the one to watch.