French Open #SmashTalk: Can Tsitsipas upset Thiem?

Serena Williams certainly knows how to make headlines – and her return to the French Open did exactly that.

As the former world No.1 prepares for her next match, it is a battle between two of the most promising young clay courters that takes centre stage on day four. The must-see showdown between Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas certainly has our #SmashTalk team of Vivienne Christie, Piers Newbery and Leigh Rogers excited.

We would love to know your thoughts on today’s big topics too. Have your say on Facebook and Twitter using #SmashTalk.

Serena Williams made a winning return to Grand Slam tennis. What were your thoughts on her performance?

Vivienne Christie: After a meeker-than-expected comeback on American hard courts, Serena needed to make a statement. And didn’t she achieve exactly that in her return to Grand Slam tennis in Paris? If not quite with her play – at least not yet – then with the catsuit that combines fashion with functionality and is clearly intended as a positive example to other women. It took some time for Serena to find her rhythm against the dangerous Pliskova, suggesting her comeback is a work is still in progress. Still, the superhero outfit is a reminder of the superstar efforts required for Serena to even make her return to tennis. Come Wimbledon, I sense we’ll be talking more about her form than what’s she’s wearing.

Catsuit anyone? For all the moms out there who had a tough recovery from pregnancy—here you go. If I can do it, so can you. Love you all!! pic.twitter.com/xXb3BKDGNF

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) May 29, 2018

Piers Newbery: The anticipation for Serena’s arrival on court reminded me of Andre Agassi’s first appearance on Centre Court at Wimbledon, when the tennis world held its breath to see if he had ditched the day-glo and adhered to the All England Club’s traditional whites. It will be interesting to see if Serena tries to take the catsuit look to Wimbledon with her – Anne White tried something similar in 1985 and was firmly told the following day to find something more “appropriate”. Whatever she wears, the good news is that Serena is back on court and able to overcome a testing opponent in Kristyna Pliskova. Everything she achieves in Paris is a bonus, but watch out for the 23-time Grand Slam champion on grass a few weeks further down the line.

READ MORE: Serena makes winning return in Paris

Leigh Rogers: It is exciting to see Serena back – and didn’t she make a statement. I loved her bold catsuit look. It is iconic and perfectly represents the incredible strength which makes her a champion. Serena produced a much-improved serving performance too, with 13 aces and 80 per cent of points won behind her first serve. Facing fellow big-server Kristyna Pliskova was a good first round match-up, with shorter points not exposing any signs of a lack of match play. Ash Barty’s variety could prove more tricky in the next round, but it should be another good test of Serena’s level. Whether she wins or not, it simply feels right having Serena back.

Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas meet in the second round. Who wins?

VC: Greek legends are all about history but Stefanos Tsitsipas – arguably approaching that status in tennis terms as the best-ever male player from his nation – is all about the future. Competing with a composure far beyond his 19 years, a rise into the top 40 was helped by an upset of Thiem (one of four top-10 seeds he eliminated that week) in his finals run in Barcelona. As a two-time French Open semifinalist and recent Lyon champion, Thiem undoubtedly has more momentum but Tsitsipas has worked equally hard in his headline-grabbing clay season. Expect a glorious display from talented athletes who each wield stunning one-handed backhands. As for a victor? I can’t help thinking the Greek can peak with a sneak second-week appearance.

PN: It feels a bit strange to have scheduled the match of the day, arguably of the second round, third on Court 18 but by all accounts the new arena is a good one, and hopefully these two players will attract a capacity crowd. This is a horrible draw for Thiem and the pressure is on him both in terms of ranking points, as a semifinalist last year, but also to confirm himself as the likely successor to Nadal’s crown with the growing threat of Alexander Zverev. But Tsitsipas showed in their last meeting in Barcelona that he has the game to beat Thiem, and the Greek teenager has the kind of flowing game and outgoing personality that the Parisian crowd will love. Court 18 is the place to be today.

FEATURE: Is teen trailblazer Tsitsipas a French Open force?

LR: This is a brutal draw for both, but I believe more so for two-time French Open semifinalist and world No.8 Dominic Thiem. The Austrian is more credentialed – but this only adds to the pressure he’ll feel against Tsitsipas. The Greek teen should be confident after winning 15 matches on clay this season (including four against top 20 opponents) and recording a career-first Grand Slam main draw match this week. The 19-year-old has nothing to lose and can swing more freely, which could be dangerous news for Thiem.