French Open 2014: Day 4 preview for Roland Garros
By Josh Sanchez
After two notable competitors were bounced from the opening round of the 2014 French Open — Australian Open winners Stan Wawrinka and Li Na — the remainder of the top players left in the tournament were put on notice.
When the action rolls on in Day 4, it will be as crucial as ever to maintain focus and avoid a big letdown.
Day 4 marks the beginning of the second round at Roland Garros, which means there will be plenty of exciting match ups to watch and the action begins bright and early.
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On today’s schedule, there will be notable appearances by Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in the men’s bracket, while the women’s bracket will feature Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams taking the court.
Here is the full run down of today’s match schedule.
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Storyline to watch
When Serena Williams takes the court against No. 35 Garbine Muguruza, there will be a lot more on the line than simply the opportunity to advance in the tournament.
If Williams wins, she will await the winner of her sister Venus’ match against No. 56 Anna Schmiedlova.
Both women are favored to come away with the wins on Wednesday, which would set up the earliest meeting between the two sisters in a tournament since 1998.
While that may be difficult for the sisters, it will make for fascinating television to those who are watching the French Open unfold at home.
Who to watch
Not only is Novak Djokovic the top-ranked man taking the court at Roland Garros on Wednesday, but he may just be one of the most entertaining competitors in the 2014 French Open field.
Djokovic will be facing off against Jeremy Chardy in his second-round match up, which will be no easy task, but the Serbian star should be able to maintain his focus and come away with the win as he continues to advance towards the final and attempts to bring home the French Open for the first time in his career.
There is a bit of a history between Djokovic and Chardy, with the two men meeting eight times since 2009.
Unfortunately for the Frenchman, Djokovic has won every single game, set and match in their previous meetings. There is no reason to believe the Serb won’t be able to continue his dominance on Wednesday and we may even get to see another incredible moment between Djokovic and a ball boy.
There is no telling how the action will unfold throughout Day 4 at Roland Garros, but it looks to be one of the most intriguing rounds of the first week.
With such star power littered throughout the schedule, we could be in for some excellent matches that will set up for even more fascinating rounds of play as the tournament progresses over the next two weeks.
Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com throughout the duration of the 2014 French Open as we keep you up to date on the latest news and results.