The top-ranked Frenchman, a pair of wily showmen, and the reigning Wimbledon champion set their sights on the second week of Roland Garros as the ATP third-round matches conclude.

Richard Gasquet vs. Fernando Verdasco

The French crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier was dealt a serious blow Thursday night when Milos Raonic rallied from two sets to one down to take down Frenchman Gilles Simon 7-5 in the fifth set. On Friday, Simon’s compatriot, Richard Gasquet, will have his chance to ignite the home crowd as he takes on Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.

This will be the 14th time Verdasco and Gasquet have faced each other. The Spaniard holds a 7-6 advantage, but Gasquet has a 4-3 lead on clay. Their most recent meeting came in the third round of Indian Wells this year, a match that Verdasco won in straight sets.

Verdasco and Gasquet are two players whose overwhelming levels of talent have produced consistently underwhelmed results. This match could prove to be a very one-sided affair if one of them fails to show up tomorrow.

The primary advantage that Verdasco will have in this match is his vicious lefty forehand. While it will be difficult to entirely break down Gasquet’s marvelous one-handed backhand, Verdasco will be able to make major inroads in the battle of court positioning. Gasquet tends to play well behind the baseline and can be pushed back even further when opponents go high and heavy to his backhand. Verdasco will also look to run around his own backhand and pound Gasquet’s technically awkward and protracted forehand.

For Gasquet, directing the action toward Verdasco’s backhand will be critical. The Spaniard has a solid backhand, but it can do far less damage than his forehand. It’ll be interesting to see if Gasquet decides to get on the attack or if he wants to drive Verdasco crazy with consistency. Gasquet has looked the better player thus far and with the support of the French crowd behind him, the Frenchman is going to have a great chance of making the fourth round for the fourth consecutive year.

Prediction: Gasquet in four sets

Fabio Fognini v. Gael Monfils

This one could be as much of a comedy show as it is a tennis match. Fognini and Monfils are two of the supreme entertainers our sport has ever seen. Both players are the ultimate daredevils, attempting and pulling off shots most players wouldn’t even think of trying. Supplementing their shot making skills is a propensity to engage the crowd, their team, the chair umpire and linesmen, and pretty much anything within the general vicinity of the court.

The last time Monfils and Fognini played at the French Open, there was no shortage of drama. The Italian rallied from a two-set deficit in a match clouded by controversy. Stretching into the Paris night, Monfils and Fognini played until nearly 10 p. m. in what some called the darkest conditions they’ve ever seen. Fognini appealed to stop play, but that appeal was not complied with until 9:55 p. m. and 5-5 in the fifth set.

Fognini leads the head-to-head 3-2 and won their most recent meeting in the third round of Indian Wells, saving two match points in the process. As far as strategy goes in this match, it is a pretty pointless conversation to have considering both of these guys are bound to do anything at any given time—no rhyme, no reason, and certainly no explanation.

Fognini and Monfils both exhibit a wide range of emotions. Monfils has an unprecedented ability to stimulate a highly electric, invigorated environment on any court he steps on. Fognini has a similar ability, but he can turn any crowd against him for lack of emotion and lack of effort.

With the support of the French crowd behind him and the more explosive firepower, look for Monfils to avenge his 2010 Roland Garros defeat at the hands of Fognini.

Prediction: Monfils in five sets

Andy Murray v. Philipp Kohlschreiber

When looking back on his career, Andy Murray certainly won’t be talking about his most previous meeting with Philipp Kohlschreiber on clay. Kohlschreiber took down Murray 6-2 6-1 in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters back in 2010.

Kohlschreiber has also done something that Murray has never achieved—beating a member of the Big Four on clay. The German took out Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros in 2009. Despite the fact that Murray and Kohlschreiber have both been on tour for quite some time now, they have only met that one time in Monte Carlo.

Kohlschreiber is currently on a six-match winning streak, carried over from his championship run last week in Dusseldorf. Murray has won four out of his last five matches. His sole loss came in the quarterfinals of Rome, where he pushed Rafael Nadal to a third set in a match that lasted nearly three hours.

Andy Murray is far removed from the player we saw get demolished by the German in Monte Carlo, but if shades of the old Murray appear tomorrow, Kohlschreiber will be ready to pounce and punish Murray’s passivity. Kohlschreiber is an extremely intelligent player with sound mechanics and a honed-in state of mind, but over five sets it’ll be a huge challenge from him to come up with enough quality points and shots to take down one of the most gifted retrievers on the slowest of surfaces.

Prediction: Murray in four sets