Monday 2 June 2014 15:32, UK
Andy Murray will be back on court for a third straight day when he takes on Fernando Verdasco in the fourth round of the French Open on Monday.
The British No 1 started his marathon third-round clash with Philipp Kohlschreiber on Saturday but had to come back and finish the marathon five-set contest a day later.
On Monday he has been scheduled in the third match on Court Suzanne Lenglen, where he will go up against Spaniard Verdasco, a man who is only seeded 24th at Roland Garros but is a dangerous baseliner who is comfortable on clay and has a wealth of experience.
The two have met 10 times previously, most famously in last year’s Wimbledon quarter-final when Murray had to fight back from two sets down to stay in the tournament.
Overall Murray holds a 9-1 lead, Verdasco’s only victory coming at the Australian Open five years ago.
The winner of that clash will face either Verdasco’s compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez or French hope Gael Monfils, who are last up on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Elsewhere in the men’s fourth round, top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal will face surprise package Dusan Lajovic in the second match on Philippe Chatrier.
Lajovic had only every appeared in the main draw of one Grand Slam before the Roland Garros fortnight but has quietly made his way through to the last 16 in Paris.
However, his early-round wins over Federico Delbonis, Jurgen Zopp and Jack Sock are hardly the most suitable preparations for a clash with a player who has won the French Open no less than eight times previously.
If Nadal comes through, as expected, he could set-up a rematch of last year’s final against David Ferrer, who plays Kevin Anderson on Suzanne Lenglen.
Meanwhile, the marquee clash of the day in the women’s draw sees fourth seed Simona Halep go up against American Sloane Stephens on Philippe Chatrier.
Rising star Halep is the second favourite for the title but faces a real test against Stephens, who often raises her game at the major tournaments.
The winner of that match will face either 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova or Czech player Lucie Safarova, who do battle on Suzanne Lenglen.
Jelena Jankovic’s match with former finalist Sara Errani is another intriguing clash, with the winner going on to face either Kiki Bertens or Andrea Petkovic.
