Predicted Winners in BOLD

[7] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) vs. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) – This is not the easiest draw.  Each player has won Roland Garros.  Still, Ostapenko should win.

[5] Venus Williams (USA) vs. Belinda Bencic (SUI) – Another interesting draw, but I think Venus’ solid 2017 earns her the benefit of the doubt.

[23] Daria Gavrilova (AUS) vs. [Q] Irina Falconi (ITA) – Daria Gavrilova being seeded is good for the Aussie and her fans.  I would not be shocked if she lost this match though.

[13] Sloane Stephens (USA) vs. Shuai Zhang (CHN) – Post-grand slam slumps are real.  I think this is close to a 50-50 match.

Samantha Stosur (AUS) vs. Monica Puig (PUR) – Huge opportunity for both players.  I think Stosur wins as Puig has not shown any winning form since her 2016 gold medal.  Stosur has been a bit more consistent and is playing on home soil.

[2] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Mihaela Buzărnescu (ROU) – Could the Wizard of Woz’s major breakthrough come years after people thought it was a lost cause?  Maybe.

[12] Julia Georges (GER) vs. Sofia Kenin (USA) – Georges could be as good of a pick as any for the final 8.

[10] Coco Vandeweghe (USA) vs. Timea Babos (HUN) – Coco reached 2 major semifinals in 2017.  Can she go one or two steps further here?

[19] Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) vs. Taylor Townsend (USA) – I have to put some sort of upset pick out there.

[24] Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) vs. Kaia Kanepi (EST) – Cibulkova is always a tough out in Oz.

[WC] Jaimee Fourlis (AUS) vs. [WC] Olivia Rogowska (AUS) – Two Aussie wildcards and one will get at least 2nd round ranking points.  In some ways, this is ideal for Tennis Australia.

[4] Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs. [Q] Ivana Jorovic (SRB) – The #4 seed is being put on a side court.  Strange.

Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) vs. Alison Riske (USA) –  Both of these players are dangerous floaters.  I think Riske advances.

Jana Fett (CRO) vs. Misa Eguchi (JPN)

[31] Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) vs. Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) – I like both players’ games.  This is a tough call, but Makarova seems a little more steady to me.

[25] Shuai Peng (CHN) vs. [Q] Marta Kostyuk (UKR)

[15] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) vs. Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) – Geopolitical implications …

Ying-Ying Duan (CHN) vs. Mariana Duque-Mariño (COL)

Pauline Parmentier (FRA) vs. qualifier – Uneducated guess here

[32] Anett Kontaveit (EST) vs. Aleksandra Krunic (SRB)

Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) vs. [Q] Denisa Allertova (CZE)

Jennifer Brady (USA) vs. Magda Linette (POL)

[22] Daria Kasatkina (RUS) vs. [Q] Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK)

Monica Niculescu (ROU) vs. Mona Barthel (GER) – Romanian tennis is on the uptick

Johanna Larsson (SWE) vs. [Q] Luksika Kumkhum (THA)

Alizé Cornet (FRA) vs. Xinyu Wang (CHN) – Cornet is good at tennis and a cagey competitor.

[30] Kiki Bertens (NED) vs. Catherine Bellis (USA)

Katerina Siniakova (CZE) vs. Maria Sakkari (GRE)

Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) vs. [Q] Magdalena Frech (POL)

Petra Martic (SLO) vs. Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL)

Elise Mertens (BEL) vs. [Q] Viktoria Kozmova (SVK)

Nicole Gibbs (USA) vs. [Q] Viktoriya Tomova (BUL)