French Open Men’s Singles Quarterfinals Odds & Previews Oct 6: Thiem vs Schwartzman & Nadal vs Sinner

• Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner meet for the first time – in the French Open quarterfinals
• Diego Schwartzman has beaten Dominic Thiem twice but has lost to him six times
• Is there any chance the two best clay-courters in the world could lose? We break it down below

The men’s singles draw at the French Open hasn’t gone according to form.

No surprise, though: the three best players in the world are very much alive.

But how much gas does two-time finalist Dominic Thiem have left in the tank, after a grueling battle over French wild card Hugo Gaston in the round of 16 Sunday?

Dominic Thiem vs Diego Schwartzman Odds

Odds taken Oct. 5 at DraftKings

Out of Gas After Gaston Barrage

Thiem came into Paris without much time to rest and recover and process his US Open title.

But his first three rounds were routine.

And then he came up against young wild card Hugo Gaston in the round of 16.

After winning the first two sets, Thiem hit the wall physically. His leg weariness was exploited by the crafty French lefty, who threw more than 50 leg-busting drop shots at him.

It didn’t quite work. But what it did do was drain the Thiem gas tank.

Dominic Thiem vs Diego Schwartzman Head to Head

Will it be enough to make a difference against the speedy retriever Schwartzman?

Fresh Schwartzman With His Best Chance

The 28-year-old Argentine has defeated him twice. But Thiem has beaten him six times – including the last three. They have never met in a best-of-five set match.

Schwartzman has yet to lose a set in Paris. But he also hasn’t yet faced a player ranked in the top 40.

He’ll be fresh. But the Argentine’s chances of winning depend in part on how Thiem pulls up from his marathon on Sunday.

If the Austrian gets off to a slow start, there is a definite chance Schwartzman could wear him down. That’s why the odds are fairly close.

Thiem will be motivated to be extra efficient and aggressive.

Pick: Thiem in four sets.

Rafael Nadal vs Jannik Sinner Odds

For All the Challenges, Smooth Sailing for Nadal

Nadal complained about a lot of things before this French Open began.

The weather forecast was terrible.

The courts were slow.

The new brand of official French Open ball is heavy, slow – and potentially dangerous.

Once he got all that off his chest, Nadal got down to his usual business.

The 34-year-old Spaniard lost 10 games in his opening match, four in his second, five in his third-round match and four in the round of 16.

Rafael Nadal vs Jannik Sinner Head to Head

A Very Young Rival

Nadal turned pro the year Sinner was born. He became No. 1 in the world for the first time two days after Sinner turned seven.

The year Nadal turned 19, he won his first French Open.

He also won 10 other titles that season.

At 19, Sinner is still to win his first title.

Befriending a Future Rival

But the big guns know Sinner is the real deal. And they did what champions do: suss out the competition close up.

Sinner practiced with Djokovic on Friday, then with Nadal on Saturday before the French Open began.

Coming into the French Open, Sinner had just four career Grand Slam main-draw matches.

In his first-round match against Karen Khachanov at the US Open last month, he led two sets to none before fading. He rallied – only to lose in a fifth-set tiebreak.

A best-of-five encounter with Nadal on clay in Paris is an even tougher challenge.

Nadal might feel a few nerves facing someone so much younger. But not enough to lose.

Pick: Nadal in four sets