After her stunning victory over former top-10 player Beatriz Haddad Maia in round one, Britain's Francesca Jones will be hoping to continue her French Open journey when she faces Marie Bouzkova on Wednesday.
Jones secured her maiden victory in the main draw of a Grand Slam event in dramatic style, battling back from a set and a break down against Haddad Maia, who made the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2023, eventually coming through 1-6 7-6 6-2.
Her reward for reaching the last 64 will be a clash with 27th-seed Bouzkova, who enjoyed a more serene time in the first round, dispatching Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti 6-3 6-1.
Francesca Jones v Marie Bouzkova Tips Summary
Best Bet - Marie Bouzkova to win in straight sets @ 8/11
Alternative Bet - Francesca Jones 8+ double faults @ 3/1
Bet Builder - Over 7.5 breaks of serve, Match total sets - 2 & Under 20.5 games @ 9/2
Francesca Jones v Marie Bouzkova Prediction
Best Bet: Marie Bouzkova to win in straight sets @ 8/11
Jones celebrated arguably the biggest win of her career after battling back against Haddad Maia and the tears were flowing not only because she had won a Grand Slam singles match for the first time, but also as it came off the back of what had been a tough start to 2026.
After breaking into the world's top 70 at the start of the year, injuries, including a freak accident in the gym that left her in hospital, had disrupted Jones' progress, and, although she will be hoping this represents an upturn in fortunes, it is hard to see her battling past an in-form opponent such as Bouzkova.
Bouzkova is bidding to reach the French Open third round for the third year in a row and she was ruthless in her victory over Bronzetti in her opening match, dropping only four games.
The Czech star showed her qualities on clay just last month when winning the Copa Colsanitas in Colombia - her third title at WTA Tour level - and it was achieved after only dropping one set in the tournament.
Early exits at the Madrid and Italian Opens since that success can be forgiven, with Bouzkova, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, looking set for a deep run in Paris this year and she should dispatch of Jones with the minimum of fuss.
Alternative Bet: Francesca Jones 8+ double faults @ 3/1
These two players are not known for their big serves and Jones, in particular, struggled to get hers going during her first-round victory over Haddad Maia.
The 25-year-old fired off eight double faults over the course of that match and that tally may be at least replicated against Bouzkova, particularly if her higher-ranked opponent puts the pressure on by establishing an early lead.
Jones has produced three times as many double faults as she has aces so far this season and her serve could let her down in this second-round match.
Francesca Jones v Marie Bouzkova Bet Builder Tip
- Over 7.5 breaks of serve
- Match total sets - 2
- Under 20.5 games
Pays 9/2
Unsurprisingly given Jones served eight double faults in round one, she struggled to hold her serve, winning just six of her 14 service games against Haddad Maia.
Bouzkova did win seven of her eight service games against Bronzetti, but there is a vulnerability to her service as well, underlined by the fact she didn't serve a single ace during that match and committed three double faults.
The chances of over 7.5 breaks of serve in this match, therefore, appears high, even if, as expected, this is a contest that does not go to a deciding set.
With just 16 games having been contested in her first-round win over Bronzetti, Bouzkova will expect to produce a similarly ruthless display against Jones, who may still be feeling the physical and emotional effects of making this stage of a Grand Slam for the first time.
The game-line has been set at 20.5 and it feels unlikely that this contest will go beyond that.
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Key Match Stats
- Francesca Jones has made it through to second round of a Grand Slam for first time
- Marie Bouzkova is bidding to reach third round of the French Open for third year in a row
- Bouzkova's best performance in a Grand Slam singles even came when she reached Wimbledon 2022 quarter-finals
- This will be the first-ever meeting between Jones and Bouzkova at WTA Tour level
- Jones and Katie Boulter are the only British women who have made it through to the second round
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
