French Open: Day 12 predictions, tips and bet builder

Lois Boisson has taken the world by storm after becoming the lowest ranked player to reach the semi-final stage of a grand slam.

For the French, this is monumental. The country has been waiting for 14 years to see one of their own compete in the final four, with Marion Bartoli doing the honours back in 2011.

Ranked 361st in the world, Boisson has defied all expectations to become her country’s long-awaited tennis superstar. Question is, can she defeat Coco Gauff to make a historic French Open final?

The other semi promises to be just as thrilling. Four-time champion Iga Swiatek goes head-to-head with tournament favourite Aryna Sabalenka in a match which normally would make for a superb final.

While Swiatek endured shaky form ahead of her arrival in Paris, the Pole’s muscle memory appears to have kicked in, with the defending champion producing some of her best tennis of the season.

Sabalenka, on the other hand, is absolutely flying on all fronts. The Belarusian is chasing her first French Open crown but will need to defeat a clay court master before having a shot at gold.

Here’s a closer look at the pick of the action on day 12 of the French Open, including a look at some of the best bets. 

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

French Open day 12 tips

Sabalenka v Swiatek over 2.5 sets – 6/5

Boisson v Gauff over 2.5 sets – 19/10

Aryna Sabalenka v Iga Swiatek

As far as epic Roland Garros encounters go, this one has the potential to be right up there.

Sabalenka has been chasing the French Open crown for years but has always ended up in Swiatek’s shadow.

To say the Pole has dominated in Paris would be a massive understatement, considering she has won four of the previous five editions of the event.

Swiatek is becoming the female version of Rafael Nadal, who coincidentally is one of her biggest sporting heroes.

Over the years, Nadal had dips in form but always delivered on the Roland Garros stage. It appears that Swiatek is following that same route, with the 24-year-old threatening to continue her epic winning run in Paris – a run which currently stands at 26 straight French Open match wins.

Swiatek boasts an 8-4 record against Sabalenka, including five wins from six matches on clay. However, with the Belarusian in sterling form, we need to brace ourselves for a potentially tight encounter.

TIP: Over 2.5 sets

Lois Boisson v Coco Gauff

Looking back through history, there are examples of players with low rankings going on to win grand slams.

Back in 2007, Serena Williams claimed the Australian Open crown despite being ranked 81st. Chris O’Neil famously won the Australian Open title from a ranking of 111 back in 1976.

The likes of Goran Ivanisevic and Mark Edmondson are two good examples of the same phenomenon from the men’s draw.

The chances of Boisson going on to win the French Open are low, but it’s certainly not impossible.

One of the big factors in her favour during her semi-final win over Mirra Andreeva was the 15,000 fans who cheered her way to victory.

The Philippe-Chatrier crowd went nuts with every point, making it a difficult environment for her teenage opponent to handle.

Gauff has more experience at this level and perhaps won’t feel as intimidated as the Russian. Nevertheless, there’s no doubting who the capacity crowd wants to win.

Gauff came through a demanding quarter-final clash against Australian Open champion Madison Keys. The American produced 41 unforced errors but ultimately progressed after a three-set slog.

We expect another three-set encounter on Thursday as Boisson looks to make more French Open history.

TIP: Over 2.5 sets

French Open prize money

Winner - €2,550,000

Finalist - €1,275,000    

Semi-finalist - €690,000

Quarter-finalist - €440,000

Round-of-16 - €265,000

Round-of-32 - €168,000

Round-of-64 - €117,000

Round-of-128 - €78,000

French Open where to watch

Fans in the United Kingdom can follow the action live on TNT Sports and Discovery +. Coverage in France will be provided by France TV and Amazon Prime. The rest of Europe can enjoy the action on Eurosport.

TNT Sports, HBO Max and truTV share the coverage of Roland-Garros matches in the USA, with Canadian supporters able to watch on TSN and RDS.

French Open singles schedule:

May 25-27: Men's and women's singles first round

May 28-29: Men's and women's singles second round

May 30-31: Men's and women's singles third round

June 1-2: Men's and women's singles fourth round

June 3-4: Men's and women's singles quarter-finals

June 5: Women's singles semi-finals

June 6: Men's singles semi-finals

June 7: Women's singles final

June 8: Men's singles final

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