First-round competitors on the French Open will wrap up on Tuesday, when Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina can be amongst those that take the court docket. Belgian veteran David Goffin and French teenager Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard are additionally on the schedule.
Listed below are my previews and picks for 2 of Tuesday’s finest matchups.
David Goffin vs. (WC) Giovanni Mpetshi PerricardMpetshi Perricard captured his first ATP title final week in Lyon, the place he fought off one championship level earlier than beating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(7) in solely his third tour-level event. The 20-year-old Frenchman required a wild card for Roland Garros since he was outdoors the highest 100 on the entry deadline, however he climbed from 117th to 66th and due to this fact received’t be requiring any main wild playing cards within the close to future.
Up first for GMP on Tuesday is Goffin, who misplaced their solely earlier assembly 7-5, 6-3 final 12 months on the indoor onerous courts of Antwerp. It’s Mpetshi Perricard who has home-court benefit this time, however Goffin can by no means be discounted at RG. The 33-year-old Belgian, who additionally enjoys loads of crowd assist at this occasion, was a quarterfinalist in 2016 and has superior to at the least the third spherical on seven events. Nevertheless, at this level in his profession he has been struggling bodily of late and finds himself down at a hundred and fifteenth within the rankings. It is a good alternative for Mpetshi Perricard to maintain the momentum going.
Choose: Mpetshi Perricard in 4
Flavio Cobolli vs. (Q) Hamad MedjedovicThis battle between two of final season’s NextGen ATP Finals contributors figures to be the most effective of the primary spherical. Medjedovic, who received the NextGen title, has not been in a position to construct on that success in 2024 due to a nasty sickness, however he’s beginning to get again on observe. The 20-year-old Serb superior to spherical three in Rome as a qualifier after which certified for the French Open with straight-set defeats of Lucas Pouille, Filip Krajinovic, and Gregory Blancaneaux.
Cobolli has earned 15 of his 21 ATP-level match wins already in 2024. The 22-year-old Italian is as much as No. 53 on the planet thanks partly to a third-round effort on the Australian Open and a semifinal displaying final week in Geneva, the place he fell to eventual champion Casper Ruud 7-6 within the third. With Medjedovic having already been at RG for an entire week whereas scoring three qualies victories, the world No. 135 could possibly capitalize on a fatigued opponent.
Choose: Medjedovic in 5Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and likewise maintains his personal tennis web site, The Grandstand. You may comply with him on Twitter at @Dimonator.
