The first day of the French Open sees Dominic Thiem look to get his first win of the 2022 season vs Hugo Dellien. Our panelists Damian Kust and Steen Kirby offer their predictions for this set of matches, and we have predictions for every day 1 match in Paris on clay.
Daniel Altmaier vs Jaume Munar
Damian Kust: Daniel Altmaier had some brilliant glimpses when he won the Heilbronn Challenger a couple of weeks ago. Will it be enough for Jaume Munar? It could be, but it feels like the Spaniard has taken his grinding to a whole new level this year. Munar in 5
Steen: Munar won their only meeting on clay, Altmaier won a challenger on clay, while Munar has been excellent this spring, winning a challenger title and a host of matches across tournaments on clay, he hasn’t had an early round exit in a bit and I’ll back him to keep winning. Munar in 4
Aljaz Bedene vs Christopher O’Connell
Damian: It might take a while for Aljaz Bedene to get back to his optimal form. Christopher O’Connell has been playing regularly and doing well, including winning a clay Challenger in Split a month ago. O’Connell in 4
Steen: O’Connell has had a good spring on clay including a challenger title, Bedene is just 1-4 in limited action this year returning from an injury. Bedene isn’t a bad player normally but this matchup looks like one way traffic given their form. O’Connell in 3
Dominic Thiem vs Hugo Dellien
Damian: Is this the moment when Dominic Them wins his first match post-surgery? It seems close and his opponents of late seem to be coming to play him with more motivation, seeking a win against a big name. If that happens again and in a more physical best-of-five format, he could get in trouble. Dellien in 5
Steen: With an 0-5 record since returning from injury, Thiem has gone from French Open contender to lucky to make it out of the first round. Dellien qualified for four ATP main draws on clay this Spring, he’s comfortable on the surface despite being the lesser known player here and he’s basically even odds, which is quite a surprise given the accomplishments of Thiem overall, and especially on clay. Form after injury is a tricky thing, Thiem should take at least a set here, but can he maintain a consistent high level across potentially five sets? That’s a much bigger question mark, and it’s why I have him winning, but dropping two sets in the process. Thiem in 5
Taro Daniel vs Gregoire Barrere
Damian: Taro Daniel is having the best season of his career, even if he frequency of making headlines died down a bit recently. Gregoire Barrere will enjoy the support of the crowd, but he would much rather play this matchup in faster conditions, where his backhand could reign supreme. Daniel in 4
Steen: Barrere won their only meeting, Daniel was a quarterfinalist in Belgrade and is more capable on clay than his counterpart. Barrere found some form qualifying for Lyon and reaching a challenger on clay in recent weeks, with home support he should be in this match, but I expect Daniel to go the distance. Daniel in 5
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