Stefanos Tsitsipas looks to get off to a winning start against Lorenzo Musetti on day 3 of the French Open in Paris. Our panelists have predictions for every match as the first round will complete at Roland Garros.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Lorenzo Musetti
Jack Edward: A doozy of a first-round opponent for Tsitsipas as he goes up against Musetti. Maybe it’s easy to forget Tsitsipas has the most wins on clay at Masters level this year after he was bagelled by Djokovic in Rome – if you’ve actually watched most of the Greek’s matches unfold however, you’d rightly feel quietly confident. The Italian could peak for a while but Tsitsipas should come through. Tsitsipas in 4
Yesh Ginsburg: Musetti looked ready to take on the world a year ago but has collapsed since then. Tsitsipas isn’t a favorite to win the tournament, but he could be up there. Tsitsipas in 3
Damian: It’s not an ideal first-round matchup, but Stefanos Tsitsipas should have enough power and free serve plus one points to stay ahead of Lorenzo Musetti. The Italian has so much potential and variety, but he often struggles to understand how to utilize his assets and create a working gameplan. Good news for Tsitsipas is that once he’s through here, next rounds will be even slightly easier.
Tsitsipas in 4
Hubert Hurkacz vs Giulio Zeppieri
Jack: Up-and-coming qualifier Giulio Zeppieri could make Hubert Hurkacz’s life difficult given his affinity for clay. It probably won’t be smooth sailing but Hurkacz’s serve is so on fire at the moment even the Parisian conditions shouldn’t stop him blasting through lower-ranked opposition. Hurkacz in 4
Yesh: Clay is his weakest surface, but Hubert Hurkacz is very quietly a potential serious threat at this French Open. This won’t be a challenging opener for him. Hurkacz in 3
Damian: Hurkacz’s mix of big serve and great movement in defense has made him very successful against lower-ranked opposition this year, even on his least favorite surface. Zeppieri has got that great lefty forehand, but his ability to deliver a focused and consistent performance over the best-of-five format is a little doubtful (he often struggles to do that across three sets). Hurkacz in 3
Frances Tiafoe vs Benjamin Bonzi
Jack: Frances Tiafoe is one of those few players I can feel both confident and flaky about on any given surface. He definitely has a game that can adapt to any surface but his fitness can sometimes let him down. Early in the tournament however, Tiafoe should have enough in the tank to defeat even as solid opponent in Bonzi. Tiafoe in 4
Yesh: A rough draw for both players. Bonzi is a Challenger Tour master who hasn’t quite found his Tour-level legs yet, while Tiafoe is talented but inconsistent against good players. In France, I’ll side with the Frenchman. Bonzi in 5
Damian: Frances Tiafoe wasn’t having a great season up until that Estoril runner-up finish, which felt pretty random with how many close matches he had to play there. Benjamin Bonzi is currently better indoors than on clay, but with the support of the crowd, he should tackle this one with confidence. His serve is great right now and he’ll need to find the confidence to look for backhands down-the-line.
Bonzi in 5
Ricardas Berankis vs Laslo Djere
Jack: Djere is one of those players that quietly chips away at the first few rounds of the biggest ATP clay-court events before going out to somebody higher-ranked than him. His base level is tough to break down – Berankis is unlikely to have what it takes to hang with him long enough for a win. Djere in 4
Yesh: Djere has quietly impressed me of late. I’m very curious what he can show at this Major. Djere in 4
Damian: This seems relatively easy with Ricardas Berankis playing just one clay match this year and generally not enjoying himself on this surface. Laslo Djere is not a player who will reach the second week here (most probably), but he’s extremely solid and tough to play against if you’re not feeling comfortable. This would be a very disappointing loss for the Serbian. Djere in 4
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