After a rocket of a Sunday start that saw Stefanos Tsitsipas thoroughly tested while Hubert Hurkacz and Karen Khachanov had to go five sets in their openers, Day 2 at the French Open will see top contenders Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz begin their campaigns. As always, we here at LWOT will preview and predict every match. Will we see a first-round upset?
French Open Day 2 Predictions
Marco Ceccinato vs Luca Van Assche
Nurein Ahmed: A fascinating matchup in store here. Cecchinato has a wealth of experience on clay and at the French Open. But Van Assche is the rising star of French tennis. The youngster will give us a taste of his potential here.
Prediction: Van Assche in 4
Damian Kust: Van Assche will probably bounce off the main tour a bit for now, probably to return stronger later. Is Cecchinato a player he can’t beat though? Definitely not. We’ve seen so many inspired French performances already with the roaring crowd behind them. In what seems like an even matchup, it’s enough for me to give the home player an edge.
Prediction: Van Assche in 5
Andreas: Ever since Cecchinato stunned Novak Djokovic and made the semifinals of the 2018 French Open, he hasn’t been relevant at the top tier of tennis since then. While the Italian is undoubtedly a clay-court specialist, this match should be tough against Van Assche, a rising French talent. I’d be surprised if this match doesn’t go the distance.
Prediction: Van Assche in 5
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Cameron Norrie vs Benoit Paire
Nurein: Paire and Norrie will be keen to bounce back after both endured horror shows in Geneva and Lyon respectively. With Paire, headspace tends to dictate his matches, but he’ll super pumped for the occasion here. Norrie might be on court for a lot longer than he anticipates.
Prediction: Norrie in 5
Andreas: I’d call this match an easy win for Norrie until the bizarre Khachanov/Lestienne match on Day 1. French players are bringing their best at this tournament, and Norrie may easily be rattled early on in this occasion. His experience and solid form should get him the win, but it absolutely won’t be easy.
Prediction: Norrie in 5
Damian: Norrie’s form is a bit AWOL at the moment and that opens up some possibilities for Paire. The Frenchman will never be a consistent force anymore, but he can produce on a given day, especially here. Prepare for a wild match with a great atmosphere and Paire actually pushing Norrie.
Prediction: Norrie in 5
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Roberto Bautista Agut vs Wu Yibing
Nurein: It’s not often you get to see Bautista Agut have a negative win-loss record coming to the French Open. That’s the situation he finds himself in. Yibing Wu is untested at this level and there are doubts pertaining to his fitness after retiring in Geneva. The veteran should roll.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 3
Andreas: Bautista Agut hasn’t been at his best in recent months, all while Yibing Wu is one of the new talents on the ATP tour. However, Wu is a doubt in this tournament after retiring against Zverev due to injury, and he’s had a multitude of injuries over the course of his young career. Best-of-5 matches will be a challenge for him, and Bautista Agut has the game to grind out a win.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 4
Damian: Wu had a bit of an awakening in Geneva, but the faster clay conditions really helped him there. That said, not an unwinnable matchup against a struggling Bautista Agut. If only the Chinese hadn’t retired last week, maybe I would have been going for the slight upset here.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 4
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Jannik Sinner vs Alexandre Muller
Nurein: Jannik Sinner will be extremely disappointed with his results on this year’s clay swing. He had a golden chance to win his first Masters in Monte Carlo, but defeat to Holger Rune has been tough to digest. He’ll need to get his bearings right in Paris, and while there will be much tougher tests ahead, I can’t see him struggling here.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Andreas: A typical primetime night match featuring a top 8 seed against a motivated Frenchman. The first night session match of 2023 Roland Garros, Sinner hasn’t had the best clay court season, making this a tough first-round matchup against the home favorite. Expect Muller to bring his best tennis, but for Sinner to just pull through.
Prediction: Sinner in 4
Damian: Muller’s Marrakech run is likely to be a flash in the pan and the Frenchman doesn’t seem to have a tour-level calibre game for now. Sinner is under a bit of a question mark after his showing in Rome, but this is a really good draw for him and one where he should be rather safely through.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
