It’s time for the last week of tennis before Roland Garros, and the action continues on Monday in Lyon for the ATP 250 event on clay. LWOS predicts the six first-round matches slated for Day 2, with this set of predictions featuring Top 30 player Tomas Martin Etcheverry, in addition to multiple home Frenchmen.
ATP Lyon Day 2 Predictions
Hugo Gaston vs Daniel Galan
Head-to-head: Gaston 1-0
Both players had to come through qualifying to make this stage, and neither player dropped a set. Notably, Galan took out Pedro Cachin, who recently pushed Rafael Nadal in Madrid. With 24 wins on clay, Galan thrives on the surface and should feel at ease. For Gaston, he also plays well on clay courts but he especially thrives on the slow surface due to his impressive drop shot. Expect the Frenchman to use the home crowd to his advantage, and win in a close three-setter.
Prediction: Gaston in 3
Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs Nikolas Sanchez Izquierdo
Head-to-head: First meeting
Sanchez Izquierdo is a new face to the ATP tour this week after he stunned Constant Lestienne 3-6 6-1 7-6 (2) in qualifying last weekend. He won an ITF title in Spain earlier this month and should feel confident playing on a big court for one of the first times in his career. However, Etcheverry continues to thrive on the big stage, stringing together solid performances in Barcelona this year, and most recently losing to Hubert Hurkacz after a tight first set in Rome. The sixth-seeded Argentine should be the heavy favorite in this match and will have to stay consistent against a player with nothing to lose.
Prediction: Etcheverry in 2
Daniel Evans vs Arthur Rinderknech
Head-to-head: First meeting
Rinderknech returns to Lyon one year after a close loss to Brandon Nakashima, falling in a third-set tiebreaker. The same can be said for Rinderknech in his last tournament; he lost to Fransesco Passaro in a third-set tiebreak after holding match points in Rome. While pressure may be an issue playing in front of a home crowd, he thrives on the clay courts compared to Evans. Evans hasn’t won an ATP tour-level clay court match since April 2023, and his strong slice backhand won’t work as well as it would on other surfaces.
Prediction: Rinderknech in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
