The big ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris begins with the home players hoping to better their records in Paris. Two of their hopefuls hope to advance to the next round. We at LWOT offer our predictions.
ATP Paris Day 1 Predictions
Tomas Machac vs Arthur Rinderknech
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Tomas Machac is in the form of his life and is likely to win this encounter with the Frenchman, who has yet to win a single match at the Paris Masters. Machac has played a ton of matches over the last few weeks, and considering he retired just over a week ago in Almaty, I think Arthur Rinderknech will fancy his chances here if he can hold his serve.
Prediction: Rinderknech in 3
Alexander Bublik vs Fabio Fognini
Head–to–Head: Fognini 1 vs 0 Bublik
Fabio Fognini has delivered decent performances in recent weeks, and his two solid wins over Arthur Cazaux and Fabian Marsozan convince me he is in the mood to rekindle some old magic, especially against one of the more inconsistent players in the game.
Prediction: Fognini in 2
Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs Zhizhen Zhang
Head–to–Head: Etcheverry 1 vs 0 Zhang
Zhizhen Zhang has capitulated since he lost the Hangzhou final to Marin Cilic in front of his home fans in a bitterly fought contest that required two tie-breakers. While the Chinese have won their lone encounter, look for the Argentinians to even their head-to-head in their first match outside China.
Prediction: Etcheverry in 2
Ugo Humbert vs Brandon Nakashima
Head–to–Head: Humbert 3 vs 1 Nakashima
It is a complete mystery why French players haven’t done well in their home events over the years, and Ugo Humbert must be looking to go one step further as the top-ranked French player heading into this tournament against a player he has beaten three out of four times. While it promises to be a difficult encounter for Humbert, he’ll want this more.
Prediction: Humbert in 3
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
