It has been another fantastic start to the tennis season and the ATP Open Occitanie in Montpellier, France will be the first tournament after the completion of the Australian Open. This is the 15th edition of this beautiful tournament and there are many exciting players to watch for the fans. As always, we at LWOT will offer our predictions for every match on the slate for Day 1. But who will advance?
ATP Montpellier Day 1 Predictions
Dominik Koepfer vs Gregoire Barrere
Head-to-Head: First meeting
French wild card Gregoire Barrere will take on Germany’s Dominik Koepfer in the first round of Open Occitanie. Barrere is a two-time quarterfinalist at this event and has recently done well on hard courts at the Challenger level. Koepfer is also a good hardcourt player and the indoor conditions will favour his game style. There is nothing much to separate these two but I am going with the German.
Prediction: Koepfer in 3
Yunchaokete Bu vs Daniel Altmaier
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Hard courts are not the best surface of Daniel Altmaier but he has started the season decently. Altmaier qualified for the main draw in Auckland and then reached the second round of the Australian Open. However, these quick courts will favour Yunchaokete’s powerful game more. The Chinese player has the advantage of having a more solid backhand and can hit winners from anywhere from his forehand. If he doesn’t make many errors, he will win this match.
Prediction: Bu in 3
Stan Wawrinka vs Arthur Cazaux
Head-to-Head: First meeting
This match must be exciting as these two are also doubles partners this week. Stan Wawrinka is playing this event for the first time in his career and he desperately needs some match wins. The Swiss has lost his last three matches across all competitions, and this will be a difficult battle against a local player. Arthur Cazaux has had a few solid matches this season and will like his chances against Wawrinka. If Cazaux can serve well and make Wawrinka uncomfortable, he has a solid chance of winning.
Prediction: Cazaux in 3
Main Photo Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
