Day 2 of the French Open will see 24 men’s singles matches as we get into the meat of the first round. The best in the world will fight for their place in Round 2. And, as always, our writers here at LWOT will share their thoughts on who it will be. We split the 24 matches between this article and five others. The other articles feature Stan Wawrinka vs Jesper de Jong, Tommy Paul vs Rinky Hijikata, Ben Shelton vs Daniel Merida, Casper Ruud vs Roman Safiullin, and Rafael Jodar vs Alexandar Kovacevic. Predicting these matches are Zain Mustafa, Manuel Traquete, and Ilemona Onekutu. Who do you think will win?
French Open Day 2 Men’s Predictions
Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Terence Atmane
Zain:
Consistently plagued by physical issues, this will only be Thanasi Kokkinakis’s third match on tour this year. Against a player in Terence Atmane, whose lefty angles and serve on clay can be real weapons, along with the crowd’s energy, this match might be a bridge too far for the Aussie.
Prediction: Atmane in 3
Manuel:
While clay is far from Atmane’s favorite surface, Kokkinakis has barely been playing tennis at all in recent years, with injuries completely derailing his career. If he could play at his best level, he could definitely win this match, but that is unlikely to happen.
Prediction: Atmane in 4
Ilemona:
Atmane will have the crowd behind him, and his aggressive game on clay can be dangerous. Kokkinakis is a more experienced player but has never been particularly prolific on clay. The home crowd lift and Atmane’s comfort on this surface make this genuinely competitive. Atmane’s desire and crowd support should edge a close contest.
Prediction: Atmane in 4
Patrick Kypson vs Luca Van Assche
Zain:
This match will likely come down to Patrick Kypson’s serve up against Luca Van Assche’s court coverage. Van Assche will have the crowd behind him, but he is in terrible form, and I expect that to play a part in this, as the more confident player raises his game under pressure to get the win.
Prediction: Kypson in 4
Manuel:
There is very little to separate these two players in terms of both ranking and level of play, but Van Assche is coming into this tournament on a terrible five match losing streak and certainly very low on confidence, so Kypson might well edge this one out.
Prediction: Kypson in 5
Ilemona:
Luca Van Assche has been building steadily on clay with solid baseline work. Patrick Kypson can hit big but needs to find consistency over long matches. Van Assche’s movement and comfort on the surface give him the upper hand.
Prediction: Van Assche in 4
Aleksandar Vukic vs Raphael Collignon
Zain:
Aleksandar Vukic is more suited to faster courts, given his first-strike and big-serving gamestyle. On slower courts, where rallies will be longer, Raphael Collignon can dictate play from the back of the court to his advantage enough to get the win here.
Prediction: Collignon in 4
Manuel:
Collignon has been steadily rising up the rankings and on clay he should have a very clear edge in this matchup against a player who is on the verge of dropping out of the Top 100 and is not particularly comfortable on this surface.
Prediction: Collignon in 3
Ilemona:
Aleksandar Vukic brings power from both sides but can struggle with clay movement. Raphael Collignon is a strong all-around player with improving results on dirt. Collignon’s balance and recent level should help him come through.
Prediction: Collignon in 3
Gael Monfils vs Hugo Gaston
Zain:
An all-French affair in Paris sees Hugo Gaston take on Gael Monfils, in what might be the latter’s final match ever at the French Open. While Gaston will be consistent enough from the back of the court to make Monfils work hard for this, Monfils has over the years shown that he can raise his game at the Majors, and if he does so again here, he might just have one more magical night in Paris left in him.
Prediction: Monfils in 5
Manuel:
Monfils is playing his last ever Roland Garros and, at least on paper, he got a good draw here to get at least one win. Although he hasn’t been winning much so far this year, he might well muster one last good performance at the French Open here.
Prediction: Monfils in 5
Ilemona:
Gael Monfils is playing his last French Open and brings incredible athleticism and flair to the court. Hugo Gaston loves the clay and uses variety to frustrate opponents in front of the home crowd. This matchup could be full of excitement, with Monfils’ experience edging it out.
Prediction: Monfils in 5
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
