There should be plenty of entertaining action on day two at the ATP Montpellier Open with seven first-round matches on the slate in France. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Lucas Pouille vs Gilles Simon. But who will book their place in the last 16?
ATP Montpellier Day 2 Predictions
Pierre-Hugues Herbert vs Peter Gojowczyk
Head-to-head: Herbert 1-1 Gojowczyk
Pierre Hugues-Herbert’s decline in singles has been something of a surprise, with the Frenchman having fallen outside the top 100, and he had to come through the qualifying to reach the main draw at the ATP Montpellier Open as a result. But he did look sharp in Sascha Gueymard Wayenburg and Mikhail Kukushkin, and he has traditionally enjoyed playing on indoor hard courts. The problem for the Frenchman is that Peter Gojowczyk also enjoys these conditions.
That said, he has hardly been in form himself. And, although their head-to-head is tied at one-win apiece, this does not look like a particularly good matchup for the German. His flat groundstrokes are often effective, but against a player who relies on his net game and his slice as much as Herbert? It is certainly less than ideal for Gojowczyk. If Herbert can serve well and find a way to get on the front foot quickly as often as possible, expect him to have too much for Gojowczyk.
Prediction: Herbert in 3
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Alex Molcan vs Damir Dzumhur
Head-to-head: Molcan 2-0 Dzumhur
Damir Dzumhur carved out an excellent career for himself, but the Bosnian has badly lost his way over the last two years and he started this week ranked outside the world’s top 150. That is a fairly significant decline for a man who broke into the top 25 in 2018, though he did play some good tennis to come through the qualifying in Montpellier. Alex Molcan, by way of contrast, is a player on the rise.
The Slovakian is currently at a career-high ranking of world #72 and impressed in reaching the quarterfinals at one of the ATP events in Melbourne, though he was unable to follow that up at the Australian Open. Still, he should be feeling confident, not least because he beat Dzumhur twice last season. Expect him to extend that head-to-head advantage.
Prediction: Molcan in 2
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Corentin Moutet vs Mikael Ymer
Head-to-head: first meeting
Somewhat surprisingly, this is the first meeting between this pair in the professional ranks despite the fact that they have, more or less, come up through those ranks together. It should also be an interesting match, with Corentin Moutet’s greatest strength his ability to make life difficult for his opponents set to be pitted against one of the better athletes and more consistent ball-strikers on the ATP Tour in Mikael Ymer.
The Swede does still lack some power, which is what has held him back against the very best in the game, but he is a very hard man to hit through or outlast. Moutet, though a good mover in his own right, does not have such solid defence. But he has a wide variety of shots and, for the most part, is a good judge of when to use them. Still, provided he can stay patient and avoid looking to play too far outside of his own natural game, Ymer should have the beating of the Frenchman.
Prediction: Ymer in 3
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