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, Gael Monfils vs Hugo Gaston, Tommy Paul vs Rinky Hijikata, Casper Ruud vs Roman Safiullin, and Rafael Jodar vs Alexandar Kovacevic. Predicting these matches are Zain Mustafa, Ilemona Onekutu, and Amanda Bergman. Who do you think will win?
French Open Day 2 Men’s Predictions
Toby Samuel vs Alex de Minaur
Zain:
Toby Samuel ground his way through the qualifying round, but now he faces Alex de Minaur, whose floor level normally is high enough to come through against lower-ranked opponents. Despite the Australian possibly being fatigued by a deep run in Hamburg last week, he should still cruise to a victory here.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3
Ilemona:
Alex de Minaur moves exceptionally well and competes hard on every point, even on clay. Samuel brings some baseline steadiness but lacks the weapons to consistently pressure de Minaur. The Australian’s fitness and consistency look strong here.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3
Amanda:
After struggling to get wins for much of the season, Alex de Minaur found some of his stride last week in Hamburg and has positive momentum coming into this match. His opponent, Toby Samuel, came through qualifying to make his first-ever Grand Slam main draw. De Minaur should be able to put this match away quickly if he can find his best tennis, or even just decent tennis.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3
Marcos Giron vs Yibing Wu
Zain:
This match will likely be decided by which player has the better aggressive ball-striking day. While Wu Yibing is very capable of winning this encounter, I edge towards the American because of his better serve and point construction ability.
Prediction: Giron in 5
Ilemona:
Marcos Giron has good experience and can grind effectively from the baseline. Wu Yibing possesses clean strokes but has been less consistent lately on clay. Giron’s steadiness and clay know-how should carry him through.
Prediction: Giron in 4
Amanda:
Neither Wu Yibing nor Marcos Giron have found much success at the Tour-level lately, with both of their biggest results this year coming in Challengers. Neither are particularly proficient clay-court players, so Giron’s athleticism and ability to stay in long rallies will give him an advantage that he wouldn’t necessarily have against a clay-court player. Giron is also no stranger to five-setters, so the match going long could work in his favor.
Prediction: Giron in 4
Matteo Berrettini vs Marton Fucsovics
Zain:
All the physical issues look to have finally caught up to Matteo Berrettini, who now not only is ranked outside the Top 100 but looks like a shell of the player he once was. That proposition against Marton Fucsovics, whose bread and butter is to make matches physical, might be a cause for concern for the Italian. But despite that, Berrettini’s forehand is just too big of a weapon for me to overlook, as he gets back some much-needed momentum here.
Prediction: Berrettini in 5
Ilemona:
Matteo Berrettini’s big serve and flat shots can be very effective on clay when he’s healthy and confident. Marton Fucsovics is crafty but often struggles against that kind of power. Berrettini’s recent resurgence gives him the clear edge.
Prediction: Berrettini in 3
Amanda:
It hasn’t been a good year for Matteo Berrettini, and he’s fallen out of the Top 100 as a result. Although Marton Fucsovics has struggled to get wins this clay season, he’s been to the fourth round of the French Open before and has proven he can win matches here. Berrettini has the slight head-to-head advantage, but it’s hard to imagine he can maintain a decent level for the three sets he needs.
Prediction: Fucsovics in 4
Ben Shelton vs Daniel Merida
Zain:
Since winning in Munich, it has been a clay swing to forget for Ben Shelton as he has just won one of his last four matches. Daniel Merida Aguilar’s rally tolerance and ability to grind down opponents can be an asset on clay, but Ben Shelton has shown over the years that he plays his best in the best-of-five format, and on the back of his serve and lefty forehand should get the win here.
Prediction: Shelton in 4
Ilemona:
Ben Shelton’s big serve and athleticism can trouble anyone, but he is still adapting to longer clay rallies. The home wildcard will enjoy the crowd but faces serious firepower. Shelton’s raw power and improving clay game should prevail if he stays aggressive.
Prediction: Shelton in 3
Amanda:
Ben Shelton hasn’t exactly looked sharp on clay in the last few weeks, but one thing that has been consistent in his career is finding his best level at Grand Slams. Daniel Merida has less exposure to this state, and even though he’s more comfortable on the surface, Shelton’s overall tennis skill and Grand Slam experience give him the edge:
Prediction: Shelton in 4
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
