We've got three picks from the French Open first round today, all on clay. A few interesting matchups here, and at least one that could go either way. So who takes them?
French Open Predictions
Tomas Machac vs Alexander Zverev
Head-to-head: Zverev leads 1-0
Machac is a genuinely exciting player and one of the more improved names on tour this year, but Zverev on clay is a different problem altogether. He's become so good at not panicking in rallies and the slower conditions in Paris should let him dictate the pace from the baseline the way he likes to.
Their only previous meeting went to Zverev, and nothing about Machac's game suggests he'll flip that here. Zverev wins this.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Alex De Minaur vs Alexander Blockx
Head-to-head: De Minaur leads 1-0
This is the one that gets tricky. De Minaur holds the H2H lead, but Blockx is ranked inside the top 40 and clay is not exactly De Minaur's most comfortable surface. De Minaur's game is built on speed and retrieving, and a younger player like Blockx with more natural clay-court feel can really cause him problems in long rallies.
I feel like Blockx has enough here to turn this one around, and at his ranking he's no longer someone you can just write off.
Prediction: Blockx in 3
Alejandro Tabilo vs Valentin Vacherot
Head-to-head: Tied 1-1
The H2H is level, but Tabilo has looked the sharper player over the past few months and the ranking gap, with Tabilo sitting 17 spots above Vacherot, feels accurate right now. Hard to see this being competitive at all. That said, Vacherot can compete on clay and the home crowd in Paris won't hurt him, but I think Tabilo's ball-striking gives him enough of an edge to come through in three, all things considered.
Prediction: Tabilo in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire