A few second-round picks from the French Open clay today, and there's at least one result here that might raise some eyebrows. Let's get into it.
French Open Predictions
Tomas Machac vs Alexander Zverev
Head-to-head: Zverev leads 1-0
Machac is one of the more dangerous floaters in the draw and he's capable of big wins on clay, but Zverev is in a different class right now and this is his best surface. The slow conditions suit his heavy forehand and his ability to grind out long rallies without ever really panicking and Machac hasn't shown the kind of defensive consistency needed to drag Zverev into a fifth-set situation. Their only previous meeting went to Zverev, and I don't see much changing here.
That said, Machac will have his moments and Zverev has dropped sets to lesser opponents on clay this season, so three sets feels right.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Alex De Minaur vs Alexander Blockx
Head-to-head: De Minaur leads 1-0
This is the upset pick of the day and it's not as crazy as it sounds. De Minaur's game is built on speed and hard-court defending, and clay genuinely exposes him, especially against players who can hit through him with heavy topspin. Blockx is a solid clay-court mover at 36 in the world and the slow Paris surface, which has been playing particularly slow this week, should let him stay in rallies long enough to do damage. De Minaur took their only previous meeting, but if form and surface are telling us anything right now, Blockx has a real shot.
Prediction: Blockx in 3
Alejandro Tabilo vs Valentin Vacherot
Head-to-head: Tabilo leads 1-0
Tabilo has quietly become one of the more reliable clay-court performers outside the top 20, and Vacherot, despite his ranking, hasn't done a lot recently to suggest he can trouble him. Hard to see this being competitive at all. Tabilo has the bigger game and the head-to-head already in his favor. I feel like this one gets a little tight in the third but Tabilo's extra firepower from the baseline should be enough to close it out, 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