Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gets his swan song at the French Open taking on Norway’s Casper Ruud in a much anticipated first round match for the famous Frenchman. Our panelists have predictions for every first round match as the first round of Roland Garros wraps up.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs Casper Ruud
Damian Kust: What a brutal draw to get in what is most likely your last match. Casper Ruud might not be in his 2021 form, but he’s done well in both Rome and Geneva. Who knows, perhaps the Norwegian will do better in Paris this time, now that there’s less pressure on his shoulders. Let’s hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga still gets to play a couple of great shots in front of the crowd. Ruud in 3
Jack Edward: Many tennis fans the world over will have their fingers tightly crossed for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to pull off a pretty huge upset over Casper Ruud – those fans are likely to be disappointed. Though the Norwegian has shown a few of signs of vulnerability on clay this season, he’s brought things back on track with a Masters semifinal and a title run in Geneva. All roads point to this being Tsonga’s last professional match. Ruud in 3
Yesh Ginsburg: Is this the end of Tsonga’s career? The Frenchman will battle, but ultimately beating a player of Casper Ruud’s near-elite status will be too much to ask. Ruud in 3
Steve Johnson vs Jiri Vesely
Damian: Jiri Vesely can go from beating Novak Djokovic in Dubai to looking like he doesn’t wanna be out there on the court anymore in a matter of weeks. On clay, we more often get the latter version of the Czech. This is a favorable draw for both as Steve Johnson didn’t even play a warm-up event (on red clay). Don’t expect high-quality stuff in this one. Johnson in 5
Jack: This one could go either way. Steve Johnson hasn’t set foot on European clay this season and Jiri Vesely has gone 0-3. Neither player will be feeling it but I’ll give Steve Johnson the edge based purely on his groundstrokes being slightly better suited to the surface. Johnson in 5
Yesh: Steve Johnson isn’t as solid as he was a very years ago, but it still takes a good performance to beat his game. Vesely hasn’t shown the necessary consistency yet. Johnson in 4
Lorenzo Sonego vs Peter Gojowczyk
Damian: Peter Gojowczyk is in pretty shocking form right now, only winning three matches this year. His last losses to Johan Nikles and Max Alcala Gurri (via retirement) showed nothing close to the player the German can be at his best. It’s not like Lorenzo Sonego is in great form either, but he’s healthy and is a much more natural clay-courter with a less hit-or-miss style. Sonego in 3
Jack: Gojowczyk has won four matches at all levels on clay since reaching his last ATP final in Geneva four years ago. Sonego has won 58. The Italian should grind his way through Gojowczyk without much trouble. Sonego in 3
Yesh: Sonego is quietly one to watch out for this tournament. He got a good first-round draw, too. Sonego in 3
Roberto Carballes Baena vs Oscar Otte
Damian: Roberto Carballes Baena destroyed the field in Tunis, but all his opponents were ranked at least 164 spots lower than him. This should give him confidence, but with his highly defensive playstyle, does it really matter that much? Oscar Otte has that big serve and really improved his baseline game, giving him a lot more potential than the Spaniard has right now. It’s just a question of whether he’ll play up to it. Otte in 4
Jack: A difficult one to call as both players have a very steady game. With the courts still likely to be playing a little slower in the weather, Otte may not get as much out of his serve which could be the crucial difference. A tight one but I’ll edge towards Carballes Baena. Carballes Baena in 5
Yesh: Oscar Otte has a huge serve, which can bail him out even against better players. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work as well on clay as other courts. Carballes Baena in 5
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