The first round of the ATP Paris Masters 2019 will be on Monday, October 28th, and below you can get the preview of Andrey Rublev v Jo-Wilfriend Tsonga & Borna Coric V Fernando Verdasco and other matches, along with tips and predictions below.
Get the best odds for the ATP Kremlin Cup 2019 with 888Sport here.[the_ad_group id=”1639″]
*Geo-restrictions apply & pre-funded account needed
Andrey Rublev v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Predictions & Preview
This is the third meeting between Andrey Rublev and Jo-Wilfriend Tsonga. Incidentally, both their meetings were on the indoor courts in France, with Tsonga winning in Montpellier last season and Rublev earlier this year in Marseille. This will be yet another meeting on the indoor French courts.
Young Russian Andrey Rublev has had a consistently strong last few months, especially since after Wimbledon. Rublev spent a good portion of 2018 with injuries that saw him drop in the ATP rankings, but has made a good recovery since. He has been a force at several tournaments since the start of the US hardcourt season, as well as defeated top ranked players like Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Russian reached a career high number 22 in the world, after winning the ATP 250 in Moscow last week.
Former world number five, French veteran Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has been on the comeback from a long injury lay-off as well. While he has not reached the heights he did earlier in his career, the Frenchman has done well to win titles in Montpellier and Moselle, as he continues to remain a force on the faster surfaces. With the home crowds and familiar conditions, the 2008 Paris Masters champion will look at another good run here to end the season as he will look to move up further from the world number 36 ranking he currently holds.
An exciting match on the cards, that will depend on who is better on the given day, but Rublev has been in excellent form of late, and will not hesitate to defy the crowds and conditions that suit his French opponent.
Tip: Rublev to win in three sets.
[maxbutton id=”8″]
Borna Coric v Fernando Verdasco Predictions & Preview
Incidentally, the only time that Borna Coric and Fernando Verdasco have met before, was also at the Paris Masters, back in 2015. A teenager at the time, Coric prevailed there in straight sets.
After a breakthrough year in 2018, where he won the ATP 500 at Halle, and was a finalist at the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai, it has been a year of injuries and poor form for the young Croat. Having to withdraw from both Wimbledon and the US Open with injuries, Coric has looked to be getting closer to his old-self with a first finals appearance for the year at St.Petersburg, winning three consecutive matches from a set deficit.
Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco, once ranked in the top ten in the rankings, is now ranked 40th in the world, after an indifferent year. Being a force on the tour for several years, Verdasco is not one to be ruled out, regardless of the surface or his age, as he showed last week in Vienna, defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili in the opener.
A clash of generations; expect it to be a back and forth encounter with Coric winning a three-setter.
Tip: Coric to win in three sets.
[maxbutton id=”8″]
Marin Cilic v Hubert Hurkacz Predictions & Preview
Marin Cilic and Hubert Hurkacz met twice in 2018, at the French & US Open, with Cilic winning both, including a very convincing 6-2,6-0,6-0 at Flushing Meadows.
It has been a disappointing season for Marin Cilic, who has typically been a top ten player for a few years now. The 2014 US Open champion has had a season of injury and shock losses, and is now ranked just within the top 25. Comfortable and usually at his best on the faster surfaces, Cilic has not managed to get momentum this year on any particular surface. The Croat will desperately be hoping to end the year on a positive note, and look for a reversal of fortunes in 2020.
22-year old Pole Hubert Hurkacz has had the best year of his short career thus far, breaking into the top 35 in the world, challenging Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon and winning his first ATP title at Winston Salem the week before the US Open. Although his season has not been as promising in recent weeks, Hurkacz will have a lot of positives to take away from 2019, as he looks to launch his career.
Another first round match at the Paris Masters that could go either way, expect Cilic to come through, just about though, in a three-setter.
Tip: Cilic to win in three sets.
[maxbutton id=”8″]
Cameron Norrie v Milos Raonic Predictions & Preview
This is the first meeting between Britain’s Cameron Norrie and Canada’s Milos Raonic. It has not been the best of seasons for either Norrie or Raonic and both would like to end what will be the last tournament for them for the year, on a positive note.
Young British player Cameron Norrie started the year well with an ATP 250 finals appearance in Sydney where he lost to American Tennys Sandgren. Knocking on the top 40 of the ATP rankings earlier in the year, Norrie did not live up to the early season promise and has had a less than impressive year, which in turn has seen him drop to number 67 in the rankings, after several early exits.
Former world number three and Wimbledon finalist, Milos Raonic, has been plagued with injuries over the last two seasons. After an Australian Open quarter-finals showing, and being a semi-finalist at Indian Wells, Raonic has had to miss sections of the year, including the US Open due to injuries and never really got his season going with any sort of momentum. He will be hoping to maintain fitness through this week and use the faster surface to suit his big serving game.
Either player can win this match, but the Canadians’ bigger game, and experience should see him through.
Tip: Raonic to win in three sets.
[maxbutton id=”8″]