Some of the first round action at the 2023 French Open will see Daniel Altmaier v Marc-Andrea Huesler and Hugo Gaston v Alex Molcan. Get the latest predictions along with the odds, preview and head to head for these matches along with Quentin Halys v Guido Pella and Mpetshi Perricard v Genaro Olivieri.
Daniel Altmaier v Marc-Andrea Huesler Preview
Head-to-Head: Their only previous meeting came in the qualifiers of the Geneva Open in 2021 and it was Altmaier who won that in straight sets.
After having made a slow start to the season in hardcourt competitions, Altmaier has turned things around on clay with some superlative performances in his own right.
He started off with a title win on the Challenger circuit in Sarasota, and while Altmaier was knocked out of the Munich Open in the very first round, he rallied to enter the Madrid Masters as a lucky loser and ended up making the quarterfinal there!
And he rounded off his performances with a second round showing in Rome, which gives him a huge advantage over the struggling Huesler.
The Swiss player and world number 81 is on a four-match losing streak having last won a round at the Munich Open. Since then, he has gone down to Dominic Thiem, Cristian Garin, Jason Kubler and Wu Yibing making it obvious why he starts off a second favourite in this encounter.
Altmaier v Huesler Tip
Altmaier to win: 2/5
Hugo Gaston v Alex Molcan Preview
Head-to-Head: Gaston and Molcan have never faced off in a competitive match before this.
Gaston’s form has fallen off the cliff this season, especially at the highest level. His best performance came at the Marrakesh Open where he won a round against Jan-Lennard Struff but later fell in the second. Later he would overcome Jeremy Chardy at the Madrid Masters opener as well.
This gives him an overall win-loss record of 2-5 this year with four other defeats coming in the qualifiers of these events.
On the other hand, Molcan has had three successive sparkling performances. In fact, ever since shifting to the clay court swing, Molcan has made the semifinal in the Banja Luka Open, and then won his openers at both, the Madrid Masters and Italian Open.
With the kind of form he has been in, it wouldn’t be too difficult to back him to grab this in four or five sets.
Gaston v Molcan Tip
Molcan to win AND Both players to win a set: 6/4
Quentin Halys v Guido Pella Preview
Head-to-Head: This will be the first meeting between Halys and Pella.
Halys has had a decent 2023 season, winning 12 of the 24 matches he’s played all season but more vitally having made the fourth round at the Miami Masters and semifinal in the Estoril Open .
The more important aspect of this match, however, is Pella’s scenario and that doesn’t look the best at the moment. Pella was out of action for almost all of the previous season and his return this year has seen him win just four matches so far.
Curiously, Pella hasn’t played in a single Challenger tournament to get some of his rhythm back but it must be quickly added that some of his performances have been one to watch. Like when he defeated Thiago Monteiro from being a set down at Indian Wells.
That said, he will now be up against a player who has his rhythm going.
Halys v Pella Tip
Halys to win & Both players to win a set: 6/5
Mpetshi Perricard v Genaro Olivieri Preview
Head-to-Head: Perricard and Olivieri have only recently faced off in a competitive match on the Challenger circuit with Olivieri winning it in straight sets.
This is a battle between two players ranked in the 225th-235th range, both of whom had made the main draw. While Perricard got himself a wildcard as a local player, Olivieri has had to make it through the qualifiers.
And Olivieri has done well to get here.
After featuring on the Futures circuit till as recently as February this year, Olivieri came into his own in the French Open qualifying rounds to beat Henri Laaksonen, Michael Geerts and Adrian Andreev and made the main draw.
On the other hand Perricard’s best performance for the season came at the Lille Challenger where he made the semifinal. On clay he’s won just six of his 15 matches on the lower circuit, which gives Olivieri a chance to get past his opponent again.
Perricard v Olivieri Tip
Olivieri to win: 8/11
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The 2023 French Open will be played from May 28 to June 11. Get our ultimate guide on tennis betting and predictions here.
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