*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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Borna Gojo v Filip Krajinovic: Set 1 Winner – Borna Gojo
Time: 12pm
Krajinovic is proving to be in top form again. In the first round he won against favoured American Reilly Opelka in straight sets. While other players could resume their matches only after the rain had stopped, Krajinovic finished his match in less than two hours and secured himself plenty of time to rest before the next duel. Prospects of him reaching late stages of this year Roland Garros have risen sharply after such an elegant win against better ranked opponent.
In the second round Borna Gojo will be standing on the other side of the net. At the first glance a much easier prey. This is the first time ever Gojo is playing in the main draw of a grand slam tournament. After winning three qualifying matches the young Croatian player was blessed with an easier path to the second round when Alejandro Tabilo got injured and his spot was taken by a lucky loser Alessandro Giannessi. Lucky loser lost again after a long and an exhausting match and Gojo found himself dreaming of playing against Nadal in the French Open main court.
Not so quickly. Even if he wins this match he would still have to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime or Camilo Ugo Carabelli before that dream comes true. Let’s get on the ground and set realistic expectations. Is it likely Krajinovic is going to underestimate Gojo? It would be somewhat natural given the circumstances. Can Borna surprise him in the opening set? I bet he could, adding Gojo to win Set 1 to my betslip.
Marton Fucsovics v Marin Cilic: Set Handicap 1.5 – Marin Cilic (-1.5)
Time: 10am
Marin Cilic knocked out Hungarian player Attila Balazs furiously in the first round – no other way to describe it. Cilic did not let his opponent win a single game up until the fifth game of the second set. And finished the match with the final score of 6-0, 6-1 and 6-2. Seldom seen domination, but can he sustain this pace? In the second round one more Hungarian is waiting for him – Marton Fucsovics, current number 55 on the ATP list. Another athletic and erratic performer with great court speed.
Cilic is ranked tenth on the all-time earnings ladder with nearly $30 million pocketed. All but one better ranked player on the same list have won majors on multiple occasions. On the other hand Cilic has won only one grand slam in his career, the US Open back in 2014. That doesn’t mean he performs badly in big tournaments. On contrary, reaching quarterfinals and finals is not strange to Marin. He just tends to stop short of beating the best of the best and consequently doesn’t grab the most precious trophies in tennis for himself. Prize money adds up though. That last step is always the hardest. But we are not there yet. It’s the second round of French Open. I expect another high energy outburst from Cilic. He should finish this match in less than 5 sets if he wants to save some strength for later matches. Marin Cilic -1.5 set handicap looks like a good selection to pick.
Grigor Dimitrov v Borna Coric: Coric wins the match and both players win a set
Time: 4pm
Borna Coric did not come to Paris in the best form but is looking for a successful comeback after not playing for a while due to right shoulder injury. He lost the first set in the opening round, but nevertheless managed to come out victorious after nailing the remaining three sets routinely in the match against Carlosa Tabernera, a Spaniard accustomed to the clay courts.
No doubts here around Borna’s high motivation to climb the ATP rankings after a long medical absence. Grigor Dimitrov has hit a good run since reaching the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells Masters in March. The Bulgarian seems to be enjoying the clay court season so far. He reached the semi-finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters with wins over Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz. He lost to the in-form Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last four in three sets. Coric and Dimitrov have never faced each other before and I can see the underdog winning here. It certainly won’t be an easy win. Coric to win and both players to win a set.
Amanda Anisimova v Donna Vekic: Vekic to win at least one set
Time: 12pm
Similar to Coric, Donna Vekic’s career graph has suffered a nosedive due to an injury and she is now fighting to climb up the ladder again. Donna had to go through qualifications to play in the French Open main draw. Before the injury kicked in she made the second week of every Slam, with a quarter-final finish at the 2019 US Open being her best performance at a Major to date.
Anisimova made the semi-finals in Charleston and the quarter-finals in both Madrid and Rome to arrive in Paris high on confidence. The only matchup between Amanda Anisimova and Donna Vekic to date ended with two tie-breaks 7-6, 7-6. I believe Vekic will win at least one set this time.
Today’s tennis tips
Borna Gojo v Filip Krajinovic: Set 1 Winner – Borna Gojo
Marton Fucsovics v Marin Cilic: Set Handicap 1.5 – Marin Cilic (-1.5)
Grigor Dimitrov v Borna Coric: Coric wins the match and both players win a set
Amanda Anisimova v Donna Vekic: Vekic to win at least one set
*An accumulator with these bets pays at approximately 74/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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