French Open Day 3: Men's singles predictions ft. Alexander Bublik vs Gregoire Barrere, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Valentin Vacherot
Day 3 of the French Open will see the remaining first-round matches take place. Men's defending champion Novak Djokovic will start his campaign against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, while runner-up Casper Ruud will face Felipe Meligeni Alves.
Holger Rune will lock horns with Dan Evans, while Taylor Fritz will take on Federico Coria. The likes of Holger Rune and Alex de Minaur will also be in action.
On that note, let's take a look at the predictions for some of the men's singles matches on Day 3 of the French Open
#1 Alexander Bublik vs Gregoire Barrere
Nineteenth seed Alexander Bublik will face Gregoire Barrere in the first round of the French Open. It will be the sixth meeting between the two, with Bublik leading 3-2 in the head-to-head.
Bublik enters the match at the back of a semifinal run at the Lyon Open while Barrere had to qualify for the main draw of the French Open. The Kazakh has won 18 of 29 matches in 2024, winning the Open Sud de France and reaching the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Barrere, meanwhile, has won just one of five main-draw fixtures this season.
Bublik will enter the match as the heavy favorite to win, and considering the difference of forms of both players, the Kazakh should have little trouble reaching the second round.
Predicted Winner: Alexander Bublik
#2 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Valentin Vacherot
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will face Valentin Vacherot in the first round of the French Open. It will be the first meeting between the two.
Davidovich Fokina enters the Paris Major at the back of an opening-round exit at the Italian Open, while Vacherot reached the semifinals of a Challenger event in Tunis.
Davidovich Fokina has won nine of 20 matches this season, while Vacherot is yet to come out on top in a main-draw fixture. The Spaniard is the superior player of the two and has spent a lot more time on the ATP Tour. Hence, he should beat Vacherot without much trouble to reach the second round of the French Open.
Predicted Winner: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
#3 Adrian Mannarino vs Giulio Zeppieri
Twenty-second seed Adrian Mannarino will face Giulio Zeppieri in the opening round of the French Open. It will be the first meeting between the two.
Mannarino will enter the match at the back of a disappointing first-round exit at the Lyon Open. Zeppieri had to go through the qualifying round of the French Open.
The Frenchman has won just seven of 19 matches this season, while Zeppieri has triumphed in one main-draw fixture. Mannarino will enter the match as the heaviest favorite to win and should not have much trouble in coming out on top to reach the second round.
Predicted Winner: Adrian Mannarino
#4 Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs Arthur Cazaux
Twenty-eighth seed seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry will face Arthur Cazaux in the first round of the French Open.
It will be the very first encounter between the two. The Argentine will enter the tournament on the back of a runner-up finish at the Lyon Open, while Cazaux last competed at the Barcelona Open, where he retired in the opening round.
Etcheverry has won 16 of 29 matches in the 2024 season, while Cazaux has triumphed in five of nine main-draw fixtures.
The Argentine reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 French Open and will enter the match as the favorite. While Cazaux is not one to be taken lightly, Etcheverry should triumph without much problem and reach the second round.
Predicted Winner: Tomas Martin Etcheverry
#5 Roberto Bautista Agut vs Jaume Munar
Roberto Bautista Agut will play compatriot Jaume Munar in the opening round of the French Open. It will be the third encounter between the two, with the former winning the two previous matches.
Bautista Agut will enter the fixture after a quarterfinal run at a Challenger Event in Bordeaux. Munar, meanwhile, endured a first-round exit at the Lyon Open. Neither has had an impressive 2024 record, with Bautista Agut winning nine of 19 main-draw matches, while Munar has come out on top in 10 of 23 fixtures.
Bautista Agut may be the lower-ranked player, but his experience should just about see him come out on top and reach the second round.
Predicted Winner: Roberto Bautista Agut