The ATP’s visit to Marseille unfolds this week in what will be one of the main sporting events that the French will be keeping an eye on. Although, on Tuesday specifically, as Paris Saint Germain will be taking on Chelsea.
At any rate, the indoor hardcourt tournament will naturally involve a lot of French players and many of which are expected to advance into the later rounds. Gael Monfils, Richard Gaquet and Gilles Simon will be among the highlight acts as the French audiences will be roaring in support. While Gasquet isn’t in action on Tuesday, both Monfils and Simon are laying huge juice as both are favored at -450 or more. For our Tuesday tennis picks, we’re not focusing on any of those guys and there are some better matchups to pick from. Here’s a look at the some of the other first-round matchups that are very intriguing with three tennis picks for Tuesday.
Nick Kyrgios vs. Vasek Pospisil
Odds: Kyrgios -233
The best first-round matchup in this tournament is the clash between two very powerful servers. If comparing these two players, Kyrgios has the better and more explosive serve. He will probably be able to get the first strike in rallies and dictate more points. The match will be more on his racquet. However, if he’s not on target with his serve, it’s very easy and realistic to see Pospisil as the victor in this match. Any match between two servers figures to be close, with a scoreline of 7-6, 6-4, or something in that range. It’s not as though either player will win by a lopsided 6-3, 6-1 score. However, if you’re going to lean in one direction, it should definitely be Kyrgios. He has more upside and should get more from his serve on the biggest points of the match.
Even if you’re not betting on this matchup or using it for your tennis picks, Kyrgios is worth tuning in for. You never know what he’ll do as he might quit on the match, answer a cellphone during it or entertain fans in some other wild way.
Pick: Kyrgios in straight sets
Feliciano Lopez vs. Sergiy Stakhovsky
Odds: Lopez -188
This is a matchup of two well-established veterans on the ATP Tour. Stakhovsky, with his attacking game, can rush and crowd opponents who are not confident about their passing shots. At times, it is true that Feliciano Lopez can be weak off the ground with his strokes. However, Lopez is a seasoned pro. He might slice his lefty backhand a lot, but he has enough power and court sense to be able to hit the ball in places where Stakhovsky won’t want it. There’s also the matter of Stakhovsky’s serve, which has to be extremely consistent just to keep this match competitive. It won’t be a blowout, but Lopez remains a noticeably better player. He should be able to assert himself if Stakhovsky ever makes a run at him. Lopez made the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open last year and gave a good battle to Novak Djokovic. That’s more than what Stakhovsky can say. This is a match in which one player’s best tennis is easily better than the other’s best. Take Lopez here.
Pick: Lopez in straight sets
Ernests Gulbis vs. Kenny De Schepper
Odds: Gulbis -175
This is the kind of match which can easily lose a bettor a fair amount of money, but it’s nevertheless a match in which one player is more likely than the other to win. Ernests Gulbis won this tournament two years ago, so he clearly feels comfortable in Marseille. He is notoriously unreliable and prone to all sorts of lapses, but he still has a world-class backhand and a strong serve, more than enough weaponry for De Schepper to handle. Gulbis is always capable of imploding and handing his opponent a win, but if he’s reasonably put together, Gulbis should be able to beat most opponents on tour. Take him to win this match in Marseille.
Pick: Gulbis in straight sets
