Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Marseille match.
There was a time when Alexander Bublik was just a child in nursery school while Richard Gasquet was already starting his professional career. Perhaps that explains why these two have never crossed paths on the ATP Tour before. Now, at 38 years old, the French veteran has been granted a wild card for his home tournament in Marseille.
Alexander Bublik
The 48th-ranked player from Kazakhstan isn’t coming into this match in the best shape. His chances of winning aren’t significantly higher than those of his 128th-ranked opponent. The main reason for this scepticism is Bublik’s poor form: he has lost four of his five matches since the start of the season, all in straight sets. Half of these losses came against players ranked below him, raising concerns about his consistency and focus. His only victory in 2025 came in Montpellier against world No. 118 Dominik Koepfer (also in straight sets).
Richard Gasquet
The Frenchman has been competing on the ATP Tour since 2002 but has never won the Marseille title. His chances of winning this match are extremely slim, but he still has the experience and tactical intelligence to cause problems. At the Montpellier tournament two weeks ago, Gasquet reached the second round before losing a tight battle against Tallon Griekspoor (ranked 46th) 3:6, 6:3, 5:7.
Alexander Bublik vs Richard Gasquet Prediction
Bublik is still the favourite, but this match will likely be more challenging than expected. Given Gasquet’s ability to prolong rallies and make opponents work hard, we should expect a lengthy contest.
