Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Roland Garros match.
Andrey Rublev arrives at Roland Garros following a disappointing loss in the final of an ATP 500 event. Nevertheless, the Russian quickly showed he could bounce back, delivering a commanding performance in his opening match in Paris. His upcoming opponent, Adam Walton, is an Australian debutant at this level of Grand Slam competition and is unlikely to offer significant resistance.
Andrey Rublev
Andrey Rublev signalled his intent from the outset in his first-round encounter against Lloyd Harris. Despite a lapse in the second set, he closed the match convincingly, not facing a single break point in the first and third sets (6:4, 4:6, 6:3, 6:1). He fired 13 aces and registered 43 winners. On clay, Andrey Rublev has won five of his last six matches, with his only defeat coming in the final in Hamburg against Flavio Cobolli (2:6, 4:6).
Adam Walton
The Australian is still finding his feet on the professional circuit. While he favours hard courts, he has yet to secure a victory in seven attempts against top-50 players, even on his preferred surface. When it comes to clay, his record is even more limited and unconvincing. This season, Walton has played just two matches on clay, being eliminated in the second round in Houston at the hands of Frances Tiafoe. His first-round match at Roland Garros was a gruelling five-set encounter against World No. 239 Maximilian Marterer (7:6, 4:6, 6:3, 2:6, 6:2), during which Adam Walton committed 68 unforced errors.
Andrey Rublev vs Adam Walton Prediction
The gulf in quality between the two players leaves little room for an upset. Following his minor stumble in the early rounds, Andrey Rublev will be eager to reassert his dominance and should look to wrap things up efficiently.
