Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Roland Garros match.
A highly anticipated third-round clash in Paris pits 15th seed Andrey Rublev against France’s rising star Arthur Fils. The two players met earlier this season, with Fils grabbing a surprise win, but Rublev looks to have since rediscovered his form and arrives in better physical condition for this rematch.
Andrey Rublev
The Russian has quietly put together a strong run of form, winning six of his last seven matches, including a deep run to the final in Hamburg. At Roland Garros, Rublev came through a tricky opener against Lloyd Harris in four sets before dismissing Adam Walton in straight sets, though he was pushed to a tie-break. The key difference in Rublev’s game of late has been his composure — no meltdowns, no racquet-smashing, just businesslike aggression from the baseline. He’s been serving well, averaging 77% points won behind his first delivery and tallying seven aces per match.
Arthur Fils
Fils (No. 14) entered the match against Rublev following a gruelling encounter with Jaume Munar (No. 57), in which he narrowly edged his opponent in a five-set battle, despite winning the first two sets. The Frenchman spent 4.5 hours on court and delivered a poor first serve performance (64% success rate, converting 61% of points). Arthur hasn’t impressed with his results this season, winning 9 out of 13 matches on clay, and dropping at least one set to his opponent in eight of those matches.
Andrey Rublev vs Arthur Fils Prediction
Rublev has found his form, stabilised his game, and is better adapted to the slow clay conditions than his younger opponent. Fils, despite winning their head-to-head earlier in the season, is now lacking in sharpness and physicality. This match will be a hard-fought affair and is likely to extend to at least four sets.
