Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Roland Garros match.
Jannik Sinner arrives at Roland Garros as the world No. 1 and one of the leading contenders for the title. Early on, he has already shown he can dig deep and find a way to win even when the match doesn’t unfold as expected. His next opponent, Richard Gasquet, is a seasoned campaigner making yet another appearance at the age of 38. However, the advantage in class, speed, and physical conditioning clearly lies with the young Italian.
Jannik Sinner
Since the start of last season, Jannik Sinner has been highly effective on clay, recording six wins in seven matches in Paris — five of them in straight sets. In the opening round of this year’s tournament, he was tested by Arthur Rinderknech, but raised his level at key moments to secure a challenging third set (6:4, 6:3, 7:5). Since returning from disqualification, Sinner has shown strong form with six wins from seven matches on clay. His first serve has been particularly impressive, averaging 72% in accuracy and winning 74% of those points.
Richard Gasquet
Richard Gasquet continues to compete despite the physical toll of age and injuries. However, the years are beginning to show. Against elite-level opponents, his prospects are slim — he has lost 20 of his last 24 matches against top-5 players on clay. He has faced Sinner three times previously and lost on each occasion, including a straight-sets defeat at last year’s Roland Garros by an eight-game margin. The gulf in quality between the two has only grown since then. Although Gasquet did manage to beat world No. 121 Térence Atmane in this tournament, that outcome was largely the result of his opponent’s 10 double faults and a low first-serve percentage of 54%.
Jannik Sinner vs Richard Gasquet Prediction
Jannik Sinner is widely expected to progress with ease against the veteran. The Italian is unlikely to repeat the lapses seen in the first round and should wrap up the match in routine fashion without exerting too much energy.
