French Open Tennis Day 2 Picks 2016 (May 23rd)

It looks like another day where the rain is going to affect the schedule in Paris as the French Open tries to get the First Round through.

This whole month has been incredibly busy, but things should have settled down now and I think it should come through with the blog getting back to some kind of normality.


Grigor Dimitrov - 2.5 games v Victor Troicki: There is a feeling that Grigor Dimitrov might be missing the boat when it comes to the potential he was considered to have had. He has struggled with his form and the drop in the World Rankings means he was not Seeded for the second Grand Slam of the season.

That increased the potential for him having a difficult First Round match and the contest with Victor Troicki is likely to be a tight one as both players have split one match earlier this season.

Neither player has shown a lot of form during the clay court season, although Dimitrov did reach the Final in Istanbul which is the stand out performance. Both Dimitrov and Troicki have lost some really disappointing matches over the last few weeks that they would not have expected to and that will have dented their confidence.

I would be surprised if either player won this in straight sets, but my edge is towards Dimitrov who has had at least one really good tournament on the clay. I think the Bulgarian can come through in four sets in this one and move into the Second Round although this could be a match that features a number of delays thanks to the rain before being completed.


Thomaz Bellucci + 6.5 games v Richard Gasquet: There is not a lot of doubt in my mind that Richard Gasquet will ultimately prove too good for Thomaz Bellucci in this First Round match. However, I think the Brazilian is very adept at playing on the clay courts and can at least challenge the home favourite to the extent of staying within this number of games.

Bellucci has shown how capable he is on the clay when handing Novak Djokovic a bagel in Rome, but he has also had some very poor results on the surface during the European swing. The head to head doesn't make for great reading for Bellucci having been beaten in all three previous matches against Gasquet, but a couple of those matches have been competitive.

There is the feeling that Gasquet has looked much stronger during the clay court campaign, but I do think his left-handed opponent can cause some issues.

I can see this match going into four sets and that might be enough for Bellucci to get within this number and cover the handicap.

MY PICKS: Grigor Dimitrov - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Thomaz Bellucci + 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)