Ricky Dimon
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Main-draw action at the 2021 French Open gets underway on Sunday. The other three Grand Slams begin on a Monday and the first round is spread across only two days. At Roland Garros the opening round requires three days to be completed. Although that makes for fewer matches per day before the men’s and women’s fields are cut to 64 players apiece, it also means the overall tournament lasts 15 days instead of 14. More days mean more betting opportunities. Everybody wins!… At least let’s hope everybody wins.
Throughout the two weeks in Paris, Pickswise will be offering plenty of content to help you become a winner at tennis betting.
Let’s start by taking a look at some of the best bets for Sunday at Roland Garros, and be sure to also check out our best futures bets for the upcoming fortnight.
Patricia Maria Tig +6 games over Naomi Osaka (-118)
I am fading Osaka in big way at this French Open. If she doesn’t lose to Tig on Sunday, she is going to lose early to someone. First, the Japanese world No. 2 is utterly hopeless on clay—at least compared to how good she is on hard courts. Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion (two titles at the U.S. Open and two at the Australian Open), has never advanced past the third round at Roland Garros. She even lost in the first round in 2017. Nothing suggests anything will be different in 2021. The 23-year-old’s clay-court preparation included a second-round loss in Madrid and a first-round exit in Rome (in straight sets against Jessica Pegula). Moreover, Osaka is the subject of controversy after announcing earlier this week that she is refusing to talk to the media for the entire tournament. That isn’t good for a player who doesn’t deal well with controversy and generally tries to avoid the spotlight. Tig is a capable clay-courter who can take advantage.
Pablo Andujar +8 games over Dominic Thiem (-109)
Thiem was out for almost two months due to both mental and physical struggles. He returned to reach the Madrid semifinals, but he lost early in Rome and got blown out right away in Lyon by Cameron Norrie of all opponents. The Austrian is seriously vulnerable right now, and Andujar is a grizzled veteran who excels on clay. There is almost no way Thiem covers this spread, and I wouldn’t even be totally shocked by an upset. You might as well sprinkle some on the money line (Andujar +716).
Marcos Giron +6.5 games over Grigor Dimitrov (-120)
Like Osaka and Thiem, Dimitrov is another favorite who is overrated on Sunday. Since getting humiliated by Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-1 in Monte-Carlo (where Nadal wasn’t even playing well), Dimitrov is 1-3 in his last four matches and all three of the losses have been bad. Giron has been playing the best tennis of his career in 2021 and has a legitimate chance at an upset.
Pickswise is the home of free tennis picks and predictions. Make sure to check out our daily tennis tips throughout the French Open.
