Jiri Lehecka vs Jan-Lennard Struff Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP French Open

Prediction published on 26/05/2023, 10:51  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 26/05/2023 at 11:53 in Tennis Predictions

Jan-Lennard Struff has done incredibly well to be seeded 21st at Roland Garros. The German has a tough first round draw as he faces Jiri Lehecka. Whoever wins this match will take on either Marcos Giron or a lucky loser/qualifier in round two. Struff is number 26 in the rankings but was as low as 167th in January. He was still outside the top 100 in late March. He's been swiftly climbing the rankings due to his form on clay. Struff reached the last eight in Monte Carlo and then the Madrid Masters final. The latter was unexpected as he'd lost in qualifying to Aslan Karatsev. Struff was reinstated as a lucky loser and then beat Karatsev in the last four before being beaten by Carlos Alcaraz. He followed that up with a loss in the semi-finals of the Bordeaux Challenger Tour event. On the ATP Tour, he's won 12 of his 17 matches played on clay this year. The German has twice reached the fourth round at Roland Garros.

Jiri Lehecka is ranked 40th in the world and has not been enjoying a good clay court season this year. His only quarter-final appearance has been in the tournament held in Banja Luka but no top 100 players were beaten. He comes into this Grand Slam with his last four matches all being lost. Lehecka even lost in the qualifying round of the Turin Challenger Tour event. He was 4-0 down in the first set to then world number 845 Aleksandr Braynin when retiring. Lehecka has only played at Roland Garros once and lost in the first round. This is his first match against his opponent. We go for Struff to continue his good form and make the second round.