Laurent Lokoli vs Arthur Cazaux Prediction & Betting Tips - Zadar, Croatia, Qualifying

Prediction published on 19/03/2023, 11:14  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 19/03/2023 at 12:23 in Tennis Predictions

Sixth seeded Laurent Lokoli takes on Arthur Cazaux in an all-French match. This is the first round of the Zadar Challenger Tour event with the winner up against either Titouan Droguet or wild card Duje Ajdukovic. Lokoli is 172nd in the live rankings which is five places below his career high ranking of 167th achieved last month. The 28-year-old made a good start to this year with a run to the final of a Challenger Tour event held in Noumea, New Caledonia. He then took part in the Australian Open and won three qualifying matches to make it to the main draw. He lost to Michael Mmoh in the first round after winning the first two sets. That was his first time in the main draw of a Grand Slam since 2017. Only one of his next four matches were won before qualifying for the ATP Tour event held in Marseille, losing in the first round to Richard Gasquet. His most recent tournament saw him get to the last eight of the Challenger Tour event in Pau. Now he returns to a clay court surface and in the past he's won 14 ITF/World Tennis Tour events on clay in the past.

Arthur Cazaux is 218th in the world and that's only one place below his career high ranking. The 20-year-old got his new year off to a great start by winning seven matches to land the second Challenger Tour event held in Nonthaburi, Thailand. That was followed by a run to the final in the next Nonthaburi tournament, needing to win six matches to reach the final. Cazaux began the year ranked 381st but those two perfomances saw him rise into the top 250. He failed to qualify for the Montpellier ATP Tour event but got to the last eight in the Chennai Challenger Tour event. Cazaux has reached two World Tennis Tour finals on clay and lost in the first round of the French Open in 2021. Lokoli has the better clay record and can get the win.