TennisSection previews the 2021 French Open as Dominic Thiem (4) meets Pablo Andujar in the First Round on Sunday May 30th, 2021.
Can fourth seeded Dominic Thiem re-discover the form that saw him considered the heir to Rafael Nadal’s Roland Garros throne? The Austrian star had an outstanding season last season but has struggled in 2021. Or will the veteran Spaniard Pablo Andujar cause the major upset here at the 2021 French Open?
Dominic Thiem is currently ranked #4 in the ATP world rankings and is seeded fourth here at the 2021 French Open. The Austrian superstar broke through in 2020, claiming his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. He has found the going tougher this season however, and had to take a two month break early in the year to re-discover his motivation for the game. Thiem has found the going tough since his return, with a Semi-Final showing in Madrid followed by early-round losses in Lyon and Italy. While the Austrian remains one of the premier clay-court players in the world, it remains to be seen if he is yet ready to truly contend here at Roland Garros 2021. Despite his struggles, he enters this match against Pablo Andujar as the favorite, and will be backing himself to advance to the Second Round here at the French Open.
Pablo Andujar is currently ranked #68 in the ATP world rankings, and is a veteran of the ATP Tour. Although his career has been on the decline over the past few years, he is still capable of some good tennis, as evidenced by his win over Roger Federer in Geneva. The Spaniard will have taken a lot of confidence from the victory, and his experience is a huge asset on these clay courts at Roland Garros. While he has never found much success before here at Roland Garros, he is sure to provide a stern test for title contender Dominic Thiem, and he certainly won’t make things easy for the Austrian here at the 2021 French Open.
This will be the third time that the two players have faced each other on the ATP Tour, with Dominic Thiem leading the head to head 3-0. All three meetings have been on clay, and Pablo Andujar is yet to win a set. Despite Thiem’s struggles this year, he is still one of the best players in the world and will be extremely tough to beat here at the 2021 French Open, especially over five sets. Andujar is a very good player, but he simply is not in the same class as the Austrian, and is not expected to provide much resistance here. Dominic Thiem is still finding his footing, but I expect him to cruise through this match, advancing to the Second Round here at Roland Garros.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Dominic Thiem to win.
Want more Free Tennis Picks from our Experts? Check out our latest Tennis Predictions now!
