Paris Masters 2022: Diego Schwartzman vs. Maxime Cressy Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Paris Masters as Diego Schwartzman takes on Maxime Cressy in the first round on Monday, October 31st, 2022.

Will Diego Schwartzman stop the rot when he takes on big-serving Maxime Cressy at the Paris Masters? The diminutiveArgentine’s best tennis has deserted him in the second half of the season and faces an intimidating battle against one of the ATP’s breakout stars of 2022. Who will prevail?

Diego Schwartzman could not cling onto his top 20 ranking. A succession of defeats – six on the trot to be precise – has ejected his name outside the world’s top 20 for the first time this year. And unless there is an upturn in results this week at the Paris Masters, then Schwartzman will finish outside it. The 30-year-old was outclassed by Andrey Rublev in Vienna this past week, losing 6-4 6-1. Worryingly for Schwartzman, he has lost five of his last six matches in straight sets. Things could go from bad to worse when he faces the big-serving Maxime Cressy.

Maxime Cressy has played with distinction in 2022 bar a few tournaments where he was second best. Cressy, however, is feeling the physical toll of a long and grueling season as highlighted by two wins from his past nine matches. Last week, he went down to Dominic Stricker in Basel. He will play the Paris Masters for the first time in his career, although his overall record under the roof in 2022 is hardly inspiring. Cressy is 2-7 on indoor hard courts this season.

Diego Schwartzman leads Maxime Cressy 1-0 in their head-to-head. That solitary meeting was won by the Argentine in Indian Wells last season. Cressy is a different proposition these days. He is efficient on serve and extremely clinical when presented with opportunities. While the serve continues to be the dominant feature of his game, he is a vastly improved player in other aspects, such as his net play and overall coordination. Neither player is under any great deal of pressure which is why both of them might loosen up a bit and play with freedom at the Paris Masters. There will be plenty of high bouncing balls since this such a slow indoor hard court. This could work in Schwartzman’s favor.