Australian Open: Gasquet vs Humbert Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Australian Open as Richard Gasquet takes on Ugo Humbert in the Round of 128 on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

Could Richard Gasquet overcome a title-win hangover and get his Australian Open 2023 campaign off to a winning start? Or will Ugo Humbert shock his compatriot? We have a fascinating battle in prospect in this all-French first-round match. Who will prevail?

Richard Gasquet shockingly won the Auckland Open last weekend, beating the red-hot favorite Cameron Norrie in the final. It was the Frenchman’s 17th ATP title and his first in five years. Gasquet will now need to recover in time for the Australian Open where he will take on countryman Ugo Humbert in a tasty first-round match.

Ugo Humbert, by contrast, is without a match win in 2023, and comes to the Australian Open looking to change that. Humbert played a lot of tennis on the Challenger Tour last year in an effort to return to the Top 100. He had lost his form and confidence for a while but managed to get his career back on track in the second half of last season.

Richard Gasquet leads Ugo Humbert 2-0 in their head-to-head. Incidentally, this will be a rematch of their Australian Open clash 12 months ago, which Gasquet won in four sets, also in the first round. But will Humbert turn the tables here? I think so. Gasquet is coming off a very arduous week in Auckland, in rain-sodden New Zealand. And generally, players who have won a title a week before tend to struggle in the next tournament they are signed up for. Do not be surprised if the experienced Frenchman struggles to grab a foothold in this match.