Montpellier Open: Sinner vs Cressy Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Montpellier Open as Jannik Sinner takes on Maxime Cressy in the final on Sunday, February 12, 2023.

Jannik Sinner is into his first final of the season after only playing two matches at the Montpellier Open. Can he tame the big-serving Maxime Cressy in the championship match? This should be an intriguing matchup that will be decided by very few points. Who will prevail?

It has been a stroll in the park, to say the least for Jannik Sinner this week. He started his Montpellier Open campaign in the quarterfinals stage since his second-round opponent Fucsovics pulled out from the event. But Sinner did not flinch and played a super match to beat countryman Lorenzo Sonego. It was the semifinal match against Arthur Fils that everyone in town was talking about after the young Frenchman’s breakthrough week on home territory. But Sinner was not lured into playing safe against Fils and instead, went all out for winners, early returns, and defending superbly. He came away with a straight sets win.

Maxime Cressy has surpassed every expectation and pre-tournament prediction. Cressy has played two tournaments prior to this week. He lost in the first round in Adelaide to Thanasi Kokkinakis, and at the Australian Open was sent packing in the second round by Holger Rune. But in a curious twist of fate, Cressy made amends for that disappointing Australian summer by streaking to the semifinal at the Montpellier Open where he won his rematch against the young Dane in three pulsating sets to make the final.

Jannik Sinner leads Maxime Cressy 1-0 in their head-to-head. They played on the hard courts of the Lexington Challenger back in 2019 where Sinner won in three sets. Cressy’s serve and volley technique make him an awkward proposition for any baseliner. Sinner knows that chances will be at a premium even with his extraordinary ability to take the ball early and with depth. One thing he cannot afford to do in this match is to drop his serve. We saw how costly it was for Holger Rune because when the set gets into a tiebreak it’s a lottery. But nevertheless, Sinner’s hyper-aggressive return will fashion enough chances to enable him to break the Cressy serve. The Italian is a solid pick to win his first title of 2023.