Monte-Carlo 2023: Goffin vs Schwartzman Tennis Pick & Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters first-round match featuring David Goffin vs Diego Schwartzman on Monday, April 10, 2023.

Goffin vs Schwartzman Match Preview and Prediction

David Goffin and Diego Schwartzman appear to be suffering from a late-career slump. But this matchup presents an opportunity for one of them to steer their campaign in the right direction. Who will prevail and reach the second round of the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters?

David Goffin is 9-5 for the season, with the highlight of this year coming at the Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve Challenger where he bagged his eighth title at that level. But that was at the end of January, with Goffin limited to just four appearances since and was forced to withdraw from all tournaments in March. Goffin also missed the defense of his title in Marrakech this past week due to a persistent knee injury. He’ll kick off his clay swing at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters against a struggling Diego Schwartzman.

Diego Schwartzman has fallen off a cliff in 2023. With just three wins all season, the Argentine enters a very important stretch in the calendar where he is defending substantial ranking points. Beginning with Monte-Carlo Masters, where Schwartzman made the last eight last season, it is crucial he gets to the deep end of the draw to prevent being overtaken in the world’s top 40. Can he beat a rusty David Goffin?

Goffin vs Schwartzman Prediction and Pick

David Goffin leads Diego Schwartzman 5-1 in their head-to-head, with Goffin winning their most recent meeting in Antwerp last season in straight sets. Goffin hasn’t played since Marseille towards the end of February after aggravating a knee injury. He also missed the defense of his title in Marrakech this past week, further highlighting the seriousness of the injury. He hasn’t disclosed whether it’s the same injury he picked up in 2021 that forced him to end his season prematurely then. Still, that only adds to the intrigue here. Schwartzman has fared dismally for almost eight months now. And one suspects he’s not out of the woods just yet. And at the price Goffins enters this contest, we’re happy to oppose Schwartzman under the current circumstances by taking the set handicap.