ATP Paris Day 1 Predictions Including Cameron Norrie vs Sebastian Baez

The final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season gets underway with the creme de la creme of the sport converging on Paris for the second time this season. Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic will not be participating, but the field is still jam-packed with many exciting matches on the first day. In this article, we examine four matches and offer predictions for who will make it to the next round.

ATP Paris Day 1 Predictions

Francisco Cerundolo vs Damir Dzumhur

Head–to–Head: Cerundolo 1 – 0 Dzumhur

Damir Dzumhur has shown he is equally adept on hard courts as he is on clay this season. He has defeated some heavy hitters, and he successfully navigated the qualifiers with two solid comeback wins to make it to Paris for the fourth time.

Like Dzumhur, Francisco Cerundolo has proven he is not just a clay court player. The Argentine is 12-8 on hardcourts this year, and he should have no trouble getting past the Bosnian, whom he has defeated in their previous encounter.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3

Alexander Bublik vs Alexei Popyrin

Head–to–Head:  Bublik 1 – 2 Popyrin

Alexei Popyrin is struggling at the moment. The Aussie is currently on a three-match winless streak, which has seen him fall out of the Top 50. Following a long break after the US Open, the Australian returned to action in Stockholm but was eliminated in the first round by Sebastian Korda, and in Vienna by Matteo Berrettini, also in the opener.

He will face Alexander Bublik in the first round. The Kazakh found his form again in Vienna, reaching the quarterfinals before being defeated in straight sets by World #2 Jannik Sinner. Nevertheless, it has been an outstanding season for Bublik, who achieved his first Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros and captured four ATP titles.

Popyrin will draw confidence from his head-to-head record with Bublik. He has won both of their matches on hardcourts, and with the Kazakh now unable to make it to the ATP Finals in Turin, he may have little to play for.
Prediction: Popyrin in 3

Aleksandar Vukic vs Terence Atmane

Head–to–Head: First Meeting

Except for reaching the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Open last month. Aleksandar Vukic has had an inconsistent and lacklustre season, and is now on the verge of dropping out of the top 100

Terence Atmane increased his visibility following his impressive run to the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open in August. His results since then have been inconsistent: he successfully qualified for the China Open and took a set from Jannik Sinner in the second round, but he also failed to be eligible for Vienna just last week.

Atmane will aim to impress the home audience, but his fitness has been a concern since Cincinnati, leading to his withdrawal from the Shanghai tournament. Depending on the version of him that turns out, he should have too much for Vukic, who has had difficulty maintaining his form this year.
Prediction: Atmane in 3

Cameron Norrie vs Sebastian Baez

Head–to–Head: Norrie 2 – 0 Baez

Cameron Norrie had a mediocre performance during the Asian swing, suffering three defeats out of four matches. But he elevated his play in Vienna last week, where he defeated Andrey Rublev in the first round and then engaged in a remarkable battle against Matteo Berrettini, ultimately losing in three sets after a match that lasted three hours and 16 minutes. Norrie has had an outstanding year, climbing nearly 60 spots in the rankings and reaching another Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon.

His first-round rival will be Sebastian Baez. The Argentine showcased his best form during the clay court season in South America in February, where he secured a title in Rio and reached another final in Santiago. However, after suffering another defeat in the finals of the Bucharest Open, Baez’s performance declined sharply, and he has been unable to win back-to-back matches at any tournament since and is currently on a three-match losing streak.

Norrie has won both of their previous encounters, even so, on the Argentine’s favored clay courts. On hard courts, this will be straightforward for Norrie.
Prediction: Norrie in 2