Date: 29 April 2021
Tournament: Millennium Estoril Open 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Estoril, Portugal
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €419,470
Match timing: Not before 1 pm local time, 5.30 pm IST
Cristian Garin vs Richard Gasquet preview
Cristian Garin is set to open his 2021 Millennium Estoril Open campaign with a second-round encounter against Richard Gasquet on Thursday.
Garin, who is the second seed here, has been in good form in the lead-up to this tournament. Having already scored a title on the red dirt this season - the Chile Open - the 24-year-old will be feeling confident about his prospects against Gasquet.
Gasquet, on his part, has struggled for form in recent weeks. In fact, he is yet to score back-to-back wins at a tournament this season.
The Frenchman did score a good win over Juan Ignacio Lonedro to start his campaign here in Estoril. However, he will need to raise his level significantly if he hopes to put up a strong fight against an in-form opponent like Garin.
Cristian Garin vs Richard Gasquet head-to-head
Cristian Garin and Richard Gasquet have never crossed paths on the tour before, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Cristian Garin vs Richard Gasquet prediction
Cristian Garin will enter this contest as a firm favorite, given his prowess on clay coupled with his recent results. Garin did go down to Kei Nishikori in his last outing at Barcelona, but he showed a lot of fighting spirit throughout.
Against Richard Gasquet, the Chilean will need to continue with the same level of intensity. Gasquet certainly possesses the power - especially off the backhand wing - to take the attack to his opponent, so Garin will have to be consistent with his own baseline play.
Gasquet also has a nifty front-court game, which he uses well to win a lot of quick points. But the problem for him has been his inability to bring together all the small elements of his game together in the big moments.
Gasquet will have very little time to find his stride on Wednesday, as Garin will look to take control of the match from the get-go. The Frenchman needs to ensure a good start for himself as he simply cannot afford to fall behind early.
But that might only give Garin the opportunity to settle into the match. And the second seed is unlikely to loosen his grip on the match if he does get an early lead.
Prediction: Cristian Garin to win in two tight sets.
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