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Tyler Doty
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ATP French Open Picks
For the second time in his career, Luca van Assche will advance to the second round at the French Open. The Frenchman didn’t play his best match on Monday, having to adjust to a last-minute change in opponent just minutes before the match began. Instead of facing Patrick Kypson, it was Lithuanian Vilius Gaubas, a lucky loser, who was called in to take on the French player. But that didn’t faze the world No. 100, who played with focus to defeat the Lithuanian in four sets (6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5). The victory ended a five-match losing streak before arriving in Paris and set him up for a second-round match against a tougher opponent, Brandon Nakashima.
The American hasn’t achieved the results he’d hoped for since early spring, with several disappointments in Houston (2nd round), Barcelona (2nd round), and Rome (2nd round). Yet that didn’t stop the Californian from putting in a very solid performance in the first round of the French Open. Facing Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, the world No. 35 played a complete match to win in three sets (6-2, 7-5, 6-2) and advance to the second round, where he will face Luca van Assche for a spot in the third round.
