Medvedev Favored To Win Open 13 Provence

An ATP Tour 250 event normally doesn’t attract the world’s very best tennis players, but the Open 13 Provence tournament in Marseille, France, has a loaded field. Daniil Medvedev will be among the field and while he’s favored, the reality is that he’s been struggling recently. Will he take care of business in France?

TOURNAMENT: OPEN 13 PROVENCE

CATEGORY: ATP TOUR 250
DATE: FEBRUARY 17-23, 2020
LOCATION: PALAIS DES SPOTS DE MARSEILLE – MARSEILLE, FRANCE

LAST 5 CHAMPIONS

2019: STEFANOS TSITSIPAS
2018: KAREN KHACHANOV
2017: JO-WILFRIED TSONGA
2016: NICK KYRGIOS
2015: GILLES SIMON

THE FAVORITE

This is a situation in which the favorite seems clear, but no one would be too surprised if another player wins. Daniil Medvedev should be considered the favorite, but it is easy to see why many people will not rate him as the favored choice in Marseille. Medvedev didn’t do especially well at the Australian Open, but he lost to a man who has three major championships and has established himself over many years as a big-match player, Stan Wawrinka. There is no shame in losing a five-set match to Wawrinka. Nevertheless, some people will look at Medvedev’s record in the second half of the 2019 season and say that there is no excuse for losing to Stan. Regardless of what the critics think, Medvedev has still earned the benefit of the doubt in situations when he is not playing a member of the Big 3: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, or Novak Djokovic. He should generally be considered the favorite against anyone else on tour, with the possible exception of Dominic Thiem. Medvedev should win this tournament in France and build toward bigger things in 2020.

THE DARK HORSE

The dark horse not seeded in the top five is Hubert Hurkacz, who is seeded eighth and is ranked outside the top 25. Hurkacz has a big game. It is an erratic game, but when it is on, it is extremely hard to beat. Hurkacz is a rising young talent in men’s tennis, and if he can get through the first two rounds of this tournament, he could get into the quarterfinals and go on a big roll. Hurkacz has the huge serve and the imposing, weighty groundstrokes to be a factor in men’s tennis. He does have to work on his court coverage, his shot selection, and his ability to reset points from defensive positions. If he can improve in those three areas, though, watch out for him in this tournament and on the men’s tour in general this year.

WHOM NOT TO TRUST

The player no one should trust among the top eight seeds is Benoit Paire, the sixth seed. Paire enjoys having a good time off the court, but when he is on the court, it is impossible to know how he will react, and how well he will compete when the flow of the match goes against him. Paire very easily becomes a negative and moody player on the court. He often fails to harness his emotions. This is the epitome of an untrustworthy tennis player. Paire is very talented, and when he is a happy tennis player, his best tennis shines forth. He can be very good… but he is simply not very stable or consistent, and no one disputes that.

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