Paris Masters 2021: Grigor Dimitrov vs Richard Gasquet preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (16) Grigor Dimitrov vs Richard Gasquet

Date: 1 November 2021

Tournament: 2021 Rolex Paris Masters

Round: First round (Round of 64)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Masters 1000

Surface: Indoor hardcourt

Prize money: €2,603,700

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Grigor Dimitrov vs Richard Gasquet preview

16th seed Grigor Dimitrov will take on France's Richard Gasquet in the opening round of the 2021 Paris Masters.

Dimitrov started the season quite well, reaching the quarterfinals of the first three events that he played in (including the Australian Open). However, a series of injuries prevented him from playing his best after that.

Early exits from a string of tournaments along with a couple of mid-match retirements put a dampener on Dimitrov's year. But the Bulgarian has turned things around over the last month, reaching the semifinals at both San Diego and Indian Wells.

Although he lost in the first round to Stefanos Tsitspas at last week's Vienna Open, Dimitrov competed well in the match. He will be hoping to carry that form into Paris too.

Richard Gasquet at the 2021 Dubai Open.

Richard Gasquet on the other hand has had a tough season from start to finish, compiling a 14-13 record. Nevertheless, he did record his 550th career win, and also reached his first final in more than three years at the Croatia Open (which he lost to Carlos Alcaraz).

The Frenchman has even played on the Challenger circuit a few times this year, reaching the quarterfinals or better at all of them. He enters the tournament on the back of two consecutive first-round main-draw losses, and will be aiming to turn things around in front of his home crowd.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Richard Gasquet head-to-head

Grigor Dimitrov and Richard Gasquet have played eight times so far, with Gasquet leading the head-to-head 5-3. But while the Frenchman dominated their rivalry early on, Dimitrov has won their last three encounters - including their most recent match, at the 2017 Paris Masters.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Richard Gasquet prediction

Grigor Dimitrov at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open.

Grigor Dimitrov enters the contest as a slight favorite, as he's had a better year than Richard Gasquet overall and also been in good form over the last month.

Dimitrov and Gasquet employ similar styles of play, and are known for their elegant one-handed backhands. But the Bulgarian is the better server between the two of them, and also has a little more power in his groundstrokes.

Gasquet's forehand remains a liability, especially on quick surfaces. He also lacks significant weapons in other aspects of the game to trouble a player like Dimitrov; merely relying on his spectacular backhand hasn't delivered good results for him in a while.

Prediction: Grigor Dimitrov to win in straight sets.