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Match details
Fixture: Sebastian Korda vs Pedro Martinez
Date: 31 May 2021
Tournament: Roland Garros 2021
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red Clay
Prize money: €17,171,108
Match timing: Approx. 4 pm local time, 2 pm GMT, 10 am EST, 7.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Sebastian Korda vs Pedro Martinez preview
Sebastian Korda is one of the most dangerous unseeded players at Roland Garros 2021.
The American made significant strides in the early part of the year on hardcourt, including a runner-up finish in Delray Beach and a quarterfinal finish in Miami. And while he won only one match in his first four tournaments on clay, Korda's run in Parma this week would have given him a lot of confidence.
The 20-year-old beat Lorenzo Sonego, Yoshito Nishioka, Tommy Paul and Marco Cecchinato consecutively, all in straight sets, to pick up the first title of his career. He would now be looking to improve on his fourth-round finish at the French Open last year, and will take on Pedro Martinez in the first round.
Martinez is a mainstay on the Challenger tour, but his experience on the ATP tour is rather thin. The Spaniard has had a couple of solid results this year, reaching the third round at the Australian Open and the second round in Estoril.
But Martinez has not had a great time on clay so far. While the 24-year-old's two tour-level wins have come against Alexander Bublik and Gilles Simon, he has suffered a string of disappointing losses too. Martinez's 2021 win-loss record stands at a poor 3-7.
Sebastian Korda vs Pedro Martinez head-to-head
The first-round encounter at Roland Garros 2021 is the second match between the pair, and Sebastian Korda currently leads the head-to-head 1-0 over Pedro Martinez.
In fact, the two met at Roland Garros itself last year, in the third round. Korda prevailed over Martinez in straight sets that time.
Sebastian Korda vs Pedro Martinez prediction
Sebastian Korda comes into the contest as the heavy favorite, particularly after his exploits in Parma.
The American's playing style works well on clay, even though he relies a lot on his serve to dominate rallies. Korda uses his powerful groundstrokes from the back of the court to control the pace of the match, and his movement is pretty good too.
Pedro Martinez, on his part, will look to use his consistent baseline game to his advantage. Aware of his opponent's tendency to leak unforced errors under pressure, the Spaniard will likely try to elongate the rallies whenever he can.
Martinez is known to patient with his game and he enjoys playing on slower surfaces like the one in Paris.
That said, Korda was in top form in Parma, and he has gained significant experience since his fourth-round finish at Roland Garros last year. The match is likely to be on his racket, and it is unlikely that the in-form American will slip up at the very first hurdle.
Prediction: Sebastian Korda to win in four sets.
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