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Match details
Fixture: Nikoloz Basilashvili vs Thiago Monteiro
Date: 29 September 2020
Tournament: Roland Garros 2020
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: Approx. €38,000,000
Match timing: Approx. 4 pm CEST, 7.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC/Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Also check out: The Complete French Open 2020 Schedule
Nikoloz Basilashvili vs Thiago Monteiro preview
Nikoloz Basilashvili enters Roland Garros 2020 as the 31st seed, but short on confidence and momentum. The Georgian would be highly disappointed with his result at last week's German Open, where he was ousted by Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round.
The loss might sting Basilashvili more than usual, given that he was the two-time defending champion in Germany.
The 28-year-old has been knocked out in his opening match at not just Hamburg, but every tournament he's played in since the resumption of tennis. He has a feeble win-loss record of 4-10 this year.
While Thiago Monteiro is ranked 31 places behind Basilashvili, he's had slightly better results in recent weeks. Monteiro made it to the final of the Forli Challenger last week, where he was seeded No. 1.
However, the Brazilian has had some mediocre results at his other tournaments. He exited the US Open in the first round, and failed to make it past the qualifiers at Cincinnati, Kitzbuhel or Rome.
Nikoloz Basilashvili vs Thiago Monteiro head-to-head
Nikoloz Basilashvili and Thiago Monteiro have not faced each other on the tour so far. Their head-to-head is currently tied at 0-0.
Nikoloz Basilashvili vs Thiago Monteiro prediction
Nikoloz Basilashvili will be desperate to get off to a winning start after the torrid time he's had on the court in 2020.
The Georgian has very powerful groundstrokes in his arsenal, including a blistering two-handed backhand. He also has the physicality to grind it out on the slow clay courts of Paris.
But Thiago Monteiro will also back his chances on the surface against an out-of-form Basilashvili. 13 out of Monteiro's 16 finals at the Challenger and Futures levels have come on clay.
That said, despite his recent struggles, Basilashvili might just have the edge in this encounter given his superior firepower.
Prediction: Nikoloz Basilashvili to win in five sets.
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