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Match details
Fixture: (5) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Jeremy Chardy
Date: 30 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. 6 pm local time, 4 pm GMT, 12 pm EST, 9.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Jeremy Chardy preview
Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will open his 2021 Roland Garros campaign against veteran Frenchman Jeremy Chardy on Sunday.
After a solid run to the semifinals of the 2020 edition, where he put up an inspiring display against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, Tsitsipas has emerged as one of the best claycourt players on tour.
The Greek began his campaign on the red dirt this year by winning the Monte Carlo Masters and pushing Rafael Nadal to the limit in the final in Barcelona the following week.
The 22-year-old also had Djokovic on the ropes in Rome, but eventually came up short in their quarterfinal encounter. He now heads to the French Open as one of the favorites.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Chardy, 34, is in the twilight of his career. The Frenchman was involved in one of the matches of the tournament last year, when he fell to Jurij Rodionov 10-8 in the final set of the opening round.
Chardy enters his home Major on the back of a straight-sets loss to Dusan Lajovic in Belgrade earlier this week.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Jeremy Chardy head-to-head
Stefanos Tsitsipas leads the head-to-head against Jeremy Chardy 2-1. Chardy won the opening match between the pair in 2018, but Tsitsipas has since registered successive victories against the Frenchman.
Their most recent meeting at the 2019 Queen's Club Championships was a mini-classic as Tsitsipas stood tall in the final-set tiebreak to register a comeback win after dropping the opener.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Jeremy Chardy prediction
Stefanos Tsitsipas has shown in recent years that he has an attacking game potent enough to hit through opponents on clay, coupled with the movement and grit required to excel on the physically demanding surface.
Tsitsipas' forehand is his biggest weapon and and has gradually developed into one of the best shots on the men's tour. The Greek youngster can open up the court with sharp angles off his forehand, enabling him to take control of the rallies and set up for a better finishing shot.
Tsitsipas' return, however, has often been his undoing. But on clay, where the opponent's serve is not a very potent weapon and the Greek has time to adjust, he has shown he can make inroads.
Jeremy Chardy's best years are behind him, but there is still plenty of fight left in the veteran. The Frenchman will be motivated to put up a show in front of his home fans, but an opponent like Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is in his prime, should prove ttoo much to handle.
Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in straight sets
