The final Masters 1000 event of the 2023 season begins on Monday in Paris, where Frances Tiafoe is facing Alexander Bublik. Grigor Dimitrov and Lorenzo Musetti, who just went head-to-head in Vienna, will meet again.
(14) Frances Tiafoe vs. Alexander Bublik
Tiafoe has admittedly lacked motivation since the U.S. Open, and a recent cold spell means he basically has no chance to reach the Nitto ATP Finals even if he lifts the trophy at the Rolex Paris Masters. The 14th-ranked American is just 3-6 in his last nine matches dating back to a quarterfinal loss to Ben Shelton at Flushing Meadows, and one of the three victories was at the Laver Cup.
Up first for Tiafoe on Monday is a fourth encounter with Bublik, who trails the head-to-head series 2-1. They split a pair of 2022 grass-court contests after Tiafoe prevailed 6-1, 7-6(5) on the hard courts of Washington, D.C. in 2019. Bublik had been in the midst of rough stretch, himself, but he picked up momentum with an indoor title in Antwerp a couple of weeks ago. This a tough one to call since both players are all over the place these days, but an indoor hard court is favorable for Bublik and his confidence is likely back thanks to his recent success in Antwerp.
Pick: Bublik in 3
Grigor Dimitrov vs. Lorenzo Musetti
At the Erste Bank Open this past week, Dimitrov and Musetti squared off in the first round with the winner to meet Daniil Medvedev immediately thereafter. The story is the exact same in Paris, as Medvedev again awaits the winner of this showdown. It was Dimitrov in Vienna and the result should be the same this week given the surface and the Bulgarian’s impressive form. Prior to his setback against Medvedev, Dimitrov had advanced to the semifinals in Chengdu, the quarterfinals in Beijing, and the semis at the Shanghai Masters.
Musetti won their first matchup on the hard courts of Acapulco, but he would obviously prefer to contest this matchup on clay. The 22nd-ranked Italian is 3-7 in his last 10 matches and 6-8 in his last 14 since the start of the hard-court summer. There is no reason to think that much will change from Dimitrov’s 6-3, 6-4 Vienna victory over Musetti.
Pick: Dimitrov in 2
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