The Montpellier Open has a distinctively European feel in the field as some of the top players on the continent head to the South of France in what promises to be a fascinating week of tennis on the indoor hard courts. With no fewer than 9 Frenchmen in the draw, there’s sure to be a very Partisan feel in the crowd in what is always one of the events of the year on the ATP Tour.
There’s a strong 32 draw present in Montpellier with players opting to hit the hard courts of Europe rather than the clay in South America.
Here’s a look at some of our favourites for the Open Sud De France title:
Jo Wilfried-Tsonga – 4/1 (Coral) – The all-action Frenchman is back in the world’s top 20 and will fancy his chances of picking up a title on home soil. His offensive style of play will be conducive to the speedy indoor courts in Montpellier and he is always a handful to play against.
David Goffin – 5/1 (BetVictor) – The Belgian has such variety to his game and reached the final of the World Tour Finals in London in November but his early defeat at the Australian Open will be concerning for the world number 7. Seeded 1 here, he looks to have a good draw and will be feeling confident heading into this one after his David Cup exploits last week.
Lucas Pouille – 13/2 (Stan James) – The Frenchman captured the hearts of his nation in November by helping France lift the Davis Cup. Now seeded 17 in the world, Pouille looks to have all the hallmarks to make an attack on the top 10 in the world in 2018 and will very much be one to watch here from the number 2 seed position.
Richard Gasquet – 6/1 (Unibet) – The elegant Frenchman had a solid season in 2017 but still flatters to deceive at times and for a man with such talents, should perhaps find himself in the winner’s circle more often. Now ranked 33 in the world, he will be keen to get ranking points on the board and with home support behind him, he could have a good week in the South of France.
The Montpellier Open looks very open this week and here are some of the outside picks:-
Andrey Rublev – 16/1 (Betfair) – The young Russian had a fantastic season in 2017, breaking into the world’s top 40 and he is capable of battling it out with anybody on the ATP Tour.
Daniil Medvedev– 22/1 (Skybet) – Another fire-cracker off the Russian tennis conveyer belt, Medvedev has picked up a trophy already this season in Sydney and will be one to watch here.
Benoit Paire- 25/1 (Boyle Sports) – The hugely-talented Frenchman is frustrating to follow at times but is capable of absolutely anything so shouldn’t be ruled out here.
Karen Khachanov – 25/1 (Betfred) – Few players hit the ball as hard as Khachanov on the ATP Tour and the young Russian is always a threat in any event he plays in.
Top Pick – David Goffin – 5/1 (BetVictor)
Outside Pick – Andrey Rublev – 16/1 (Betfair)