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Qualifying sensation Kyle Edmund will square off in the first round at Roland Garros against local favorite Stephane Robert.
Edmund wasn`t expected to do much noise in Roland Garros, he had a poor season on the red dirt and clay is not exactly his best surface. However, the Brit was arguably the most impressive players in the qualifying tournament. He edged Gerard Melzer in three sets in the first round and went on to demolish his opposition in the next stages – 6-1 6-2 against Hanescu and 6-1 6-4 against Menendez-Maceiras. Edmund produced some masterclass attacking tennis, painting the lines with his forehand and barely making mistakes. The british media was in awe of his performances and he declared himself very happy with his level, stating that he is playing his best tennis.
Robert came back this year after a 6 month layoff due to injury, but at 35 years old he may never regain his optimal level. The Frenchman has been absolutely dreadful in 2015, his best performances before Roland Garros being reaching the 3rd qualifying round in Auckland and Cassablanca. He barely won a handful of matches and even at challenger level he was unable to pass the second round. Robert entered the tournament on the back of 3 consecutive losses, the last one against Almagro in Estoril.
However, Robert managed to regain part of his form here in Paris and won 3 qualifying matches, reaching the main draw. He wasn`t too impressive though – struggling in three sets with A Gonzalez, Lamasine and Ghem, who took him to a thriller (8-6 in the third set for Robert). Good run for Stephane, but really nothing to shout about.
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The two players never met before on tour. Robert favors clay more than Edmund, but looking at their run in the qualies, that might not matter too much – the Brit really proved that he can play his best tennis on this surface. His style of power shots from the baseline will be matched up against Robert’s versatility and unpredictability.
I fully expect Edmund to come out on top today. He was flawless in the qualifying tournament, blowing out opponents with his heavy ground strokes and offensive tennis. Robert is in abysmal form this season and even though he managed to win three matches in qualifying, he wasn`t dominant, still making errors. Look for Edmund to attack and put Robert under pressure, forcing him to run around the court. With old age and no real rhythm or form, I can`t see Robert being able to cope with a young, hungry, in form player like the Brit.
Stephane Robert has zero edges in this match aside for his superior experience and being seasoned in 3 out of 5 sets Grand Slam matches. This is nowhere near enough, so I expect Edmund to continue his good form and pass into the second round without problems. My tip is Kyle Edmund to win with a 1,5 set handicap and I will invest maximum stakes on this bet. Prediction: Kyle Edmund – Stephane Robert 6-4 6-2 7-6.
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Pick: Edmund -1,5 set handicap
Odds: 2.04 @ Unibet
Stake: 10
Possible profit: 10.4
Event date: 25 May
