Tue 24 Mar, 16:10
Arthur Fils enters as the rightful favorite despite the small ranking gap (6 positions). The key factor is hard court outdoor form - Fils is perfect 2-0 in his last two matches on this surface, while Vacherot is 0-2. Vacherot is going through a catastrophic form slump with 4 straight losses, including heavy defeats to Auger-Aliassime (2-6, 2-6) and Korda (6-7, 3-6) on hard courts. Fils shows far better consistency with a 67% win rate in his last 6 matches versus Vacherot's 33%. Particularly concerning for Vacherot is losing his last two hard court outdoor matches without winning a set. Fils has experience in long matches (50% go to 3 sets) showing mental toughness. While there's no H2H data, current form clearly favors Fils. Vacherot's height (1.93m) could be a serving advantage, but poor form overrides physical attributes. I expect a tough battle with Fils winning in three sets after Vacherot shows resistance in the first or second set.
Great odds for Fils (1.36) given his superior form on this surface and Vacherot's catastrophic losing streak
Fils often plays long matches (50% go to 3 sets), and Vacherot will fight despite poor form which could lead to a lengthy match
Risky pick as Vacherot can win a set despite poor form, but Fils' dominance on this surface makes this possible