Charles Baus/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA
Jaume Munar vs Frances Tiafoe: ATP Lyon – First round
One of the highest ranked American players Frances Tiafoe will take on Jaume Munar in the opening round of the ATP Lyon.
Jaume Munar Profile
Jaume Munar is 63rd in the ATP rankings, and he has never been higher than No. 52 on the list. The Spaniard is 17-16 for the season and 15-10 on clay.
Munar is coming off a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 loss to Cameron Norrie in the second round of the ATP Rome. In the first one, he defeated Rinki Hijikata 6-7, 7-5. The week before, Munar reached the final at the Aux de Provance Challenger, where he lost to Alejandro Tabilo 6-3, 6-2.
Besides that final, Munar made it to the quarterfinals in Cordoba and Santiago.
This is his first appearance in Lyon.
Frances Tiafoe Profile
Frances Tiafoe is 26th in the ATP rankings, and not that long ago, he was No. 10. The American is 10-13 for the season and 3-4 on clay.
Tiafoe is coming to Lyon after losing in the first round of the previous three matches. In Rome, he lost to Daniel Koepfer; in Cagliari, he lost to Francisco Coria; and in Madrid, he lost to Pedro Cachin.
Tiafoe’s best results this season were the final in Houston, where he lost to Ben Shelton, and the semifinal in Delray Beach, where he lost to Tommy Paul.
This is his first appearance in Lyon.
Head-to-Head Munar leads 3-0
- Munar vs Murray 7-6, 6-4 (2021 ATP Buenos Aires, round of 16)
- Munar vs Murray 6-4, 6-3 (2019 ATP Barcelona, second round)
- Munar vs Murray 4-1, 4-3, 4-1 (2018 NextGen ATP Finals)
Prediction and Conclusion
Frances Tiafoe is having a poor season so far, as it has been more than a month since his last win. There has been no injury that has caused him to play on this level, but he will need to step up as soon as possible. The tournament in Lyon seems like a great place to do that and prepare for Roland Garros. However, the American is facing a player he has never won a set against, and they have played three times before. Munar is having a solid season, and he prefers to play on clay courts like these in Lyon. This is one of those matches where the surface will have a lot of effect on the play, and Munar will use that advantage to move on to the second round.
