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Elise Mertens vs Daria Gavrilova: French Open live scores

29th May, 2017
Start time: Around 9pm (AEST)
Court: Court 3
TV: Live, Fox Sports
Online: Live, Foxtel Go
Betting: Gavrilova $1.35, Mertens $3.36
Overall record: Played 1, Gavrilova 1, Mertens 0
Last meeting: 3/5/17, Rabat second round - Gavrilova defeat Mertens 6-2, 6-1

Elise Mertens last 10 matches: won 7, lost 3
Kristina Kucova last 10 matches: won 8, lost 2
Daria Gavrilova was lucky not to be disqualified in her recent match. (AP Photo/Theron Kirkman)
Expert
29th May, 2017
0

It’ll be a battle of rising stars in the first round of the French Open when Australian Daria Gavrilova looks to continue her good form and hold off Elise Mertens. Join The Roar for live scores from around 9pm (AEST).

Gavrilova, who has always been relatively strong on clay has never actually made it past the second round of the French Open and will be keen to turn that around here.

Handed a tricky draw though, Mertens will put up a show in the first round on her favourite surface and it’s more than a danger match for the 24th seed.

Gavrilova’s has hit something close to top form in the last fortnight though. After forgetting to enter in Rome, she worked her way through qualification and got the better of Madison Keys, French Open eighth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and Caroline Garcia before bowing out at the quarter-finals.

Things went better in Strasbourg, where she again got the better of Garcia, as well as a tough three-set win over countrywoman Ashleigh Barty to make the final, where she was beaten by Samantha Stosur.

It leaves Gavrilova still on the hunt for her first WTA title, but indicated she is in good form which was certainly displayed during the final as she took the first set in a tough tie-breaker.

Mertens, on the other hand showed strong form on clay throughout April, with a nearly 60 per cent career strike rate on the surface.

A couple of strong Fed Cup wins and a run to the final in Istanbul, where she came up short against Elina Svitolina headlined last month, but it’s been downhill from there with form abandoning her.

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Tournaments in Rabat and Nurnberg both ended prematurely, with Rabat particularly worrying as Gavrilova walked the top of her 6-2, 6-1.

The Australian was completely dominant in their only ever meeting and will look to take the confidence gained from the display into the first round grand slam match.

It means the 21-year-old Belgian hasn’t won a match in almost a month before facing a seeded player at the second grand slam of the year and she will have to work hard to turn it around.

Prediction
This could be an entertaining match. Gavrilova at times has a tendency to drift in and out of matches, but still find a way to get it done. Mertens’ form has been a little sketchy though, and it’s hard to see her picking up a win against the 24th seed here.

Gavrilova in three sets.

Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of this first round French Open match from around 9pm (AEST) or at the completion of Alijaz Bedene versus Ryan Harrison on court three and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.

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