French Open 2023: Carlos Alcaraz vs Flavio Cobolli preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Roland Garros

Match Details

Fixture: (1) Carlos Alcaraz vs (Q) Flavio Cobolli

Tournament: French Open 2023

Round: First round (Round of 128)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor clay

Prize money: €49,600,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports, Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten

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Carlos Alcaraz vs Flavio Cobolli preview

Alcaraz at the 2023 Madrid Open.

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will square off against qualifier Flavio Cobolli in the first round of the 2023 French Open.

Alcaraz's European clay swing was off to a disappointing start as an injury forced him to skip the Monte-Carlo Masters. He returned to action at the Barcelona Open, where he was the defending champion. The Spaniard scored wins over Nuno Borges, Roberto Bautista Agut, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Dan Evans to reach the final.

Alcaraz defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to successfully defend his title and that too without dropping a set over the week. He another mounted triumphant title defense at the Madrid Open. The 20-year old faced Jan-Lennard Struff in the final and overcame him in three sets to claim his 10th career title.

Alcaraz defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round of the Italian Open to reclaim the World No. 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic. He faced Fabian Marozsan in the third round, but lost to him in straight sets.

Cobolli's French Open journey commenced in the qualifying rounds. He ousted Mathys Erhard in three sets and then scored a win over Lukas Klein. The Italian faced home favorite Laurent Lokoli in the final round and defeated him in straight sets to qualify for a Major for the first time in his young career.

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Carlos Alcaraz vs Flavio Cobolli head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.

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Carlos Alcaraz vs Flavio Cobolli odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Carlos Alcaraz	-5000	+1.5 (-1600)	Over 27.5 (-110)
Flavio Cobolli	+1100	-1.5 (+625)	Under 27.5 (-125)

(Odds sourced from BetMGM)

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Carlos Alcaraz vs Flavio Cobolli prediction

Flavio Cobolli at the 2023 Italian Open.

They're just a year apart in age, but there's a wide gap when it comes to their experience on the ATP tour. Cobolli is still finding his footing, while Alcaraz has already accomplished a lot in just a couple of years.

Having won three titles on clay this season, Alcaraz is one of the frontrunners to go all the way in Paris. While his game his quite well-rounded, there are ways to break through his defenses. Players who take the ball on the rise and hit early do put him in a spot of bother.

But to do that against one of the best athletes on the tour is a tall order for anyone. Cobolli played at a decent level in the qualifying rounds, but getting the better of Alcaraz could prove to be too much for him. The World No. 1 should commence his quest for a second Grand Slam title on a winning note.

Pick: Carlos Alcaraz to win in straight sets.