French Open 2023: Frances Tiafoe vs Filip Krajinovic preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (12) Frances Tiafoe vs Filip Krajinovic

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

Frances Tiafoe vs Filip Krajinovic preview

Tiafoe is looking for his maiden Grand Slam title

Twelfth seed Frances Tiafoe gets his French Open campaign up and running against Serbia's Filip Krajinovic.

World No. 12 Tiafoe is 21-8 on the season, coming off third-round appearances in Rome and Madrid. The 25-year-old did win his only title of the year on clay (Houston), suggesting that he can be successful in the sport's slowest surface.

Tiafoe made a rousing start to the year, winning his first seven matches. That includes five wins in Team USA's victorious campaign at the inaugural United Cup Down Under. After reaching the Dallas and Acapulco quarterfinals, he made the last four at Indian Wells.

The American then won only the second singles title of his career on the clay of Houston, but he hasn't quite found the same success on European clay. Tiafoe, in fact, has a less than flattering 1-7 record at French Open - with his lone win coming last year - after six straight first-round defeats.

Meanwhile, the 92nd-ranked Krajinovic dropped to 3-11 on the season after losing in the opening round in Geneva. The 2017 Paris Masters finalist is 0-4 on European clay on the ATP Tour this season and hasn't won in eight matches since winning his opening round in Montpellier in February.

Krajinovic has a slightly better Roland-Garros record than Tiafoe (5-6), making the third round last year.

Frances Tiafoe vs Filip Krajinovic head-to-head

Tiafoe has won only one of his three matches with Krajinovic, who has won the pair's two meetings on clay, including their last one in the Rome opening round last year.

Frances Tiafoe vs Filip Krajinovic odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (over/under)
Frances Tiafoe	-375	-1.5 (-200)	Over 35.5 (-125)
Filip Krajinovic	+275	+1.5 (+140)	Under 35.5 (-110)

(All odds as per BETMGM)

Frances Tiafoe vs Filip Krajinovic prediction

Krajinovic hasn't won a match in nearly three months

Both Tiafoe and Krajinovic are quintessential baseliners and have similar playing styles. Both serve big, hit powerfully off either flank, and move well.

However, the American takes the edge because of his superior experience and consistency. Interestingly, both players have pretty similar - and losing - claycourt records. While Tiafoe is 27-33 on the surface, Krajinovic is 33-41.

However, considering the present wretched form of Krajinovic, who hasn't won in nearly three months, Tiafoe should have no problems moving to the next round.

Pick: Tiafoe in straight sets

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Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

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Edited by Atul S