Paris Masters 2020: Dusan Lajovic vs Adrian Mannarino preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Dusan Lajovic vs Adrian Mannarino

Date: 3 November 2020

Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters 2020

Round: Round of 64 (First round)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Indoor hardcourt

Prize money: €3,901,015

Match timing: Approx. 3 pm local time, 7.30 pm

Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six / Sony Liv

Dusan Lajovic vs Adrian Mannarino preview

Serbia's Dusan Lajovic faces off against France’s Adrian Mannarino in the first round of the Rolex Paris Masters 2020.

Lajovic, who has received a seeding spot after the withdrawal of Grigor Dimitrov, comes into the Paris Masters in desperate need of good form. The Serb has mustered an underwhelming 5-9 win-loss record since the restart of tennis amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

After reaching the quarterfinal in Hamburg on his preferred surface of clay, Lajovic has been on a four-match losing streak.

Adrian Mannarino at Bett1Hulks Championship 2020

On the other hand, World No. 32 Adrian Mannarino is in a rich vein of form. After a third round exit at the US Open and a mediocre clay swing, Mannarino has had a huge upswing on indoor hardcourts.

The Frenchman reached the quarterfinal of Cologne 2, where he was narrowly edged by Alexander Zverev. He then reached the final of the Astana Open in Nur-Sultan, where he lost to John Millman.

Dusan Lajovic vs Adrian Mannarino head-to-head

Dusan Lajovic and Adrian Mannarino have met four times on tour previously, with Lajovic leading the head-to-head 3-1.

Their indoor hardcourt head-to-head, however, stands at an even 1-1. Mannarino beat the Serb in Moscow last year, while Lajovic emerged victorious when they met at Basel 2018.

Dusan Lajovic vs Adrian Mannarino prediction

Adrian Mannarino at the Telcel ATP Mexican Open 2020

Despite their history on tour and Dusan Lajovic’s higher ranking, Adrian Mannarino’s run in Nur-Sultan will inspire loads of confidence in the Frenchman.

Mannarino has enough momentum to carry him through a match against an opponent down on his luck. His deft hands at the net and his flat, clean groundstrokes can cause Lajovic plenty of problems on the quick courts of Paris.

Mannarino could possibly be affected by fatigue though, and Lajovic will hope to take advantage of that. The Serb will look to use his reliable serve and one-handed backhand to push the 32-year-old behind the baseline. But that won't be easy, especially since Mannarino is playing in the familiar environs of his home event.

Prediction: Adrian Mannarino to win in three sets.