Roland Garros: Borna Coric vs Norbert Gombos preview, head-to-head & prediction | French Open 2020

Match details:

Fixture: Borna Coric vs Norbert Gombos

Date: 27 September 2020

Tournament: Roland Garros 2020

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: Approx. €38,000,000

Timing: 4 pm CEST, 7:30 PM IST

Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Borna Coric vs Norbert Gombos preview

Borna Coric plays a forehand

24th seed Borna Coric will be looking to kick off his 2020 French Open campaign on a strong note when he faces Slovakia's Norbert Gombos in the first round on Sunday.

Coric gave a good account of himself at the US Open, where he saved six match points in a comeback victory against World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round before falling to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.

The deep run at Flushing Meadows left him with little in the tank for his appearance in Rome and he suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Italian Stefano Travaglia in the second round.

Coric's first-round opponent Norbert Gombos has not spent too much time on the main tour, competing primarily on the Challenger circuit. The World No. 106 won a Challenger title on clay last year at Bratislava but has not had much success on this surface on the main tour.

Borna Coric vs Norbert Gombos head-to-head

The first-round match in Paris will be the first career meeting between Borna Coric and Norbert Gombos, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Borna Coric vs Norbert Gombos prediction

Norbert Gombos

Borna Coric is a pale shadow of the player he was a year ago when he was ranked as high as 12 in the world. The Croat has struggled for consistency, with his game often letting him down in crunch situations.

However, he seemed to have turned a corner at the US Open, with his baseline game firing on all cylinders.

Coric's backhand has always been rock solid but it was his inside-out forehand that did most of the damage at Flushing Meadows, forcing opponents deep behind the baseline and allowing him to take control of rallies. He will be hoping that shot can hold firm during his time in Paris.

Norbert Gombos, on the other hand, has very few weapons at his disposal although his crisp forehand can do some damage at times. As long as Coric can stay solid from the baseline and avoid taking unnecessary risks, he should have little trouble disposing of the Slovak.

Prediction: Borna Coric to win in three sets.