Monday, June 16

Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s Queen’s Club Championships first-round match between Corentin Moutet and Taylor Fritz, including predictions, form and their head-to-head record.

Corentin Moutet seeks an upset victory against in-form Taylor Fritz in Tuesday’s first-round contest of the Queen’s Club Championships at Andy Murray Arena.

The Frenchman advanced through a pair of hard-fought victories in qualifying to reach the main draw, where he faces Fritz, who recently secured his ninth ATP Tour title in Stuttgart last week.

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Match preview

Regardless of what Moutet achieves in West Kensington this week, he will fondly remember his battling victories that brought him to the main draw in London.

The intense Frenchman secured thrilling three-set triumphs over Mattia Bellucci and compatriot Arthur Rinderknech to reach his maiden first-round match at Queen's.

Moutet required two hours and 43 minutes to defeat Bellucci, before needing another contest lasting two hours and 31 minutes to outlast Rinderknech; he aims for an 11th main draw victory at Fritz's expense and an 18th overall this season to progress to the second round.

To achieve this, the world No. 89 must secure only his ninth main-draw grass-court win, having entered the London event with a record of 8-10 overall on the surface.

The 26-year-old left-hander could not overcome Alexander Zverev last week in Stuttgart, and now faces a challenging task against the man who defeated the German on home soil.

Fritz enters his second grass event aiming to continue his winning streak following last week's successful run in Baden-Wurttemberg.

After a disappointing clay season, which ended with a first-round exit against Daniel Altmaier in the French capital, a strong start on grass was just what the doctor ordered for the world No. 4.

The American No. 1's four-match winning streak leading into Queen's has allowed him to put his 1-4 win-loss record from the end of the clay season behind him; the third seed now strives for a fifth consecutive victory to progress to the second round in London.

By defeating Zverev in Stuttgart, the world No. 4 improved to 21-10 for the season, and the nine-time ATP titleholder is favoured to secure a 22nd win of 2023.

Having reached last year's quarter-final at Queen's, which was his best showing in London, the 27-year-old aims to at least match that performance, and overcoming the unseeded Moutet brings him closer to achieving this, though the in-form American will face home player Jacob Fearnley if he prevails against his unpredictable French opponent.

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Head To Head

Moutet and Fritz are set to face off for the first time on the ATP Tour, with the winner taking a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head.

The higher-ranked player boasts a 21-10 record heading into the London-based event, compared to the unseeded player's 10-11 main-draw record, highlighting the third seed's superiority.

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We say: Fritz to win in two sets

It is hard to anticipate anything other than a victory for Fritz, who has won his last 17 matches against opponents ranked between No. 80 and 150 in the world, making it unlikely for Moutet to cause an upset in Tuesday’s first round. ID:575653:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect4682:

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