As the French Open approaches in a week, players are busy fine-tuning their tennis in various tournaments across the globe. Ben Shelton is set for an All-American clash in Germany against Marcos Giron at the Hamburg Open, while Alycia Parks takes on Moyuka Uchijima in her WTA Rabat opener.
Elsewhere, at the Geneva Open, a string of thrilling Round of 32 clashes are in the making as Italy’s Raul Brancaccio will take on Stan Wawrinka, while Sebastian Baez will go up against Alex Michelsen. Also, at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, Alexandra Eala will face Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova in a must-see encounter.
Here are our top best picks and a brief analysis on who will advance to the forthcoming rounds.
Top Tennis Picks and Best Bets
Ben Shelton vs Marcos Giron: Ben Shelton (-300)
The All-American Clash in Hamburg will see Ben Shelton and Marcos Giron clash for the third time, with their previous meetings tied at 1-1. Shelton, seeded No. 2, entered the tournament via his ranking and is expected to dominate on the clay, despite suffering in Madrid and Rome. Ben Shelton is known for his explosive style and great first serve, using which he claimed the clay-court title in Munich at the 2026 BMW Open, which proves that his skills align well with slower conditions.
Giron is known for his endurance and a reasonable baseline game that allows him to take control for most parts of a match. However, with his recent loss to Germany’s Max Schoenhaus in 6–7(5), 6–4, 7–6(5), his vulnerabilities on clay came out in the open.
If Shelton manages to be consistent with his elite serve, great forehand, and sliding, he can take the win in 2.
Alycia Parks vs. Moyuka Uchijima: Alycia Parks (+154)
Next up at Morocco is the round of 32 clash between America’s Alycia Parks and Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima. The pair are meeting for the second time, with Parks leading their head-to-head 1-0 in an indoor court. Seeded at No. 8, Parks comes in with a devastating first serve while also holding the ability to stop elite counter-attacks, but did not live up to the consistency at Parma, where she lost 6-4, 7-5 to Bandecchi.
Uchijima also lost at Parma 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-0 to Kaja Juvan but bags a 14-7 win record on clay. Known for her counter-punching, the clay is a perfect spot to help her slide smoothly and extend the rallies past a certain threshold that could wear out Parks. Expect Uchijima to win in 3.
Raul Brancaccio vs. Stan Wawrinka: Stan Wawrinka (-210)
At the Geneva Open, Italy’s Raul Brancaccio is set to take on Swiss national Stan Wawrinka in their first-ever clash. Raul is yet to make a strong mark on the court, as the Italian has only played one match at the main draw of an ATP tournament but also lost to Frenchman Clement Tabur 6-0, 2-6, 2-6 during the early Geneva round but has now slipped into the main draw.
If Raul can counter some of Wawrinka’s shot then the Italian can stand a chance to see more sets. Otherwise, expect Wawrinka to win in 3.
Alex Michelsen vs. Sebastian Baez: Michelsen (+145)
Another Round of 32 clash at Geneva is set to witness another first-time clash against Alex Michelsen and Sebastian Baez.
Michelsen relies on first strike plays while still improving his footwork, which, if not controlled, could prove bad on the clay. Baez, on the other side, is a clay specialist who is known for enduring multiple-set games on the red clay with great lateral movement and a reasonable baseline game. With an experience benefit, expect Baez to win in straight sets.
Alexandra Eala vs. Oleksandra Oliynykova: Alexandra Eala (-110)
Rising Filipina star Alexandra Eala is set to go up against Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova in another first-time clash at the Round of 32, this time in Strasbourg, France. Eala has had a reasonable exposure to clay in the last weeks, with her third-round finish in Rome earlier this month and a second-round exit in Madrid before that.
Oliynykova, on the other hand, had to fiercely earn her spot in the main draw after having defeated Ksenia Efremova and Yulia Putintseva in the qualifying rounds. Despite possessing great defensive prowess, it would be difficult for the Ukrainian to match Eala’s power shots, as she is known for hitting through the other side’s baseline. Expect the match to go to a reasonable distance and see Eala win in three.
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