Tennis
2026-05-24 - Sinja Kraus vs Belinda Bencic
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
Tennis : French Open First Round
Saturday 16th May 2026 - Scheduled 4pm
3pm (British Time)
Preview
The Grand Slams played in the second half of the year have been when Belinda Bencic has put together her best results having previously reached the Semi Final at both Wimbledon and the US Open.
Her worst results have been at the French Open with a couple of Third Round runs as good as it has got, but Belinda Bencic is the World Number 11 heading into Paris and she has produced enough positive performances on the clay to believe she can get through this opening match.
She has only played eight matches on the clay in 2026, but Bencic has won five of those and the reality is that she has been playing in bigger events, which means facing higher quality opponents compared with this opponent.
Sinja Kraus has to be given a lot of credit for coming through three Qualifiers and the World Number 101 has the motivation to look for an upset that would propel her into a career best World Ranking mark at the end of the tournament. Improving that World Ranking would see the 24 year old earn direct entries into future Grand Slam events and some of the 1000 and 500 events that are also played with continued improvement.
The Austrian is very comfortable on the clay courts, which makes her dangerous having won three matches here, but Belinda Bencic should have the experience to weather the storm and eventually begin to showcase her superior quality.
A key to the outcome is the serve- Belinda Bencic should be the one with the first serve that can offer up a few more cheaper points and that may be the difference on the day.
Prediction
Lay the games with the Seeded player against a Qualifier in the First Round in Paris.
The Pick :
Sinja Kraus 0-2 Belinda Bencic
