Very simple game plan

Serve + forehand, that's what awaits us tomorrow, not exactly exciting!

No injury for Berrettini despite pulling out of Paris; it was just a choice related to his comeback and his fitness. After a good Vienna, he was supposed to turn around too quickly with Paris qualifying, and he preferred not to burn himself out. He’s targeting Metz and the Davis Cup. Skipping a Masters 1000 and then playing a 250 right after is still a weird choice, but hey, he knows himself well enough to know that if he’s not feeling it, he shouldn’t force it. What we saw in Vienna was okay at times but not exactly convincing. It feels like his forehand has lost some punch and he’s even more dependent on his serve than before. He played a few good matches, but the average level isn’t what it used to be. I feel like you have to judge him based on how he feels on the day. He still has a steely mindset, but the rest has clearly dropped, and you can tell when the ball isn’t coming off his racket. We’ll keep an eye on it tomorrow, especially since Metz is pretty slow, so he’ll need to get the ball through the court. On the other hand, he’s facing a guy who doesn’t really defend all that well, unfortunately. Halys is better at doing damage in short patterns, even if he can hunker down—a fighting quality we appreciate in our Frenchman. But I have to say he hasn’t made a great impression for several months either. His reliance on the serve is even more pronounced than Berrettini’s, and I’ve seen him lose matches by collapsing as soon as he’s not getting free points. I’d like his serve to be locked in and for him to attack Berrettini’s backhand hard—that’s the right game plan—but I find him too borderline to really trust. Berrettini seems more stable and a bit better overall.