Taylor Fritz vs Adrian Mannarino Prediction: Frenchman can't win a set

The next opponent for Delray Beach's top player, Taylor Fritz, will be Frenchman Mannarino, the world's 59th-ranked player. Fritz, the top player in the competition, is quoted as the clear favorite in this meeting.

Recall that, before coming to Delray Beach, Fritz played three matches in Dallas, where he was stronger than compatriots Sock and Giron but lost to China's Wu Yibing. In Delray Beach, the American had one match against Ecuadorian Gomez. The match was not very long, lasting an hour and a half; Fritz won 6-4, 6-3. It should be noted that Gomez, despite the defeat, had a good quality match. Still, we shouldn't forget that there's a big difference in class between the guys.

Mannarino was also in Dallas and lost to China's Wu Yibing as part of the quarterfinal. In Delray Beach, the Frenchman played two matches, knocking German Altmaier and American Wolf out of the tournament. Wolf is currently ranked higher than Mannarino, 39th, but that didn't help Jeffrey. The bout between Mannarino and Wolf lasted one hour and 48 minutes, 7-5, 6-2 in favor of Adrian.

Fritz and Mannarino have played each other three times, with the Frenchman having a 2-1 advantage. However, it is worth noting that Mannarino beat Fritz back in 2016 and 2017 in Nottingham and Acapulco. In February 2022, in the same Acapulco, Taylor took revenge in two sets; the match lasted an hour and a half, 6:3, 6:3 in favor of the American.

A win in Delray Beach would noticeably strengthen the American at the seventh position in the ATP rankings and bring him closer to Nadal and Rublev. That means there is no doubt about Taylor's motivation; nobody can cancel the fight for the best seeding at major tournaments. Plus, Fritz probably has the desire to win his first individual title in 2023. Let's not forget that Fritz took three trophies in 2022. Mannarino is no weak opponent, having beaten the American twice in his career, but Adrian's career is in decline now.

• Correct score 2:0 for 1.67;
• Handicap 1 (-4.5) for 2.07.

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