First-round previews from the indoor Roanne Challenger, with form, serve and return numbers and a full Tale of the Tape for every match. Times are as listed by the tournament schedule.
Matteo Martineau vs Max Schoenhaus
🧠 Form & Context
Matteo Martineau
- 📊 Ranked No. 272 at 27, with a 5–5 record across his last 10 matches.
- 🎯 Strong, reliable serve: 64.4% first serves in and 71.7% of first-serve points won.
- 🧱 Saves 60.7% of break points – the best figure in this match.
- ⚠️ Second serve has dipped to 46% won in recent matches.
- ⚔️ Beat Schoenhaus indoors in Rennes last month, 7–6(2) 6–4.
Max Schoenhaus
- 📈 Ranked No. 293 at 19, 6–4 in his last 10 and winning 59% of recent matches.
- 🎾 Wins 70.5% behind his first serve, though only 59.4% land.
- 🔥 Better on the second serve: 49.7% over his career, 52% recently.
- 🔓 Marginally the better returner (39% vs 38% of return points won).
- ⚠️ Deciding sets are a weak spot – 40% over his career, 48% this season.
🔍 Match Breakdown
A quick rematch: these two met in Rennes four weeks ago, also indoors, and Martineau won in straight sets after taking the first-set tiebreak. Despite that, and despite a slightly better ranking, Martineau is the outsider here.
This should be a serve-dominated match. Both players win more than 70% of first-serve points, and neither wins more than 39% of return points over his career.
Martineau's edge is the first serve – he lands five percentage points more than Schoenhaus – and his break-point defence. Schoenhaus's edge is the second serve and better recent form.
Tiebreaks are likely. Schoenhaus has the better tiebreak record (56% vs 53%), but Martineau is clearly stronger in deciding sets (46% vs 40% over their careers, 53% vs 48% this season).
Schoenhaus has a limited record at this level, so his numbers carry more uncertainty. With the recent head-to-head in Martineau's favour, this looks closer than the price suggests.
📊 Tale of the Tape
| Metric | Martineau | Schoenhaus |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 272 | 293 |
| Age | 27 | 19 |
| Last 10 | 5–5 | 6–4 |
| Head-to-head | 1 | 0 |
| First serves in | 64.4% | 59.4% |
| 1st-serve points won | 71.7% | 70.5% |
| 2nd-serve points won | 48.2% | 49.7% |
| Break points saved | 60.7% | 59.7% |
| Break points converted | 40.3% | 41.5% |
| Return points won (career) | 38% | 39% |
| Tiebreak win % | 53% | 56% |
| Deciding-set win % (career) | 46% | 40% |
| Best-of-3 win % | 53% | 50% |
Gauthier Onclin vs Felix Balshaw
🧠 Form & Context
Gauthier Onclin
- 📊 World No. 168 at 25, though only 4–6 across his last 10 matches.
- 🔁 The best returner in this match: 44% of return points won and 46% of break points converted over his career.
- 🎾 Wins 66.3% behind his first serve and nearly 50% on the second.
- 🏆 Strong in tight finishes – 60% of deciding sets over his career, 61% this season.
- 💪 Wins 89% of matches after taking the first set.
Felix Balshaw
- 📈 Ranked No. 198 at 20, 7–3 in his last 10 and winning 74% of recent matches.
- 🎯 Big first serve: 71.1% won over his career, 73% recently.
- 🔥 Second serve in good shape (55% won) and 64% of break points saved in recent matches.
- ⚠️ Lands only 57.2% of first serves.
- 💪 Wins 93% of matches after taking the first set, with a 64% best-of-three record.
🔍 Match Breakdown
A first meeting between two players separated by 30 ranking places. Onclin is the higher-ranked man, but Balshaw arrives in much better form and is the favourite.
The profiles are clear. Balshaw is the stronger server, especially on first-serve points, and that matters indoors. Onclin is the better returner, winning 44% of return points to Balshaw's 41%.
Balshaw's first-serve percentage is the weak point in his game. If Onclin can get into enough second-serve return games, his return quality gives him a real way into the match.
Both players are good front-runners – each wins close to 90% of matches after taking the first set – so the opening set could carry extra weight.
The closing numbers are almost identical (60% vs 62% in deciding sets), and Balshaw still has a fairly small record at this level. Serve vs return, form vs ranking: this looks well balanced.
📊 Tale of the Tape
| Metric | Onclin | Balshaw |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 168 | 198 |
| Age | 25 | 20 |
| Last 10 | 4–6 | 7–3 |
| Head-to-head | 0 | 0 |
| First serves in | 59.8% | 57.2% |
| 1st-serve points won | 66.3% | 71.1% |
| 2nd-serve points won | 49.9% | 51.2% |
| Break points saved | 58.8% | 59.3% |
| Break points converted | 46.0% | 42.9% |
| Return points won (career) | 44% | 41% |
| Tiebreak win % | 53% | 55% |
| Deciding-set win % (career) | 60% | 62% |
| Best-of-3 win % | 62% | 64% |
Ugo Blanchet vs Tom Paris
🧠 Form & Context
Ugo Blanchet
- 📊 Ranked No. 305 at 27, 5–5 in his last 10 but winning only 38% of recent matches.
- 🎯 Powerful first serve – 71.4% won, 73% recently – but only 53.9% land.
- 🔥 Second serve has been strong lately: 56% of points won.
- ⚠️ Struggling to convert – just 31% of break points taken in recent matches.
- ⚔️ Lost to Paris in straight sets indoors in Metz in 2023.
Tom Paris
- 📉 Ranked No. 676 at 24 and 4–6 in his last 10, winning 29% of recent matches.
- 🎯 The best first serve on paper: 72.8% won and 60.6% in.
- 🧱 Saves 60.6% of break points over his career, but only 52% recently.
- 🔁 Return is limited – 37% of return points won over his career.
- 🏆 Better career closing numbers: 58% in deciding sets and 58% in tiebreaks.
🔍 Match Breakdown
Two players short of form. Blanchet has won only 38% of his recent matches and Paris 29%, so neither comes in with much confidence. Paris won their only meeting, indoors in Metz three years ago.
The ranking gap of more than 350 places looks larger than the actual difference in their numbers. Over their careers, Paris's serve is slightly better on both first and second deliveries.
Recent form tells a different story: Blanchet's serve has been sharper lately, while Paris has saved only 52% of break points and won 45% of second-serve points in recent matches.
Neither man returns well (39% vs 37% of return points won), so this should be decided by a handful of points – and Paris has the better career tiebreak and deciding-set records.
The favourite has the ranking and the slightly better recent numbers, but this matchup looks tighter than the price, especially indoors where breaks will be rare.
📊 Tale of the Tape
| Metric | Blanchet | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 305 | 676 |
| Age | 27 | 24 |
| Last 10 | 5–5 | 4–6 |
| Head-to-head | 0 | 1 |
| First serves in | 53.9% | 60.6% |
| 1st-serve points won | 71.4% | 72.8% |
| 2nd-serve points won | 51.2% | 52.0% |
| Break points saved | 59.6% | 60.6% |
| Break points converted | 42.1% | 41.8% |
| Return points won (career) | 39% | 37% |
| Tiebreak win % | 54% | 58% |
| Deciding-set win % (career) | 52% | 58% |
| Best-of-3 win % | 56% | 59% |
Jakub Paul vs Nicolai Budkov Kjaer
🧠 Form & Context
Jakub Paul
- 📉 Ranked No. 869 at 27, with a 5–5 record in his last 10 matches.
- 🎾 Lands 62% of first serves but wins only 64.7% behind them.
- 🔓 Converts a respectable 44.8% of break points.
- ⚠️ Second serve (49.4%) and break-point defence (58.2%) trail his opponent.
- ⚔️ Pushed Budkov Kjaer to three sets on clay in Valencia in May, winning the first-set tiebreak.
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer
- 📈 World No. 152 at 20, 5–5 in his last 10.
- 🎯 The stronger serve: 63.1% first serves in, 68.1% won behind them and 51.1% on the second.
- 🏆 Excellent in deciding sets – 67% this season, 63% over his career.
- 💪 Wins 87% of matches after taking the first set; 57% in tiebreaks.
- ⚔️ Came from a set down to beat Paul in Valencia, 6–7(8) 6–1 6–4.
🔍 Match Breakdown
More than 700 ranking places separate these two, but their only meeting – on clay in Valencia five months ago – went the distance after Paul took a long first-set tiebreak.
Budkov Kjaer is ahead in nearly every serve category, and indoors that edge should be worth more than it was on clay. His 68.1% on first-serve points is the key number.
Paul's best route is the return game. His break-point conversion (44.8%) is on par with Budkov Kjaer's, so he can make the most of the few chances he gets.
Detailed career and recent-form data for Paul are limited, which makes his side of the matchup harder to read. Budkov Kjaer's record in tight matches, by contrast, is clear and strong.
The favourite has the serve, the ranking and the closing numbers. Paul showed in Valencia that he can make it uncomfortable, but the overall picture points to Budkov Kjaer.
📊 Tale of the Tape
| Metric | Paul | Budkov Kjaer |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 869 | 152 |
| Age | 27 | 20 |
| Last 10 | 5–5 | 5–5 |
| Head-to-head | 0 | 1 |
| First serves in | 62.0% | 63.1% |
| 1st-serve points won | 64.7% | 68.1% |
| 2nd-serve points won | 49.4% | 51.1% |
| Break points saved | 58.2% | 58.6% |
| Break points converted | 44.8% | 44.2% |
| Return points won (career) | – | 40% |
| Tiebreak win % | – | 57% |
| Deciding-set win % (career) | – | 63% |
| Best-of-3 win % | – | 61% |
Henry Bernet vs Clement Tabur
🧠 Form & Context
Henry Bernet
- 🔥 Ranked No. 371 at 19, but 8–2 in his last 10 matches.
- 🎯 The best serve numbers in this match: 72.5% on first-serve points and 53.7% on second.
- 🧱 Saves 63.6% of break points.
- ⚠️ Deciding sets are a concern – 35% this season, 40% over his short career.
- 📏 Still a small sample of matches at this level, so his numbers carry more uncertainty.
Clement Tabur
- 📊 World No. 160 at 26, though only 3–7 in his last 10.
- 🔁 The better returner: 42% of return points won and 44% of break points converted over his career.
- 🎾 Lands 60.9% of first serves, winning 67.9% behind them.
- 🏆 Much stronger in deciding sets – 54% over his career.
- 💪 Wins 88% of matches after taking the first set; 60% in best-of-three.
🔍 Match Breakdown
Form against ranking. Bernet is more than 200 places lower, but he has won eight of his last 10 while Tabur has won three, and the market makes the teenager a narrow favourite.
Bernet's serve is the standout: he wins more points behind both deliveries and saves more break points. Indoors, that gives him a strong base to work from.
Tabur's case rests on the return. He wins 42% of return points against Bernet's 38%, and he converts break points at a better rate both over his career and recently.
The closing numbers favour Tabur clearly. Bernet has won only 35% of deciding sets this season, while Tabur's career figure is 54%. Bernet does have the better tiebreak record (58% vs 54%).
A first meeting with almost nothing between them in the market. Bernet's form and serve against Tabur's return and experience – this is one of the closest matches of the day.
📊 Tale of the Tape
| Metric | Bernet | Tabur |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 371 | 160 |
| Age | 19 | 26 |
| Last 10 | 8–2 | 3–7 |
| Head-to-head | 0 | 0 |
| First serves in | 59.7% | 60.9% |
| 1st-serve points won | 72.5% | 67.9% |
| 2nd-serve points won | 53.7% | 50.1% |
| Break points saved | 63.6% | 58.5% |
| Break points converted | 41.2% | 44.3% |
| Return points won (career) | 38% | 42% |
| Tiebreak win % | 58% | 54% |
| Deciding-set win % (career) | 40% | 54% |
| Best-of-3 win % | 58% | 60% |
Pierre-Hugues Herbert vs Norbert Gombos
🧠 Form & Context
Pierre-Hugues Herbert
- 📉 Ranked No. 296 at 35 and only 3–7 in his last 10 matches.
- 🎯 Still a serve-first player: 75.7% of first-serve points won, 76% recently.
- 🧱 Saves 63.7% of break points over his career, 68% recently.
- ⚠️ Return is a clear weakness – 35% of return points won and 37.7% of break points converted.
- ⚔️ Leads the head-to-head 2–0, both indoors, but the last meeting was in 2018.
Norbert Gombos
- 📈 Ranked No. 355 at 36, 6–4 in his last 10 and winning 62% of recent matches.
- 🎾 Lands 60.1% of first serves and wins 72% behind them.
- 🔁 The better returner: 39% of return points won over his career.
- 🔥 Sharper recently – 53% of second-serve points won and 43% of break points converted.
- 🏆 Winning 63% of deciding sets this season.
🔍 Match Breakdown
Two experienced players in their mid-thirties. Herbert, playing at home in France, has won both previous meetings, but those came in 2016 and 2018 and say little about where they are now.
Current form strongly favours Gombos. He has won six of his last 10 and 62% of recent matches, while Herbert is 3–7 and winning 40%.
Herbert's serve is still elite at this level – few players win 76% of first-serve points – but his return numbers are among the weakest you will see, which makes breaks very hard to come by for him.
Gombos is the better returner and has been the more effective second-serve player recently. In a match where holds will dominate, that small return edge could be decisive.
Expect tiebreaks. Herbert has the serve and the history; Gombos has the form, the return and the recent deciding-set record. The favourite looks more vulnerable than the price suggests.
📊 Tale of the Tape
| Metric | Herbert | Gombos |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 296 | 355 |
| Age | 35 | 36 |
| Last 10 | 3–7 | 6–4 |
| Head-to-head | 2 | 0 |
| First serves in | 57.4% | 60.1% |
| 1st-serve points won | 75.7% | 72.0% |
| 2nd-serve points won | 50.7% | 49.9% |
| Break points saved | 63.7% | 61.1% |
| Break points converted | 37.7% | 40.0% |
| Return points won (career) | 35% | 39% |
| Tiebreak win % | 51% | 52% |
| Deciding-set win % (career) | 53% | 53% |
| Best-of-3 win % | 56% | 57% |
Moise Kouame vs Diego Dedura
🧠 Form & Context
Moise Kouame
- 🌟 Ranked No. 201 at just 17, playing at home in France, with a 4–6 record in his last 10.
- 🎯 Wins 68.6% behind his first serve, though only 58.6% land.
- 🧱 Saves 62% of break points – the best figure in this match.
- ⚠️ Converting only 38% of break points in recent matches.
- 📏 Still a small sample of matches at this level.
Diego Dedura
- 📈 Ranked No. 190 at 18, left-handed, 5–5 in his last 10 and winning 57% of recent matches.
- 🎾 Exceptional first-serve percentage: 71.5% in, though he wins only 62.1% behind it.
- 🔥 The stronger second serve: 52.3% over his career, 56% recently.
- 🔁 The better returner: 43% of return points won and 46.4% of break points converted.
- 💪 Wins 91% of matches after taking the first set; 58% in tiebreaks.
🔍 Match Breakdown
Two of the best teenagers on the Challenger tour meet for the first time. Dedura is slightly higher-ranked and in better recent form, yet Kouame – the home player – is a clear favourite.
The serve numbers are close overall but built differently. Kouame wins more first-serve points; Dedura puts far more first serves in play and has the better second serve.
The return is where Dedura stands out. He wins 43% of return points against Kouame's 41% and converts break points at a much higher rate, especially recently (45% vs 38%).
The lefty angle adds another layer. Kouame's break-point defence (62%) is his strongest weapon, and he will need it against a returner who creates chances.
Both players have limited records at this level, but the numbers we do have suggest a far more even match than the price implies.
📊 Tale of the Tape
| Metric | Kouame | Dedura |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 201 | 190 |
| Age | 17 | 18 |
| Last 10 | 4–6 | 5–5 |
| Head-to-head | 0 | 0 |
| First serves in | 58.6% | 71.5% |
| 1st-serve points won | 68.6% | 62.1% |
| 2nd-serve points won | 49.8% | 52.3% |
| Break points saved | 62.0% | 58.7% |
| Break points converted | 41.6% | 46.4% |
| Return points won (career) | 41% | 43% |
| Tiebreak win % | 52% | 58% |
| Deciding-set win % (career) | 56% | 50% |
| Best-of-3 win % | 56% | 58% |
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs Etienne Donnet
🧠 Form & Context
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
- 📊 World No. 108 at 23, playing at home, but only 3–7 in his last 10 matches.
- 🚀 One of the biggest serves around: 77.6% of first-serve points won and 65.9% of break points saved.
- 🎾 Strong second serve over his career (52.3%), though it has slipped to 44% recently.
- ⚠️ Return is almost non-existent – 31% of return points won, and only 28% of break points converted recently.
- 🏆 Good closer when it gets tight: 60% in deciding sets and 59% in tiebreaks over his career.
Etienne Donnet
- 📈 Ranked No. 817 at 25, but 8–2 in his last 10 and winning 67% of recent matches.
- 🔁 Far better returner: 41% of return points won and 43.3% of break points converted.
- 🎾 Wins 69% behind his first serve and 50.1% on the second.
- 🏆 Strong deciding-set record – 66% over his career, 67% this season.
- 📏 At No. 817, the level of opposition behind that 8–2 run is a question mark, and his sample of matches at this level is small.
🔍 Match Breakdown
On paper this is a mismatch: more than 700 ranking places apart, with Mpetshi Perricard a heavy favourite. But the French giant has won only three of his last 10, while Donnet has won eight.
Mpetshi Perricard's serve is the dominant weapon in this match. Winning nearly 78% of first-serve points and saving two thirds of break points, he will hold most of his service games indoors.
The problem is the other side. A 31% career return rate – and 28% break-point conversion recently – means he rarely breaks, so many of his sets end up in tiebreaks.
Donnet returns much better (41% of return points won), and his deciding-set and tiebreak records are on par with or better than Mpetshi Perricard's. If he can hold serve consistently, he has a route through tiebreaks.
The step up in level is a real question for Donnet. Even so, a big server who struggles to break is rarely as safe as a short price suggests.
📊 Tale of the Tape
| Metric | Mpetshi Perricard | Donnet |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 108 | 817 |
| Age | 23 | 25 |
| Last 10 | 3–7 | 8–2 |
| Head-to-head | 0 | 0 |
| First serves in | 63.7% | 59.4% |
| 1st-serve points won | 77.6% | 69.0% |
| 2nd-serve points won | 52.3% | 50.1% |
| Break points saved | 65.9% | 57.2% |
| Break points converted | 34.4% | 43.3% |
| Return points won (career) | 31% | 41% |
| Tiebreak win % | 59% | 58% |
| Deciding-set win % (career) | 60% | 66% |
| Best-of-3 win % | 56% | 62% |
