Halle Open: Nikolosz Basilashvili vs. Gilles Simon 6/15/21 Tennis Prediction

Nikolosz Basilashvili of Georgia will face Frenchman Gilles Simon in the First Round of the 2021 Halle Open. The match is scheduled to be played on Tuesday June 15th, 2021 at a time yet to be determined.

Nikolosz Basilashvili is currently ranked #30 in the ATP world rankings and is a Qualifier here at the 2021 Halle Open. The Georgian has been in inconsistent form this season, claiming two titles so far but struggling mightily otherwise. It really is mind-boggling that he has been so erratic season and he will be looking for a solid week here in Halle to bring some stability to his season. This will be his second tournament on grass so far this season, after losing to eventual champion Marin Cilic in the Second Round last week in Stuttgart. The former top 20 player has never had much success throughout his career on grass but despite this will enter this match against Gilles Simon as the favorite.

Gilles Simon is currently ranked #71 in the world and is a former top 10 player. The French veteran is approaching the end of his very successful career and has been struggling lately. Simon has lost seven consecutive matches and will be desperately seeking to find some sort of form here at the 2021 Halle Open. He lost in straight sets to Lloyd Harris last week in Stuttgart and his confidence must be at an all time low. Despite his recent struggles, he has loads of experience and should never be discounted, especially against the erratic and inconsistent Basilashvili.

This is an extremely difficult match to predict. While Nikolosz Basilashvili is the obvious favorite, he has been in shockingly inconsistent form this season and it is very difficult to rely on him. The usually reliable Gilles Simon is on the worst losing streak of his long career, so he is no more trustworthy than his opponent. All things considered, I will back the Georgian here, as he seems to be the lesser of the two evils. If he can keep his unforced error count low, he should find a way to come away with the win here, advancing to the Round of 16 here at the 2021 Halle Open.