Two players brimming with confidence and well-suited to clay conditions will clash in what promises to be a tightly contested third-round battle. Nuno Borges arrives off a career-defining win, while Alexei Popyrin has quietly put together a clean run of dominant performances. With both players possessing big serves and solid baseline games, the chances of a long, competitive match are high, making Over 36.5 Games an appealing play.
Nuno Borges vs Alexei Popyrin Preview
Borges has been trending upward throughout 2025, and his second-round stunner over Casper Ruud, even accounting for Ruud’s physical issues, marked a milestone moment. The Portuguese player’s confidence is at an all-time high, and he has started converting his steady clay-court potential into real results. Known for his compact but effective serve, Borges is capable of holding consistently, which makes him challenging to break, even for elite returners. His growing maturity on court and ability to dig in physically bodes well for a lengthy encounter.
Popyrin has quietly flown under the radar in Paris, but he hasn’t dropped a set en route to the third round. The Australian’s powerful first serve and willingness to flatten out his forehand make him a dangerous opponent even on slower clay. This surface isn’t traditionally his best, but he has adapted well in 2025. Despite benefiting from some favourable matchups so far, Popyrin has shown the kind of form that suggests he can go toe-to-toe with anyone outside the top 10.
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Place your bet on Betting Tip: Nuno Borges vs Alexei Popyrin
Nuno Borges vs Alexei Popyrin – Match Analysis
This matchup is built for long sets. Both Borges and Popyrin rely on strong service games and generally don’t give away cheap points. Neither has been broken often this week, and tiebreaks—or extended sets with minimal break chances—look very likely. Borges has improved his return game, but Popyrin’s ability to serve his way out of trouble limits the potential for quick sets. As a result, it’s easy to envision this contest going four or even five sets, especially if both hold serve consistently in the early stages.
Betting Tip – Nuno Borges vs Alexei Popyrin
With both players playing some of their best tennis of the season and boasting powerful serves, expect a tight match featuring several long sets. Whether it ends in four or five sets, Over 36.5 Games offers excellent value. This is the kind of battle that could include two tiebreaks or multiple sets ending 7-5, either route makes the over look very likely to hit.
Betting Tip: Over 36.5 Games
Betting Odds: 1.60
Bookmaker: Cloudbet