Gustavo Heide vs Gabriel Debru Prediction, Stats, Form, H2H, 1/31/25

First preview for Friday comes from the ATP Challenger Tour in Piracicaba, Brazil in the Gustavo Heide vs Gabriel Debru match.

Debru’s win probability is only 33%, while Heide is favoured to win at 1.40 odds. The handicap is 3.5 games and the total games line is 21.5.

Jon Reid’s Heide vs Debru prediction is for Debru to win.

Gustavo Heide vs Gabriel Debru Prediction: Underdog Worth a Shot in Battle of Talented Young Players

• Prediction: Debru to win
• Best Odds: 2.98
• Bookmaker: Pinnacle
• Stakes: 2/10

Odds as at 7:00 am UK Time on January 31st, 2025. Odds may now differ.

This may quietly be one of the better matches of the week on paper. With the Davis Cup going on and the 250 in Montpellier, most won’t be focused on the Challenger Tour, especially the tournament in South America on clay.

Yes, clay season is here, and we’ll look at a matchup between two strong young players that are both quite comfortable on the red dirt. Throw in a bit of altitude, which I think helps both their games and we’ve got a potentially fun contest.

The reason to back Debru here is simple. I respect Heide and I like his serve and forehand combination in altitude, along with his comfort on his best surface. That said, I simply can’t have him an overwhelming favourite against the Frenchman, who is tall, has a solid first serve himself that should be able to use the elevation to his advantage and 

More tennis previews can be found on the expert insights page.

Gustavo Heide Recent Form

I’m not going to hold Heide’s 0-2 start to the year against him, as he lost on hard courts to a tour regular (though a struggling one off his best surface) and then a pretty strong clay courter from a set up in a close match.

He brushed the underpowered Max Houkes (an ITF Tour clay guy) in the first round and is looking to take down Debru next (rain has wreaked havoc on the schedule in Piracicaba this week). I won’t disparage his game as I am a fan. I’ve seen him play some excellent front foot tennis with pace and weight of shot on clay and at altitude, managing to maintain control of his shots, while using that thinner air to make his firepower that much more imposing.

For me, it’s just an issue with this price. It’s nothing I dislike in his game that has me opposing him, simply that I think his opponent is too strong for him to be given a 70% chance to win.

Gabriel Debru Recent Form

That brings me to Debru, who hasn’t started the season as strongly as I’d have expected, but he has chosen to head to South America in an effort to improve on his ranking of No. 249 and even set a new career high (currently 247). That new career is just about assured at this point (and will certainly be assured with a win here) and now it’s about building form.

It won’t be easy, but Debru has a strong first serve, great defensive abilities for a big guy and last year took a step forward in his ability to dictate play in baseline exchanges. For someone fairly tall, he played way too passively and he started to show some signs of offensive tennis.

I’m hoping as a fan to see him have a big year, and with the altitude likely helping him as well in the service department, I think this particular matchup is a bit closer than the odds suggest. Perhaps playing the over 2.5 sets or the games handicap would be wise as well.

Gustavo Heide vs Gabriel Debru H2H – Stat of the Match

This is the first meeting between these two youngsters.

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