Some of the high seeds could be in danger early at the 2022 ATP Hamburg European Open. Diego Schwartzman will have his hands full against the powerful game of Emil Ruusuvuori. Meanwhile, Pablo Carreno Busta faces the Italian prospect Luca Nardi. Who do you think will advance?
ATP Hamburg Day 2 Predictions
Sebastian Baez vs Filip Krajinovic
Head-to-head: First meeting
Sebastian Baez is coming off a runner-up appearance at Bastad, looking pretty low on energy in Sunday’s final. A day of rest should help, but the Argentinian really didn’t get an easy matchup. While it’s been a mediocre season for Filip Krajinovic, the Serbian caught a lot of confidence on grass, reaching a final at Queen’s Club even though he hadn’t played well on that surface before. In Hamburg, where he reached the final last year, he’s going to be a very dangerous opponent.
Prediction: Krajinovic in 3
Pablo Carreno Busta vs Luca Nardi
Head-to-head: First meeting
Luca Nardi is a huge prospect and would probably be talked about a lot more if not for the other 2003-born youngsters – Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune. The Italian has made massive progress this year and fared pretty well in his only previous match against a player of this class, losing 4-6 4-6 to Cameron Norrie in Rome. Someone as solid as Pablo Carreno Busta is usually a poor matchup for a young player still seeking consistency.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in 2
Emil Ruusuvuori vs Diego Schwartzman
Head-to-head: Schwartzman 1-0
Diego Schwartzman certainly wasn’t happy about his performance in Bastad, taking only one game against Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarterfinals. But that’s been the form of the Argentinian this year: extremely uneven. It gives Emil Ruusuvuori a window of opportunity, but it’s doubtful whether he can take it. The slower conditions won’t help and the Finn has struggled to close out big wins in the past. Schwartzman will probably escape.
Prediction: Schwartzman in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
