The BMW Open in Munich, Germany, is the first of four German tournaments on the ATP calendar. The clay-court event welcomes 28 men into its main draw, with Holger Rune and Taylor Fritz leading the top seeds. Rune will be in action on Day 4 as he squares off against German Yannick Hanfmann. Fritz will continue his clay-court season against the veteran Marton Fucsovics. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for those matches and all other happenings around the grounds of Munich. But who will advance?
ATP Munich Day 4 Predictions
Holger Rune vs Yannick Hanfmann
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Holger Rune has been one of the most in-form players on the ATP Tour over the last eight months. The 19-year-old is coming off a run to the Monte Carlo final and is the No. 1 seed in Munich. He faces a tricky second-round test against German wildcard Yannick Hanfmann. The 31-year-old has nestled out a solid career as a clay-court player and reached the semifinals in Houston two weeks ago. Hanfmann has the serve to bother Rune, but ultimately I expect the No. 1 seed to find a way to the finish line.
Prediction: Rune in 2
Lorenzo Sonego vs Cristian Garin
Head-to-Head: Sonego 1-0 Garin
Lorenzo Sonego and Cristian Garin are set to square off for the first time since 2016. A win would go a long way for both players who have struggled with consistency in 2023. Both players have found tour-level success on the clay and should feel comfortable on the courts of Munich. Garin looked comfortable in his 6-4 6-2 Round 1 victory over Marko Topo and is a very tough out on the clay. I expect an intense battle between these two but give the Chilean the slight edge. Garin will have the time to pick his spots and attack Sonego from both wings.
Prediction: Garin in 3
Marcos Giron vs Alexander Ritschard
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Marcos Giron and Alexander Ritschard will square off on Day 4 with a spot in the Munich quarterfinals on the line. Neither player has reached an ATP clay-court quarterfinal. Ritschard navigated his way through qualifying and is starting to find some form after a rocky start to the season. Giron won a tough three-set battle over Roberto Carballes Baena in Round 1 but has struggled on the clay over the last year. Since 2022, the American is just 5-10 on the surface. These two will be ready to compete on Thursday, but I like the serve of Ritschard to ultimately lead him to victory.
Prediction: Ritschard in 3
Dominic Thiem vs Marc-Andrea Huesler
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Dominic Thiem, currently ranked No. 101 in the world, is slowly starting to put together tennis that looks like his former world No. 3 self. The 29-year-old is 4-2 over his last six matches and has produced some of his patented backhand magic over the past month. He will square off against 26-year-old Marc-Andrea Huesler in Round 2 in Munich. Huesler is the No. 8 seed at the BMW Open but has won just four of his last 13 matches. I expect Thiem to come out and control the baseline rallies. If this gets pushed to a third set, the advantage goes to Huesler. That said, I will take Thiem in a tight two sets.
Prediction: Thiem in 2
Taylor Fritz vs Marton Fucsovics
Head-to-Head: Fritz 1-0 Fucsovics
No. 2 seed Taylor Fritz is still looking to establish himself as a top-of-the-line clay-court player. He made a terrific run to the Monte Carlo semifinals last week but has a chance to raise his first clay-court title in Munich. Fritz squares off against Marton Fucsovics in Round 2. The Hungarian overcame a set deficit in Round 1 and has won seven of his last ten matches. Fucsovics has the power to bother Fritz, but I do not think the consistency will be there for him to win enough baseline exchanges. I see the American finding a straight-set path to victory.
Prediction: Fritz in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
