The ATP clay court season is in full swing as we enter the second week at the Mutua Madrid Open. This 1000-level event started with a 96-man draw that has dwindled to 16. Monday in Madrid will feature all eight Round of 16 matches, including a blockbuster between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for that match and all other happenings around the grounds of Madrid. But who will advance?
ATP Madrid Day 7 Predictions
Jaume Munar vs Daniel Altmaier
Head-to-Head: Munar 3-0 Altmaier
Jaume Munar and Daniel Altmaier are on the precipice of their first Masters 1000 quarterfinal appearance, raising the stakes for their Tuesday battle in Madrid. The Spaniard holds the 3-0 head-to-head record against the German, dropping just one set in those matches. Munar is 11-7 on the clay this year and has always favored the dirt as his best surface. Altmaier, a strong clay courter in his own right, has yet to drop a set after receiving a Lucky Loser entry into the main draw. The altitude will lend its hand to Altmaier’s serving prowess, but I expect Munar to win more of the baseline exchanges. I’ll take the Spaniard backed by the home crowd in a three-set battle.
Prediction: Munar in 3
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Bernabe Zapata Miralles is looking to build on his career year by reaching his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal. The 26-year-old Spaniard holds a clay-court record of 13-6 in 2023 and is currently ranked a career-high mark of No. 37 in the Live Rankings. On Tuesday, he will look for the best win of his career when he plays world No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek has been tested in two three-set matches this week but does hold an impressive 8-2 record on the clay this year. Tsitsipas has always played well in Madrid, reaching the semifinals twice in four appearances. The altitude favors Tsitsipas, who has the ability to win free points off the serve. Zapata Miralles will challenge the Greek, but it won’t be enough.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 2
Taylor Fritz vs Zhizhen Zhang
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Taylor Fritz has proven his game can translate to the clay with his 2023 performances on the surface. The top-ranked American is 7-2 on the surface this year, reaching the semifinals in Monte Carlo and Munich. He has a chance to reach the Madrid quarterfinals for the first time in his career when he takes on Zhizhen Zhang in the Round of 16. The 26-year-old is the first Chinese man to reach the Round of 16 at a Masters event. He is coming off impressive three-set victories over Denis Shapovalov and Cam Norrie and should be brimming with confidence in this match. I expect Zhang to go for broke against the American, but I do not see him breaking through the Fritz serve.
Prediction: Fritz in 2
Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev
Head-to-Head: Alcaraz 1-3 Zverev
The match of the day in Madrid will occur when Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev take the court in the Manolo Santana Stadium. Zverev holds the 3-1 head-to-head record over the young Spaniard, though they have split their two clay-court meetings. The big German is slowly finding some confidence as he returns from the ankle injury that kept him out of the second half of the 2022 season. He holds a 4-2 record since the calendar switched to the clay season and is coming off a 6-1 6-0 beatdown of Hugo Grenier. Alcaraz has also looked phenomenal on the clay, winning 15 of the 16 matches he has played on the surface this year. I do not expect Zverev to roll over in this match, but I do not think he has the form to take two sets off the No. 1 seed. Backed by the home crowd, Alcaraz will find the finish line.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
