It promises to be an entertaining opening day at the ATP 500 event in Basel. There is a very strong draw, despite three players withdrawing from the event. Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray is one of several players in action on the first day. There are five matches in total. As always, we at LWOT predict the outcome of all the contests in Basel, and also have a separate article with predictions for the first day in Vienna. But which players do you think will win?
ATP Basel Day 1 Predictions
Sebastian Baez vs Christopher O’Connell
Head-to-head: Baez 1-0 O’Connell
Baez showed his improvement on hard courts during his run to the title in Winston-Salem and subsequent appearance in the third round at the US Open. However, the Argentinian has struggled somewhat since then, losing three of his last four matches. O’Connell was the first seed in qualifying and battled through in close sets against Maxime Cressy and Thiago Seyboth Wild. It has been the best season of the Australian’s career to date, and he will undoubtedly provide a tough challenge for Baez. This is set to be O’Connell’s first ATP main draw match played indoors. Expect this to be a close match for long periods, but Baez’s slightly superior firepower with his forehand could make the difference in Basel.
Prediction: Baez in 3
Christopher Eubanks vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Head-to-head: First meeting
Both players had similar experiences last week. Eubanks lost in a final-set tiebreak to eventual runner-up Pavel Kotov in Stockholm in the first round, while Struff also fell in a third-set tiebreak to Hugo Gaston in his opening match in Antwerp. This contest is likely to come down to very fine margins. There are unlikely to be many break points between two players who serve big, but who are also not among the best returners on the ATP Tour. Hence, it is a difficult match to call, but Struff gets the slightest of edges in Basel. The German’s results have been mixed since returning a few weeks ago from a three-month injury layoff, but he did play well against a truly inspired Gaston in Antwerp. Also, Eubanks’ level has not been very high since that great run at Wimbledon, and his season could just peter out.
Prediction: Struff in 3
Botic van de Zandschulp vs Roberto Bautista Agut
Head-to-head: First meeting
Bautista Agut returned to the ATP Tour for the first time in nearly three months last week in Stockholm. The Spaniard looked out of sorts during a straight-sets loss to Elias Ymer, but that is understandable after a lengthy period out with injury. Aside from a run to the final in Munich in April, it has been an underwhelming season for Van de Zandschulp. He lost last week in the round-of-16 in Antwerp to Stefanos Tsitsipas, but quickly recovered to come through the qualifying draw in Basel. Bautista Agut’s indoor game is better than the Dutchman’s at his best. However, it is difficult to envisage him improving enough from his low-level last week to defeat van de Zandschulp.
Prediction: van de Zandschulp in 3
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Sebastian Korda vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Head-to-head: Korda 2-0 Etcheverry
Korda enjoyed a resurgence during the Asian hardcourt swing. The 23-year-old exited in the first round of the US Open after other additional poor results during the North American Swing, but achieved two semifinals and a final in Asia. Korda is a heavy favourite to get another win in this matchup. The American has comfortably beaten Etcheverry on hard courts twice this season. The first was in Toronto and the second was just a few weeks ago at the Zhuhai Championships. Korda is particularly able to target the Argentinian’s weaker backhand to great effect. Etcheverry needs to somehow bring his big forehand into play to have a chance at ATP Basel.
Prediction: Korda in 2
Andy Murray vs Yannick Hanfmann
Head-to-head: First meeting
Hopefully, Murray is fully fit for this clash. The two-time Wimbledon champion withdrew from Tokyo last week with a minor injury, but said it was precautionary and seemed confident of a quick recovery. Murray has had some difficult results lately, including winning just five games in his last match against Roman Safiullin at the Shanghai Masters. Hanfmann also defeated Dominic Thiem last week in Antwerp, proving how dangerous he can be. Yet the Briton still gets the edge here. Murray may be past his prime, but he is still naturally more comfortable in indoor conditions than his German opponent. In addition, Hanfmann has lost 17 of his 22 ATP Tour matches played on hard courts. This indicates that his high level against Thiem is a rarity on that surface.
Prediction: Murray in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin Oncea – USA TODAY Sports
