The ATP BMW Open in Munich has reached the semifinal stage. However, only one semifinal is set because of inclement weather. That involves 2019 champion Cristian Garin, who faces the U.S.A.’s No. 2 player, Taylor Fritz. It’s been snowing for the past 24 hours, which is quite a bizarre situation at a time when Europe is preparing to kick off the spring season. The tournament organizers are sweating on beating Sunday’s deadline for the event’s conclusion. The last quarterfinal of Friday between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jan-Lennard Struff was suspended due to darkness and will resume later on Saturday to determine who will face defending champion Holger Rune. We will update this article when that match is set.
ATP Munich Semifinal Prediction
Taylor Fritz vs Cristian Garin
Head-to-head: Fritz 1-1 Garin
Taylor Fritz arrived in Munich seemingly out of form. Since winning the Delray Beach Open on home soil in mid-February, the American suffered first-round exits in Acapulco (lost to Matteo Arnaldi) and Monte Carlo (lost to Lorenzo Musetti). The two results sandwiched Fritz’s underwhelming Sunshine Swing, where he went 2-2. Consequently, he lost his spot as USA’s top-ranked man to the fast-rising Ben Shelton. However, he snapped a three-match losing streak with a much-needed victory over Alejandro Moro Canas in Munich before toppling British lefty Jack Draper in Friday’s quarterfinal.
Cristian Garin, for his part, is getting closer to that 2019 form that saw him lift the Munich title. That year, he defeated Alexander Zverev en route. It’s almost as if history might repeat itself, with the Chilean accounting for the upset of the tournament by eliminating the top-seeded German again on Friday. Garin is a former world #17 whose record on clay is quite impressive. And he enters Saturday’s semifinal in a buoyant mood. For all of Fritz’s hard-court success, he’s never been allergic to clay. Last year, he posted a respectable 11-5 record on the dirt with three semifinal finishes, one of which happened at the ATP Munich. His pace and depth should give him the edge here, even though conditions can be quite tricky.
Prediction: Fritz in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
