4. Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Tomas Machac
If Tomas Machac’s backhand is at its full strength, then Stefanos Tsitsipas will have a difficult time getting through this first-round match. Tsitsipas had a solid run in Madrid after a largely poor showing in the rest of the season, nearly defeating defending champion Casper Ruud, but the matchup against Machac exposes his greatest weakness. The Tsitsipas backhand is an easy target, and when Machac is at his best he just may have one of the best backhands in the world. And Machac has been playing well lately, with a recent highlight being his snapping of Jannik Sinner’s Masters 1000 set streak. Tsitsipas has always been comfortable on clay–he did reach a final at the French Open–but it will take his Madrid level and then some to get past Machac. The winner will slot into a second-round matchup against seventh seed Daniil Medvedev.
5. Alexandre Muller vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Botic van de Zandschulp is one of the most unpredictable players on the ATP Tour, and that could lead to any sort of first-round clash. His opponent, Alexandre Muller, has struggled to stay healthy this season but has shown in the past that he is capable of top-level tennis. With two question mark players facing off, the match is anyone’s for the taking. Both players have had good results on clay before, but neither is anywhere close to being a specialist. This match will be a challenge for either of them to get through, and it’s hard to predict which one will make it to the second round. Whoever manages to do it will play their next match against 22nd seed Arthur Rinderknech.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
