After a breath-taking Wimbledon final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, the ATP tour is set to return to the European clay courts, including in Bastad for the Swedish Open. But who will advance on day one?
Swedish Open Day One Predictions
Jaume Munar vs Roberto Carballes Baena
Head-to-head: First meeting
Two of Spain’s brightest young talents will go head to head in the opening round at the Swedish Open. Jaume Munar, the younger of the two and a graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy, is slightly less experienced. He broke into the top 100 last summer shortly after winning back-to-back Challenger titles and went on to reach the semifinals in Kitzbuhel. He also made the last four at the NextGen ATP Finals in Milan at the back end of last year where he lost to Australia’s rising star Alex De Minaur. He has continued that good form this season.
He has reached five quarterfinals on tour this year of which four were on clay. Munar will face fellow countryman Roberto Carballes Baena, also most at home on the clay. Carballes Baena has a career high ranking of world #72 which he attained after a sensational run to the title in Quito last February. The 26-year-old has made two quarterfinals in 2019 and won a Challenger title in Lisbon before the French Open. There is very little to separate these two, who are both capable baseliners. However, Carballes Baena’s experience and consistency should be the difference in this one.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 3
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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Mikael Ymer
Head-to-head: First meeting
The two 20-year-old’s will do battle in their first meeting on tour. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has been on a steady rise since capturing the Boy’s singles title at Wimbledon in 2017. He won his first tour-level match in Estoril a few months ago, going onto reach the semifinals in Portugal, beating the likes of Taylor Fritz, Jeremy Chardy and Gael Monfils along the way. Mikael Ymer, who stands in the Spaniard’s way, has had a 2019 to remember.
The Swedish youngster had been in fine form on the Challenger tour in the build-up to the French Open. He made the finals in Murcia and Bordeaux, either side of a quarterfinal showing in Francavilla. That form served as a catalyst to a great run at Roland Garros where he came through three gruelling qualifying matches to get into the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time. Those results have propelled Ymer to a career-high ranking of 122nd in the world and he will surely receive the fulsome backing of the Swedish crowd. Expect that to give him the edge in this one.
Prediction: Ymer in 3
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