The ATP event in Munich boasts a healthy draw. Despite reaching the final of Monte Carlo, last year’s champ, Holger Rune, has made the trip whilst Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev are also in contention. There is plenty of quality in some of the unseeded players, too, including Jan-Lennard Struff, Quentin Halys, Ugo Humbert, Cristian Garin, and Dominic Thiem, the latter two making appearances in our second day predictions.
ATP Munich Day 2 Predictions
Cristian Garin vs Marko Topo
Head-to-head: First meeting
19-year-old #478-ranked Marko Topo was able to come through qualifying as a wild card to reach the main draw of an ATP event for the fourth time.
Cristian Garin has been up and down in terms of form. Facing a significantly lower-ranked player could actually rattle his nerves a bit given how much his confidence has wavered lately–he lost to Timofey Skatov (#129) in the Davis Cup and Raul Brancaccio (#194) earlier this year. It’s probably still too big a step for the young German to take but we sense some turbulence here for Garin.
Prediction: Garin in 3.
Oscar Otte vs Sebastian Baez
Head-to-head: Baez 1-0 Otte
Neither Oscar Otte nor Sebastian Baez are brimming with confidence so it’s tough to say what level they’ll respectively bring to this match. That said, it can’t be forgotten that amidst all the losses, Baez actually won the title in Cordoba earlier this year.
He is still a beast on this surface, even if he’s struggling to match the best in the world, whilst Oscar Otte has historically faltered on clay. The big serve is such an asset to him on hard and grass but here, against a fantastic returner in Baez, he will likely feel uncomfortable if he didn’t feel so already through lack of form.
Prediction: Baez in 2.
Dominic Thiem vs Constant Lestienne
Head-to-head: Thiem 1-0 Lestienne (all levels)
The tennis world at large have been teased to no end. How close is Dominic Thiem to full flow? After hitting rock bottom in a pressure situation against Adrian Mannarino in Indian Wells, a man he’d once held an 8-0 record against, Thiem entered the clay swing with a bang defeating Ben Shelton 6-2 6-2. Then he fell to Halys 1-6 4-6; then he defeated Gasquet 6-1 6-4; then he lost to Rune 2-6 4-6.
Thiem assures us he’s close to full confidence but it’s honestly difficult to say. Safe to say he’s playing better than he was last year however–the funky cuts and spin of Constant Lestienne shouldn’t be a problem for him, even on a mediocre day.
Prediction: Thiem in 2.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane/USA Today Sports
