With the French Open coming to its conclusion, attention turns to grass as the ATP Boss Open in Stuttgart, Germany, heralds the start of this year’s grass-court swing. Five matches are on schedule on Day 1 with the pick of them being the all-Italian clash pitting Matteo Berrettini against Lorenzo Sonego. Who do you think will come out on top?
ATP Stuttgart Day 1 Predictions
Marcos Giron vs Jiri Lehecka
Head-to-head: Giron 1-1 Lehecka
Marcos Giron made his presence felt on clay this year, notching some big upsets on the dirt including beating Jiri Lehecka at the French Open two weeks ago. And the Czech’s decision to stick to clay this past week where he took a wild card at the Prostejov Challenger was very strange indeed. Lehecka will likely run into traffic again.
Prediction: Giron in 3
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Lorenzo Musetti vs Borna Gojo
Head-to-head: Musetti 1-0 Gojo
Musetti has zero wins on grass in his pro career. The transition from clay to grass can be fiddly and difficult which is why Musetti could find himself in a tight spot here. Opponent Borna Gojo is hardly a threat on grass either, but he has been impressive on quicker hard courts. The Croat has also scrapped and hustled through a pair of qualifying rounds in Stuttgart. Musetti’s talents would give him the upper hand on almost every other court, but on grass, it’s a coin flip. I’ll go with the underdog.
Prediction: Gojo in 3
Richard Gasquet vs Christopher Eubanks
Head-to-head: Eubanks 1-0 Gasquet
Christopher Eubanks defeated Richard Gasquet at the 2022 Bordeaux Challenger, which was on red clay. At the time, we thought the jig was up for Gasquet with people questioning whether he can still do it at 36. That defeat triggered a moment of self-assessment for the Frenchman who played superbly in the second half of the season and carried that form into the new year where he bagged his 17th ATP title in Auckland. But he’s not been the same player since that success. Eubanks has a real chance of extending Gasquet’s recent winless drought to four matches here. Gasquet has a stellar record on grass, but Eubanks’ serve will be the differentiating factor.
Prediction: Eubanks in 2
Feliciano Lopez vs Yosuke Watanuki
Head-to-head: first meeting
Watanuki is not far off from a Top 100 breakthrough, but he’ll need to delay that ambition for at least a month considering grass is his least favorite surface. Ever since he announced 2023 would be his farewell season, Feliciano Lopez was counting the days until he will play on the surface. The 41-year-old, who is among the last batch of players embodying the art of serve and volley, will hang up his racket in Mallorca. We can be certain Lopez will put every sinew in his being into work in the remaining tournaments starting with Stuttgart.
Prediction: Lopez in 3
Matteo Berrettini vs Lorenzo Sonego
Head-to-head: Berrettini 3-0 Sonego
Berrettini’s place inside the world’s Top 10 came to a halt as a result of mounting injuries. His latest setback occurred in Monte Carlo where he withdrew prior to the round of 16 due to an abdominal injury, later confirmed as a grade two tear of the oblique muscle. He didn’t recover in time to play the French Open. And he doesn’t have the kindest of draws in his first match back, drawing the resurgent Lorenzo Sonego. Berrettini defeated his countryman in the quarterfinals at this event last year. But the comparative lack of match play this time means Sonego holds all the cards to victory.
Prediction: Sonego in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
