This week’s ATP 250 event in Kitzbuhel won’t feature any of the top players in the world, with #34 Martin Etcheverry being the #1 seed, but it will feature a lot of players who know how to play on clay and will do everything in their power to get some vital ranking points before the American hard court swing begins. The main star of the tournament is undoubtedly Dominic Thiem, who is playing at home and still trying, week after week, to recapture some semblance of the level that took him to the US Open title and #3 in the rankings. He won’t be in action in this first day of the tournament, but we should still have plenty of interesting, exciting matches. We also look at the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article. Who do you think will advance?
ATP Kitzbuhel Day 1 Predictions
Luca van Assche vs Alex Molcan
Head-to-head: first meeting
The two players are in very different stages of their careers: Molcan seems stagnated and has actually lost all of his last four matches, even if the last two were against Hamburg champion Alexander Zverev. Van Assche, on the other hand, is the youngest player in the top 100 and seems to be steadily rising. He’s already a very dangerous opponent to a lot of higher ranked players and could have a nice run here given the draw.
Prediction: Van Assche in 2
Guido Andreozzi vs Filip Misolic
Head-to-head: first meeting
Misolic perhaps isn’t having the season he expected, but he’s still a young player with decent upside who’s bound to break into the top 100 soon enough. Andreozzi had a good run in qualifying but he’s generally out of his depth at ATP level, with an 11-26 career record.
Prediction: Misolic in 3
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Marco Cecchinato vs Daniel Elahi Galan
Head-to-head: Cecchinato 1-0 Galan
Cecchinato snapped his losing streak last week in Umag, but his level was once again far from impressive. At this point in their respective careers, Galan is clearly the superior player and should be able to prevail here, even if clay isn’t the surface where he is most comfortable.
Prediction: Galan in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
