In the picturesque Alps, all the action continues from the Generali Open Kitzbühel, as clay court specialists continue their endeavors for an ATP title. Wednesday’s action may be affected by some problematic rain, but if play is able to take place, some exciting action is surely on the cards. Top seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry begins his path towards a first ATP title, while home-favorite Dominic Thiem will continue to gain some momentum after an exciting late-night win over Bagnis.
ATP Kitzbuhel Day 3 Predictions
Laslo Djere vs Thiago Seyboth Wild
Head-to-head: Djere 2-0
Djere was able to back up his great run in Hamburg with a solid start, coming through a tight second set to beat Christopher O’Connell. Questions linger as to whether the Serbian will get noticeably fatigued sometime this week, but he has a nice draw to potentially reach a second consecutive final. Seyboth Wild picked up his first ATP main-draw win since the French Open, a needed boost in his confidence. His serve was clutch in his opener against Dennis Novak, winning the vast majority of points on his first serve, and not losing serve. Djere is a much tougher task on return, as his defensive game will put pressure on Seyboth Wild repeatedly. Seyboth Wild will have to end points quickly and put Djere on the run in order to have a shot.
Prediction: Djere in 3
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Arthur Rinderknech vs Yannick Hanfmann
Head-to-head: 1-1
The second seed of the General Open Kitzbuhel, Hanfmann tends to play his best tennis during the clay-court summer swing. Notably, he made the final of this tournament in 2020, falling to Miomir Kecmanović in straight sets. While his form hasn’t been great as of late, this is definitely an open draw where the German could do some damage. Meanwhile, Rinderknech was able to take advantage of an unsurprising walkover by Alexei Popyrin, taking out lucky-loser Juan Manuel Cerundolo in three sets. Both players possess powerful serves that can regularly top 130 mph, yet patches of inconsistency aren’t rare from either competitor. This match could come down to whoever can capitalize on break points, but look for Hanfmann to live up to his seed and stroll into the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Hanfmann in 2
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Dominic Thiem vs Zhizhen Zhang
Head-to-head: First meeting
This should definitely be an exciting encounter, serving as a big test for the up-and-coming Zhinzen Zhang. Thiem was able to grind out a rain-affected win over Bagnis on Tuesday, with his fighting spirit notably carrying him throughout the second-set tiebreak. The Austrian’s fighting spirit was exciting to watch, something he’s lacked in past tournaments. Yet, This match will be a big step up for him, as Zhang’s 6-3 6-2 rout over Lajovic was a complete performance. Thiem will have to serve big and improve on his first-serve percentage to have a shot. However, doing so might be an arduous task given Zhang’s upward momentum. Zhang’s big forehand may repeatedly break down Thiem’s often inconsistent groundstrokes.
Prediction: Zhang in 3
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Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs Guido Andreozzi
Head-to-head: First meeting
Firstly, it’s interesting to note that this is the pair’s first meeting, despite the two stars being well aware of each other’s game. Andreozzi is seemingly working his way back to the ATP Tour, after dealing with patches of inconsistency in which he retrogressed back to ATP Challenger level. However, Etcheverry is a tough task, as he certainly will have the hunger to claim a first ATP title. This draw is a perfect opportunity for Etcheverry, especially as he happens to be the only Top 50 player entered in the event. Look for Etcheverry to deal with some nerves and rust early on, but he should eventually win this in two sets.
Prediction: Etcheverry in 2
