Following the third slam of the season, 28 players have descended upon Gstaad, Switzerland, for a clay-court 250 event. The field is filled with top-ranked players looking to gain form ahead of the North American swing. Day 1 features six first-round clashes, including former World No. 3 Dominic Thiem squaring off against clay court specialist Juan Pablo Varillas. As always, we at LWOT have the preview and prediction for all matches at ATP Gstaad. But who will advance?
ATP Gstaad Day 1 Predictions
Leandro Riedi vs Gregoire Barrere
Head-to-Head: first meeting
22-year-old Swiss Leandro Riedi will undoubtedly have the home crowd on his side. He has dominated the Challenger ranks this year, posting a 23-8 record with two titles and five finals. He has little tour-level experience, but that will not matter against a player like Gregoire Barrere. The veteran Frenchman is a former top-50 player but has struggled at the tour level this season. Give me Riedi in a decider.
Prediction: Riedi in 3
Vit Kopriva vs Daniel Elahi Galan
Head-to-Head: Kopriva 1-0 Galan
Daniel Elahi Galan has always been a strong clay court player. The Colombian, however, has struggled on all surfaces this season. Vit Kopriva has the talent to break into the top 100 but has not put it together throughout his young career. The consistency of Galan on the clay should win out.
Prediction: Galan in 2
Dominic Thiem vs Juan Pablo Varillas
Head-to-Head: Thiem 2-1 Varillas
Former World No. 3 Dominic Thiem has had a tough go of it lately. He is 2-5 in tour-level matches this year and has not won back-to-back matches at any level since early January. Juan Pablo Varillas reached a career-high ranking of World No. 60 last summer but has not played great tennis in 2024. He is 2-7 since mid-April and has not been a top 1oo ranked player in nearly ten months. Both players love the clay, and I would not be surprised to see a competitive battle between two out-of-form players. Give me Thiem in a decider. The Swiss crowd will get behind him.
Prediction: Thiem in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA Today Sports
