Ricky’s Tennis Preview and Picks for this Week’s ATP events in Rotterdam and Buenos Aires

By Ricky Dimon

The Huge 3 could also be lacking, however the upcoming week on the ATP Tour will nonetheless present loads of leisure with a loaded attract Rotterdam. Among the many headlining gamers are Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, and Andy Murray. In the meantime, the clay-court swing is on its second leg in Buenos Aires.

ABN AMRO World Tennis Match

The place: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Floor: Indoor onerous
Factors: 500
Prize cash: 980,580 Euros
Prime seed: Daniil Medvedev
2020 champion: Gael Monfils (not enjoying)

The highest half of the draw is more durable, which is dangerous information for Medvedev and Zverev. Medvedev, who opens with Dusan Lajovic, might meet Borna Coric within the second spherical and in both Felix Auger-Aliassime, Kei Nishikori, or Alex de Minaur within the quarters. Auger-Aliassime and Nishikori are going head-to-head on Monday. Zverev will get issues began in opposition to Alexander Bublik, who simply completed runner-up in Singapore. The seventh-ranked German is on a collision course for the quarterfinals with Montpellier finalist Roberto Bautista Agut.

Tsitsipas and Rublev arguably have higher attracts, however that’s to not say it will likely be straightforward for anybody in Rotterdam. The sixth-ranked Greek will start his week in opposition to Montpellier semifinalist Egor Gerasimov and they’re in a piece with Stan Wawrinka and Karen Khachanov (Wawrinka and Khachanov are squaring off in spherical one). Rublev might go up in opposition to Murray within the final 16 and Montpellier champion David Goffin within the quarters.

Quarterfinal picks: Daniil Medvedev over Alex de Minaur, Roberto Bautista Agut over Lorenzo Sonego, Andrey Rublev over Ugo Humbert, and Stan Wawrinka over Stefanos Tsitsipas

Semifinals: Bautista Agut over Medvedev and Rublev over Wawrinka

Closing: Rublev over Bautista Agut

Argentina Open

The place: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Floor: Clay
Factors: 250
Prize cash: $329,550
Prime seed: Diego Schwartzman
2020 champion: Casper Ruud (not enjoying)

The Golden Swing continues in Argentina with the same attract Buenos Aires to what we noticed this previous week in Cordoba. One change is the addition of Cristian Garin, who has been the most effective clay-courters on the planet over the past two seasons. Garin has reached 5 finals in his profession, all on clay, and all in 2019 or 2020 (4-1 file in these finals). The Twenty second-ranked Chilean has a positive attract Buenos Aires, the place the opposite seed with a first-round bye in his half of the draw is a struggling Benoit Paire. Garin’s nearest seed is Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who’s in nice type however could also be fatigued following an extended week in Cordoba.

Diego Schwartzman is the highest seed and can kick off his marketing campaign in opposition to both Andrej Martin or a qualifier earlier than probably working into Frances Tiafoe or Facundo Bagnis. Miomir Kecmanovic is the opposite competitor with a bye within the prime half of the bracket, however extra seemingly semifinal opponents for Schwartzman are clay-courters akin to Laslo Djere, Marco Cecchinato, Thiago Monteiro, or Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Cerundolo vs. Ramos-Vinolas is the Cordoba ultimate on Sunday evening).

Semifinal picks: Thiago Monteiro over Diego Schwartzman and Juan Ignacio Londero over Cristian Garin

Closing: Londero over Monteiro

Ricky contributes to10sballs.com and in addition maintains his personal tennis web site, The Grandstand. You may comply with him on twitter at @Dimonator.