The ATP indoor circuit moves to Vienna, featuring five matches on the opening day. Last year’s finalist, Karen Khachanov, is set to compete against Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor in what is expected to be a tough match for the Russian. Alongside other scheduled matches, predictions are made about who will advance to the next round.
ATP Vienna Day 1 Predictions
Luciano Darderi vs Brandon Nakashima
Head–to–Head: Darderi 1 – 0 Nakashima
Luciano Darderi has had a prosperous year on clay, winning three ATP titles and reaching a career-high ranking of No. 26. However, he has faced challenges on hard courts, managing only 6 wins out of 18 matches. He began his indoor season at the Almaty Open but fell in the second round to Shintaro Mochizuki after receiving a bye.
Brandon Nakashima also participated in the Almaty Open and exited in the second round as well. The American has demonstrated consistency this year, and the Vienna conditions are likely to benefit him.
Prediction: Nakashima in 3
Alexander Bublik vs Alejandro Tabilo
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Alejandro Tabilo had an outstanding Asian tour, winning the Chengdu title as a qualifier and later reaching the Shanghai Masters second round before losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime.
He will compete against Alexander Bublik, who also secured a title in Asia last month at the Hangzhou Open, marking his fourth win this season and achieving a career-high ranking of No. 16. Despite a disappointing end to his Asian trip with early exits in Beijing and Shanghai, Bublik’s serve has been a standout element of his success, and he hopes to capture another title in Vienna.
Prediction: Bublik in 3
Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Matteo Arnaldi
Head–to–Head: Kovacevic 0 – 2 Arnaldi
Aleksandar Kovacevic earned his spot in the Vienna Open after two hard-fought qualifying matches. He ended a five-match losing streak in Stockholm last week but was eliminated in the second round by Lorenzo Sonego. Kovacevic has reached two ATP finals and clinched a Challenger title this season, though his recent performance has been unremarkable.
He faces Matteo Arnaldi, who has also had his share of difficulties but managed to qualify. His indoor season in Europe started poorly last week when he lost to Yannick Hanfmann in the first round in Brussels. However, Arnaldi has shown promise this year, reaching the quarter-finals in Madrid and the semi-finals at Delray Beach. Still, he has not won consecutive matches in the main draw since July.
Alex de Minaur vs Jurij Rodionov
Head–to–Head: De Minaur 0 – 1 Rodionov
After a successful Asian tour, Alex de Minaur might feel disheartened about his Shanghai Masters performance. He is now set to meet lucky loser Jurij Rodionov in the first round of the Vienna Open.
Interestingly, Rodionov leads their head-to-head 1-0 after defeating De Minaur four years ago in Stuttgart. Nevertheless, the Australian is expected to secure a win here against the Austrian, who is currently on a three-match losing streak.
Prediction: De Minaur in 2
Karen Khachanov vs Tallon Griekspoor
Head–to–Head: Khachanov 0 – 1 Griekspoor
Karen Khachanov’s concerning form continued in Almaty last week, where he lost in the second round to Jan-Lennard Struff after receiving a bye. This marks his fourth consecutive defeat, not having won since the first round of the US Open. After a strong summer, where he reached quarter-finals or better in four successive tournaments, he is eager to return to that form as the season winds down.
Khachanov will face Tallon Griekspoor, who has also struggled lately, losing in the first round of the Stockholm Open to Jacob Fearnley. Although he showed some improvement by reaching the Round of 16 in Shanghai, his overall performance has been disappointing since winning the Mallorca Championships just before Wimbledon.
Both players have faced recent challenges, but Griekspoor won their previous encounter, which took place on indoor hard courts, and is expected to secure another win.
Prediction: Griekspoor in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
