2017 ATP Gstaad Preview and Predictions
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
The ATP World Tour stops for another tournament in Switzerland, the 250 on clay in Gstaad.
J Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad
ATP World Tour 250
Gstaad, Switzerland
July 24-30, 2017
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €482,060
Top 4 seeds (Top 4 seeds receive first round byes) (ATP rankings in parentheses)
1: David Goffin (13)
2: Roberto Bautista Agut (18)
3: Feliciano Lopez (27)
4: Fabio Fognini (31)
Top Half:
David Goffin opens with Mikhail Youzhny or Radu Albot, Bastad finalist Alexandr Dolgopolov opens with Thiago Monteiro, Renzo Olivo or Robin Haase will follow. Dolgopolov tends to be highly inconsistent in terms of form, but I have him falling to Goffin in the quarters.
Feliciano Lopez opens with either qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, or Facundo Bagnis. Lopez should win that matchup given his decent enough form on clay. Home Swiss player Henri Laaksonen should defeat Thomaz Bellucci and either Santiago Giraldo or Joao Sousa, Sousa is in terrible form, and Laaksonen has been playing well as of late. I have Lopez reaching the semifinals.
Bottom Half:
Umag finalist Paolo Lorenzi should be safe to defeat Marco Chiudinelli, an inconsistent Ernests Gulbis should beat Daniel Brands, before falling to Lorenzi on clay. Look for Fabio Fognini to put away Taro Daniel or Norbert Gombos, then defeat a fatigued Lorenzi to reach the semifinals.
Roberto Bautista Agut has an easy start against either Gleb Sakharov/Antoine Bellier, RBA should then dispatch Dusan Lajovic in the quarters. Lajovic faces Dustin Brown, then Lorenzi Giustino or Denis Istomin. Istomin has been in terrible form as of late.
Dark Horse: Henri Laaksonen
Laaksonen is 15-10 on clay this year, the 25 year old is flirting with top 100 tennis, and has more tour wins this year, than he’s had in any other season. This home hero could be in for a great run.
Predictions
Semis
Goffin d. Lopez
Fognini d. Bautista Agut
I’ll go with Fognini to have a big week on clay, Goffin and RBA should have a bit more trouble adjusting, and Fognini seems due.
Final
Fognini d. Goffin
Tennis Atlantic 